Mockingbird
by Kathryn Erskine
Caitlin suffers from Asperger's. She and her father are trying to come to terms with the loss of Devon, Caitlin's brother, who was killed at a school shooting. They both find a way of getting 'closure'.
Written by a lady who has a sufferer of Asperger's in her family, so can relate closely to it. However, I found I had little empathy for the characters. The father didn't seem to be very close to Caitlin, but that could've been the grieving process. Also, Caitlin has no friends - her classmates think she's a 'weirdo'. Surely she would've made friends during junior school in real life.
If Aspergers or autism interests you in a storyline, then also try The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence, and Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller (reviewed below).
The Night Sky in my Head
by Sarah Hammond
Mikey is 14 and due to an accident which we are not at first told about has a learning difficulty and behavioural problems. The only friend he has is his dog, Timmer, who is constantly by his side. His dad is in prison. Mikey has the ability of being in a particular location and seeing into the past to see what happened there. In this way he slowly pieces together what happened to his dad, why he ended up in prison, why he has escaped now, what happened to a tramp found dead in the river and what happened to himself - why does he have a scar down the back of his head, and why does he keep having headaches?
As the back of the book says, a cross between Skellig and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, but definitely not as good as either - a bit darker and more depressing!
The Case of the Good-Looking Corpse
by Caroline Lawrence
The follow-up to The Case of the Deadly Desperadoes, P.K. Pinkerton has set up a detective agency and his first case is the murder of Sally, one of the 'saloon girls'. P.K. battles with enemies old and new, and has the help of friends old and new to help solve the mystery.
I just love this series set in the Wild West of the 1860s.
Wonder
by R. J. Palacio
August was born with a rare genetic deficiency which has caused the malformation of his facial features. He has been home schooled by his mother but now, aged 10, he is entering the first year of middle school. In turn, the story is told from the viewpoint of all the main characters. We learn about people's ignorance, prejudice, naivete, and how even if someone looks different on the outside, they are the same as us on the inside. Bullies, friendships and families are all under the spotlight, but the happiness of a beautiful 10-yr old boy who has feelings like the rest of us, is what is to be achieved.
A moving story which, in places, will bring tears to your eyes.
