I'm an autistic adult rather than a kid, but there was still a lot to be gained from this book, and as someone who was late-diagnosed, I wish I'd had this book years ago! HIghly recommended to those on the spectrum, and those who care for them or work with them.

Not the target audience but a fun, easy to read book that kids are going to love. Great journal and super spy feeling to it. Reminded me of Harriet the Spy. Wonder if the book be getting renamed now “Asperger’s” is no longer a commonly used term. Very suitable for none asd kids too.

Wow! The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules, 10th Anniversary Edition, by Jennifer Cook, is not your average book on social skills. It's an amazingly down to earth guide on being comfortable in your own skin and being your best self. Since she's been there herself, Jennifer knows how important these skills are to every human's quality of life.
This is Jennifer Cook's internationally bestselling handbook and it will help kids, of all ages, understand many of those pesky, unwritten social rules.
While this guide is geared towards teens, I believe that it's quite interesting and appropriate for adults as well.

Look, I was prepared to absolutely hate this book and rip it apart because ‘asperger’s’ is Out of Vogue, but they actually address it and talk about it (although not Directly, ie, we don’t use Asperger’s anymore because Mr. Asperger was a Nazi, just that it is a Problematic Thing). I really think that if it’s being re-released, they could go with a new title. The author is autistic, which follows “nothing for us without us” (vs Own Voices), which I really really appreciated. This is a great book to pull social advice from; while this book is aimed towards teenagers, I jotted down some useful rules. It’s really presented in a way where it’s like, here is a rule, and now here is a personal story where you can see what I did in this situation and apply it to your own life, or relate to it, etc. Written-down rules for social situations are much easier for me personally to follow, so I thought this was extremely helpful. Four stars; great book, bad title.

I struggled to love this book, but not because it wasn't amazing. I struggled to love this book because I am jealous this book exists for children and teens, while it didn't exist for my brothers or I when we were younger. As an autistic person, surrouded by autistic family members, this book would have been invaluable for us as we navigated high school life, social situations, and so much more. I am grateful that this book is written by an "actually autistic" person, as so often books about autism are written by doctors, people who have parented autistic children, or other such well-minded folks who have no idea what it's like to have our brains. I would love to add this book to my classroom library, so other autistic kiddos can have it like I wish I'd had it when I was their age!

This is definitely a fantastic concept. As a person who is neurotypical, I don't feel qualified to evaluate the effectiveness of the guidance and advice provided, but I have confidence in the author as an Own Voices writer. I can say that all of the rules described made sense and seemed accurate to me and it was interesting to have someone put the "why" into words for things I've just always accepted as norms.

This would be appropriate for anyone reading at an approximately 5th grade level or above and would make a great addition to school and community libraries as well as the bookshelves of school psychologists and other support workers.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for providing a free e-ARC of The Asperkids’s (Secret) Book of Social Rules, 10th Anniversary Edition, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued and excited about it. As an autistic person, I never really got a whole lot of #ActuallyAutistic representation in the books I read growing up. I also never knew that there were books like this growing up and I felt inclined to read this book as I wanted to see what her perspective was as an #ActuallyAutistic author.

That being said, I definitely feel that this book is worth the read for anyone on the Spectrum. While the main target audience for this book is for teenagers, I feel that there is something to be learned among autistic adults after reading this book. I know that I have found some really good advice after reading. Additionally, I like how Cook makes an effort to address the diversity and vastness of the spectrum in the advice she gives during the book.

Personally, I really like this book because of how relatable Cook is. Even though she wasn’t diagnosed until later on as an adult, I feel that the best part about this book is how she ties in her own experiences as an Autistic woman with each chapter of the book.

Overall, this is a must-read for autistic people as well as anyone else who identifies as neurodivergent. This was a quick and easy to read book that you will want to keep as a reference guide in the future.

I can only review this theoretically as a mother who had an Asperkid living in our neighborhood when my kids were growing up. This pre-teen was a friend of my son, and really could have used the kind of help found in this book. He wasn't diagnosed until he was an adult, so we just thought he was sort of a weird young man with dysfunctional parents. I don't want to say more except that he was at our house often and we had our ups and downs with his behavior.
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This book should have been called How to be Human 101 & everyone should get a copy!!

