All the Small Wonderful Things
★★★★
All the Small Wonderful Things is a charming book about an 11 year old autistic boy named Alex and his cockapoo, Kevin. Alex will be starting middle school in the fall and is a bit nervous about the whole thing. The one thing he dearly wants before school begins is a best friend. Like many autistic children, Alex loves his videogames, his regular routines and his dog. He dislikes loud noises, crowds, bullies and being teased at school. Alex has difficulty discerning facial expressions, a common trait among autistic people, which leads to confusion among his peers and others. There is a popular boy at school that Alex wants to be friends with and he strategizes ways to accomplish this. Entering cockapoo Kevin in a local pet show and winning is a sure way to make a great impression and make new friends! There is a lot of tension at the end of the book centering on the pet show. Will Alex be able to cope with the noise and crowds? Will Kevin win a trophy? In the end, Alex finds out that he has had friends all along!
As a parent of an autistic (what used to be called Asperger’s Syndrome) child, I found the portrayal of Alex to be very accurate, and written with care. Especially the yearning to have a best friend. All children will see themselves in the various characters in this book and the ending was lovely. I recommend this book to all young readers, not-so-young readers, dog lovers, and anyone who wants a friend.
For all library children’s departments.
Reviewed by Candy T.