Critical Review

Sayers, Bonnie. "Review-Andy and His Yellow Frisbee." 2007 http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33670.asp.

Bonnie Sayers, who is the editor for BellaOnline's Autism Spectrum Disorders, writes this review and immediately makes a connection to her two sons. She says that they do not have a fascination with spinning objects, but she has heard that many autistic children do. She also says, "From the very first sentence, 'Andy was a real puzzle to Sarah.' I get a sense that the author knows first hand the trials and tribulations of raising a child with autism, since the autism ribbon is known as a 'puzzle'." I agree with this statement because of how the author writes about Andy in a knowledgable way. Sayers also talks about the type of sibling that Rosie is in the book, explaining how caring she is and how she looks after her brother, Andy. She leaves her soccer game in order to make sure he is alright when she realizes that Sarah may be getting a little too close. I completely agree with Sayers in that Rosie portrays a good older sibling, one that is helpful and a positive influence on a younger sibling's life, especially one with autism.

Sayers also discusses how Sarah realizes something about Andy in that her teddy bear is similar to his yellow frisbee: they both provide comfort for the individual. This shows a child's understanding of someone such as Andy, which is a big deal on its own. She tries to connect with him by bring in her own frisbee, even though she does not understand everything behing Andy having his frisbee. Finally, Sayers talks about how the book portrays Andy as "carefree" and that he fits in with the other kids in the book, not making him seem like an outsider. I feel that this, too, is important aspect of the book because these students deserve the same type of attention and respect that all other students receive.

I think that this article is a good piece in that it explains the positive aspects of the story. There is much to be taken out of this book when reading it to young readers, and there are many questions that can be asked to help further their understanding of autism. I agree with many of her points about the book and believe that it would be a good book to read to students when you are trying to explain to them some of the differences that people have in the world.