This instructional-like book could be helpful to ALL young adults and especially neurodivergent young adults. Whatever type of neurodivergence, diagnosed or not, this guide will be source of information you likely will not find in another book. As others have reviewed, I wish that I had this book as a younger adult or teen. I also think this would be a great reference tool for therapists and counselors to work with young adults to talk through and discuss issues from everyday hygiene to complicated social skills told in a blunt yet clear and caring way.

The illustrations help keep the topics fun and lighthearted and help to continue to keep the readers interested.


Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Jessica Kingsley Publishers

I wish I had read this book when my son was diagnosed with ASD - it would have helped us to navigate the unknown path. A great, no-nonsense guidebook.

This book provides helpful information for anyone with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although, it is titled as being for teens/tweens, it can be used for any age. It is written in a simple, rules based style, which may be relatable to individuals with Autism. The topics selected were those that are relevant and that many kids will struggle with. This book can assist with how to navigate social exchanges, how to engage in reciprocal conversations, when to use politeness markers, and many other social skills necessary in everyday life. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Asperkid's Secret Book of Social Rules has a lot of useful information for middle-graders and up to help navigate their Autism. The author provides a daunting list of social rules frequently misunderstood by the neurodiverse, but then breaks it down into smaller, more manageable sets with real-life examples and comprehensive strategies. The author seemed perhaps a bit too invested in a term she claims to have coined, Asperkid, despite the fact that Asperger's is no longer a diagnosis and Hans Asperger's history and participation in Nazism is problematic. For that reason, it would be unwise to include this book in library collections since it would be irresponsible to perpetuate support of a no longer used diagnosis and a known Nazi. It is unfortunate because the content is sound. With rebranding, this would be a recommended purchase.

I love this book! It was so helpfully and funny and it made me smile a lot! I hope everyone else enjoys this book as much as I do. I've never been assessed for autism, but I probably should be, and this book really helped me understand some of the social rules that I had been confused about before. I'll definitely use it's tips!

This is wonderful! I love how you are given lists and what is expected normally to get along in the world. It does a great job explaining baffling mysteries of the neurotypical world and how to navigate those foreign waters. This is a book any teen (and adult) on the spectrum might want to keep handy and refer to again and again as different situations come up. The explanations are very easy to understand and very helpful. Now i want the same book for adults and situations adults face that teens might not be facing.

The title should have been enough to steer me away from reading this, and it almost did, but curiosity got the better of me.

The term Asperger’s is widely accepted in the Autistic community as being harmful, linked to a traumatic history of abuse of Autistic people under the guise of science. Although the author explains her reasons for continuing to use it, the use of the term throws up a red flag. This coupled with the wording of ‘Social Rules’ highlights that this is a book supporting the alteration of neurodiverse people to fit into a neurotypical world. An outdated perspective.

Many years ago, accepted practise did indeed seek to change the behaviours of Neurotypical people to ensure that they could successfully mask their natural tendencies to fit into a world which was not made for them. This helps me to see how beneficial this book would have been, how much easier my childhood could have been as there was very little space for acceptance of the differences of the neurotypical person during these times. Therefore a handbook of social rules met a need.

However, we are now moving to a more accepting world where many neurodiverse individuals, organisations and allies are advocating for acceptance of our differences and embracing our neurodiversity rather than seeking to change it. This book is in direct opposition of this.

Moving away from the unsuitability of this book for the times we are now living in and the way the Autistic community is asking to be supported, the way the book was written would not be accessible to many Autistic people. The lack of structure coupled with the presentation of opposing views in one point is confusing and hard to follow. If there are rules be clear about what they are and how to navigate them.

My experience with this book was negative BUT I can see how it could be helpful to someone else. It is important for each Autistic person to decide if it feels right for them or not and not be pushed into thinking this is the only way to navigate the world as a Neurodiverse individual.

The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules is a perfect read for parents and teachers of Aspies. It's a great guide on how to teach Aspies, social norms, and common courtesy in order to help them navigate the neuro-typical world. At the same time, it's an educational read to better understand children and people with Aspergers.

Absolutely eye-opening for those of us who suspect either we or someone we know is on The Spectrum. So many of the details made me say, "Wait a minute! That sounds like..." Issues like navigating social media, receiving criticism, dating, and more are detailed gently and with humor and helpful ideas. I was a bit distracted by the few grammatical and layout errors, but once this book has been refined, I will definitely be purchasing this book for my high school library and recommending it to teachers and staff.

