Adalyn's Clare ~Written by Kari Dunn Buron
~Illustrated by Lou Wisniewski
~Illustrated by Lou Wisniewski
Adalyn is autistic and like many children with autism Adalyn attends a regular school and spends most of the day in an average classroom. Routine is key for Adalyn's success and having a plan when things go wrong is essential. Adalyn's Clare by Kari Dunn Buron is an enlightening and educational story about the life of a child with autism and what can be accomplished when school officials, teachers, and parents work together.
Adalyn is in fourth grade and is very intelligent. She loves animals and excels in science. However, Adalyn struggles with social situations and making friends. Sometimes Adalyn has difficult days and needs a break from things. At times like this Adalyn visits Mrs. Kelly. Mrs. Kelly is a special teacher and in her room she has a pop-up tent for Adalyn to escape and sort out her feelings. One day, Mrs. Kelly had a surprise for Adalyn, a puppy. Adalyn is thrilled and asks to name the puppy Clare. Clare is a therapy dog and instantly makes Adalyn feel safe. Clare's job is to help Adalyn feel more comfortable around other people and to help her make new friends. This is a big task for a little puppy, but with a lot of patience from everyone involved Clare and Adalyn are sure to succeed.
Adalyn's Clare is a timely and well contrived story that helps reader's gain a better understanding of what a child with autism faces each day. The story is an ideal teaching tool and should be used in classrooms everywhere. As schools strive to include children with special needs in the mainstream classroom they must make it a priority to educate other students about the challenges faced by children with autism and other learning disabilities. When everyone works together to help others great things can be achieved.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Adalyn's Clare. It's a great summer read and you can enter below for your chance to win a copy of Adalyn's Clare. Available for purchase at Amazon.com.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Adalyn's Clare. It's a great summer read and you can enter below for your chance to win a copy of Adalyn's Clare. Available for purchase at Amazon.com.
