Autism Society of America Outstanding Literary Works of the Year

The Autism Society of America just held their national conference in Orlando, Fl the week of July 7th-July 12, 2008. Our own Jessica Champion represented the Autism Society of NC Bookstore at the event. As a vendor, she was able to sell some books and more importantly spread the word about the largest non-profit autism specific bookstore in America.

Every year at the ASA's national conference they announce the winners of the Outstanding Literary Work of the Year Award in two divisions, the first is Family/Social and the second is Education. The ASA feels that these titles have made a significant contribution to the broader autism community.
Winner of the 2008 Outstanding Literary Work of the Year Award in the Family/Social division is A Five is Against the Law! Social Boundaries Straight Up!



Winner of the 2008 Outstanding Literary Work of the Year Award in the Education division is The Ziggurat Model: A Framework for Designing Comprehensive Interventions for Individuals with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Both of these titles can be found, along with book reviews written by our staff on our website:www.autismbookstore.com
Please support your non-profit ASNC bookstore which supports the autism community in North Carolina.

General Explanation of ASDs in Spanish

We've been working on expanding our selection of Spanish-language autism titles in the bookstore, but we've been finding that there aren't all that many out there, or at least, not very many accessible to us here in the US. Therefore, we are always thrilled when we find a new one.

Our latest addition is El niño autista: Detección, evolución y tratamiento. It provides a general overview of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), with good explanations of the kinds of behaviors, language delays and/or disorders, and cognitive differences associated with autism. It also provides information on how caregivers can spot signs of autism, and where families can go for diagnosis and treatment.

This book seems particularly valuable in our Spanish selection because it does offer this nice general overview. Many of our other books focus on specific tasks, strategies, or only Asperger Syndrome, as opposed to ASDs as a whole. It offers a good place to start for newly diagnosed families, or teachers and other caregivers who would like to know more.

However, for those Spanish-speaking individuals who are ready for a lot more information, we do have another book to offer: Los Trastornos del Espectro de Autismo de la A a la Z. Presented in an easy-to-read format, the comprehensive information and strategies included in this handbook will help families, teachers, and other professional staff support individuals with ASD through the lifespan to achieve the best possible outcome. The two authors have a great deal of experience between them; Emily is the mother of a young man with ASD and an educational advocate, and Barbara has been a professional in the field of special education for more than 32 years. They decided to translate their original English version of this book into Spanish to help Spanish-speaking parents overcome the feeling of "double isolation," first due to the ASD diagnosis, and also because of the lack of information in Spanish about the disorder. The Spanish version won the 2006 Autism Society of America "Outstanding Literary Work of the Year" Award.

Local Authors Win 2007 ASA Literary Award!

The Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore staff would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to local authors Maureen Morrell and Ann Palmer. Their book, Parenting Across the Autism Spectrum: Unexpected Lessons We Have Learned, has just been awarded the 2007 Autism Society of America Literary Work of the Year.

Ann and Maureen have strong ties to the North Carolina autism community and to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Their wealth of knowledge and experience as both parents and professionals have benefited the community tremendously, and their book is a must-read for parents of children with ASD. In our expert opinion, their book has reached "classic" status among the available autism titles (and there are hundreds). The writing is superior, and the feedback we consistently receive is how much the book resonates with its readers.

In honor of the ASA literary award (and to introduce the book to more readers), we are extending a 25% discount to customers who order the book through our bookstore website. Customers will also receive a signed copy of the book, so we hope you'll take advantage of this special offer. Our price is lower than the Amazon.com price, and it is good through July 15th.

Ann and Maureen will receive their ASA award on July 13th at the 2007 ASA National Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Rules Selected as a Newbery Medal Honor Book

The 2007 Newbery Medal winner and Honor Books* have been announced!

Rules by Cynthia Lord was selected as a 2007 Newbery Honor Book. A well-written novel for readers ages 9-12, it is highly recommended by our bookstore staff. The story is told from the perspective of Catherine, the older sister of a boy named David, who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Catherine is entering her early teens, and wants to have a "normal" friend, untouched by David's autism. When a new girl, Kristi, moves into the house next door, her hopes soar. But she also meets a new boy her own age, Jason, in the waiting room at David's occupational therapy appointment. He communicates using a picture communication system, and she notices his vocabulary seems a bit lacking in the kinds of words kids their age need to express themselves. Their friendship quickly blossoms as she draws new cards for him. In the end, she is torn between the desire to be "normal" for Kristi, and a need to stand up for her brother and Jason in front of teasing peers. It is a moving story that addresses sibling and family issues, as well as the power of friendship and kindness.

Visit our website to purchase a copy of this wonderful book! It's listed in our Children's Books category.(Amazon.com currently ships this book in 4-6 weeks; we can ship it to you in 24 hours.)

*The Newbery Medal and Honor Book titles are selected annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association.