Welcome to the 10th anniversary edition of Asperkids Secret Book of Social Rules. Do not be thrown by the term "asperkids". While the term aspergers is not used in the UK for diagnosis at present, the author wrote this book in 2012 and it is he term used when she was diagnosed. She goes on to talk about the various preferences for "name calling" from neurodiverse, neurodivergent, person with autism or aspergers to autistic person. It is all personal. Jennifer herself coined the term "asperkids" when penning this book.
The book acts as her backstory. She grabbed a notebook one day as her friend attempted to explain something and so began her attempt at noting down social rules to help her navigate the every day.
So what does the book consist of?: a long list of 140 social rules that Jennifer picked up along the way, 30 mini chapters about some of these rules where she breaks them down, along with some practical advice and some comic strip to help illustrate.
The easiest way to access this book is to dip innand out as needed. It is word heavy as there is so much advice so not easily read in one or two sittings.. The chapter headings are given in metaphoric form with a cartoon to illustrate the social issue. Metaphors are particularly difficult for my teen son to understand so these didn't make much sense until he read on. That is the idea though - an unintelligible social issue osexplained to make it more accessible. An issues like "sorting mountains from molehills" is broken down into more memorable ways.
I found it best to read this as a parent and teacher of autistic teens and then discuss relevant issues. Eg 178 on "hygiene" came up quickly with a teen boy! There is advice on a wide range of issues: friendship, flirting, school, self advocacy and knowing your strengths, social media, etc. Personally I find a hard copy easier to navigate. My son would pick it up to browse every now and then, whereas he would have to be handed the ebook to remind him it existed. This shiny new edition is due June 2022.
However , like all advice, it will not suit all persons - it doesn't offer definitive answers to each issue. It makes some assumptions too - that the teens are heteronormative when it comes to flirting and dating, and that authority figures can be trusted. We do have to bear in mind that this is a subjective set of rules and experiences being shared and that is why we can dip in and out with the ones that personally apply.
Overall, the author attempts to connect with the reader in a kind and understanding manner. She has navigated her own path through the autism spectrum into adulthood and is passing on her advice with best intentions. Like parent or caregiver to child - advice is given and you choose whether to take it on board before navigating your own path. For my son and I, there are lots of useful tips to glean and a few we can skip over. We are just thankful that people like Jennifer, who have navigated diagnosis have left us with some tips, so that we have a starting point and are not navigating our journey in darkness. #TheAsperkidsSecretBookofSocialRules10 #Netgalley

💙 I just finished reading The Asperkid's Secret Book of Social Rules 10th Anniversary Edition by Jennifer Cook and I can honestly say that I wish I had read it years ago! I have two children on the spectrum and I've watched them struggle to connect with the neurotypical world around them with varying degrees of difficulty. We have read so many books, attended classes, and sought out therapies to demystify autism and help them grow up in a world that is often cruel to any neurodivergent folk. Until now I have not seen any books that were written FOR my kids FROM a fellow autistic person and it was a game changer. The way Jennifer explains all the "rules" is sweet and simple but her personal stories add a depth that drives home the reason behind her advice. My middle schooler loved the illustrations and asked me to print out some of the sticky note tips from the end of the book. I really appreciate the authors transparency with her struggles AND her success. The book constantly reinforces the fact that autistic people are not a monolith and are each unique in their relationships with the world around them. I am thankful to Netgalley for offering this book to review and I will be purchasing a physical copy for my kids.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars across the board!

*****5 Stars!

“I wasn’t defective, I was different.”

First I would like to thank Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review.

This book was not only very beautifully written but also extremely uplifting, it was an absolute joy to read. Being a Neurodivergent adult I found this book to be very relatable and it is a book that I think everyone ought to read. Not only would it be helpful for other Neurodivergent individuals trying to learn and understand themselves, but it would also be extremely beneficial for Neurotypicals to read as well to help them better understand their fellow Neurodivergent loved ones and friends. Growing up there were a lot of things I didn’t quite understand about myself and I was left to assume it was just me who was struggling with things that everyone around me seemed to understand perfectly. Had I read this book growing up I would have been assured earlier on that it was not just me and there were other people who shared very similar issues and struggles.

The Asperkid’s (Secret) Book of Social Rules is highly detailed with beautiful art to help further explain the information within the book, which made it very interesting. Each page in this book was filled with positive messages and kind and understanding words. This book assures the reader that it is perfectly okay to be different and to embrace yourself for who you are, which is a message I think the world needs to receive. This is a book I would highly recommend!