NZ Intermediate School Librarians discussion

A brilliant and thought provoking insight into what life is like for an 11 year old girl with autism. Tally is dealing with the daily challenges that being autistic provides, plus she has just started at a new school and is experiencing problems fitting in - she tries really hard to be the same as everyone else but it creates great stress and results in difficult behaviour. The book is a collaboration between author of middle school fiction Rebecca Westcott and 11 year old Libby Scott who has autism. The book is interspersed with sections of Libby's real diary. We learn a lot about how being autistic can affect people and also how we can make life easier for people with autism. For example "Pathological Demand Avoidance" or PDA means when Tally is told to do something, eg eat your breakfast, she finds she physically can't comply - even if she wants to. Instead her parents try to be careful to either phrase requests as a suggestion, or give her a choice, eg would you like to eat toast or cereal? Themes of empathy, identity - embracing people's differences, dealing with anxiety (not just Tally's).