"Russell is Extra Special" Review

Amenta III, Charles. Russell is Extra Special. New York: Magination Press, 1992.

This book is about an autistic child Russell and how he goes through his day and how it involves his family. His two younger brothers love Russell, but when they ask their father why Russell is autistic, he says there is no answer. It goes on to mention how Russell has trouble making friends, which is something his brothers do not have problems doing. He can not talk, instead using "actions" to get what he wants from his parents or whoever is around. Russell also likes to carry a plastic straw wherever he goes. While Russell may make things difficult for his family at times, his family still loves him very much, thinking he is "extra special."

This story is very informational in that it tells a lot about what goes on in the daily life of an autistic child. It goes through the kinds of things that an autistic child will do to get attention, how they react to certain situations, how they like their own private space most of the time, etc. It also shows the comparison to his brothers and how they live some aspects of their lives. Along with that, it shows the family's committment and love for Russell. There are many sacrifices that they have to make in order to make things work, but they do it because of how much they love Russell. I think that this book is a good book when showing a child a pretty detailed overview of what occurs throughout the day for an autistic child. The fact that it shows how important the family is in his life, and how important he is to the family, is an excellent lesson for a young child to learn.