Sara’s Pick: To SIRI With Love by Judith Newman

The true story of a mother and her twin sons, Gus, who is autistic and Henry, who is not. Gus flaps when he is happy, knows all the timetables for the subway in New York, and doesn’t like vacations because he is homesick for all that is familiar (his bedroom curtains, snow globes, villain figures, trains). Thomas the Tank Engine is a favorite long past the age other children move on to other characters because the engines are always happy or sad or grumpy and look it so there is no trying to decipher facial expressions which is so difficult for the autistic. SIRI, with her infinite patience and ability to discuss the weather or train timetables or any other minutia that others fine tedious, is a wonderful discovery for Gus. She also doesn’t like swearing and promotes courtesy. An informative look at autism, told with humor and accompanied with a bibliography of books on the science, the history and treatment of autism.