I got this one from paperbackswap.com.

This literary mystery feels like a cross between Jennifer McMahon's _I Promise Not to Tell_ and Mark Haddon's _Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time._ It is a compelling look at autism, both from the child's and the parent's perspective. Adam, a 9 year old austic boy finds himself witness to a murder. While the novel is about the mystery of the murder, it is more about the relationship of Adam and Cara, his mother. The story is told from several people's perspectives. While some ring truer than others, the thoughts of Morgan, a middle school boy with social difficulties, and Adam are especially interesting. I would love to read a future book more in depth about Morgan. He was a great reminder to me that often the motivations of people is unseen and totally unknown except to that person. This book gave me a greater sense of compassion both for people with autism and their families.

Returned in the Medicine Chest Book Box

Ri, thank you for returning this in the Medicine Chest book box. I'm going to release it instead of including it in the box's next round, because I do have a copy of Haddon's _Curious Incident_ set aside. To make sure the box has a good balance and variety, I'll only be using one book about autism.

But I really enjoyed reading this. It's excellent! We get a good look at the daily routine of a special needs class, a chance to see the world through the eyes of some of its students, and a very challenging mystery. All the characters are sympathetically drawn - even when they're behaving in ways that to us seem weird, we can understand their motivations. And the mystery was very well-paced and well-constructed. I certainly followed some of the wrong paths, and was surprised at the eventual resolution.

But that's just one person's opinion. Future readers, what do YOU think of this book?

On shelves at west entrance