Definitely a change of pace from what I have been reading. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork is classified a teen book but it doesn't follow the recent trend of "paranormal romance". We follow 17 year old Marcelo through a summer of experiences outside of his comfort zone which sounds ordinary enough except for the fact that he lies possibly somewhere along the Autism spectrum. He refers to himself in the third person, he can hear "internal music" and his special interests lie in religion, religious texts and an ongoing conversation with a rabbi. Marcelo takes care of the ponies at the special school he attends, lives in a tree house and doesn't understand people. But for the summer he is forced to step into the "real world" at his father's law firm mail room, take the train, navigate the city, interact with people, and figure things out on his feet. We look at the world through his eyes and judge people through their actions and his naivete, a refreshing look at what is acceptable behavior and what isn't, or shouldn't be.

There are definite reasons why this is listed as a teen book. When confronted with the "real world" with adults Marcelo is often faced situations that involve sex - something that he is not personally familiar with or thus-far interested in. Some parts are crass and very blunt and not suitable for younger readers, but all are handled with an even hand and filtered through Marcelo's logical thought process.

Let me wrap up before I just dictate the whole story to you... I completely enjoyed this book and it blew way passed my expectations. A book from the perspective of something who think about things completely differently, mashed with a John Grisham lawyer thriller mystery.  Thumbs up - do it! :D




On a side note, as someone who has had some experience working with people in this population I often keep my eyes peeled for books of this nature. And while I have not read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night (I know, I KNOW! I'm getting to it!!) I have read several that I have found very fulfilling. They all have won a certain award called the Schneider Family Book Award. "The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences." You can find out more about this award on the ALA website. http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/1/detail


Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Rules by Cynthia Lord
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass


“We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.”  ~ Ursula K. Le Guin