Acknowledgements and grateful thanks to NetGalley and Boys Town Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC: 'Different Thinkers: Autism by Katia Fredricksen PhD, Yael Rothman PhD and illustrated by Jennifer Ball-Cordero'. All opinions are my own and are not a reflection of the publishers and/or author, of which I have no association with.

Three out of five stars (3/5 stars).


<B><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221729261-different-thinkers">Different Thinkers: Autism</a>. by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42476064.Katia_Fredriksen">Katia Fredriksen</a> PhD and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15208619.Yael_Rothman">Yael Rothman</a> PhD. Illustrated by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/35424924.Jennifer_Ball_Cordero">Jennifer Ball-Cordero</a>.</b>
<I>THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.</I>

<B>TRIGGER WARNINGS:</b> <I>None.</I>

<B>Pre-Read:

<I>//I am so excited to read this book as I have Autism / am Neurodivergent with ADD also. Plus I have also been a student, parent and librarian... So this excites me moreso. We need more books for children on this subject. For Autistics and for non-neurodivergent peoples.//</I>

Review:</b>

<I>"Written for elementary-age youth, parents, educators, and clinicians, the book features three vignettes of children who are autistic. Each vignette highlights various aspects of autism and how these can shape a child’s behaviors and relationships at home and in school. "</I> — the NetGalley website for 'Different Thinkers: Autism's.

— Well that went both better and worse than I expected?
Although it is stated that this is written for children and that it is simplified information, this is more just simplified than simplified specifically for children. The information was directed at children, yes, however, it may still be too complicated for anyone younger than middle-grade and above because we don't want to assume that all Autistic children are on the same level. This means that it's only suitable for some children as it still might be too deep for others. In saying this, it's beautiful information with some really encouraging facts.

If the children are being supervised then I see no reason why this wouldn't be suitable, however, it is directed at the children whom have Autism and thus, I think — my opinion, only — that it could have been simplified more without losing any important information. I just have a neurodivergent son who is smart as anything and he still would have struggled a little at some points. In saying this, I have also noticed that each generation just gets smarter and smarter and I could have this entirely wrong.

I, however, loved the book for me and my wife, as it led to quite a pleasant discussion about this. I am more neurodivergent than she is, but we often agree on a lot. She has only just realized that she is Neurodivergent and she said that she really enjoyed the book as it explained things to her on a beginners level for an adult or young adult. She has always been less mature than me and me more mature than my age, we quite like our differences as it gives us different aspects to view things from which interests us both. We both like to know how others think and feel.

This book reminds me of that. That both of these women are successful Doctors and are also writing childrens books about different brains — to me that is amazing.

I just wish there was a language for all age levels — other than love and understanding, that is.

Touching on the beautiful illustrations by Jennifer Ball-Cordero, I would like to let readers knows that they're art that would capture the rapt attention of all, not just children.

All-in-all, this is a beautiful book that I would love to have in my collection of kids books.

Written by pediatric neuropsychologists, Katia Fredericksen and Yael Rothman co write a picture book about autism. They explain their jobs and the brain. The picture book shows kids with autism and tells about various experiences and feelings that children with autism may face. The book does have lots of text but can be good explanation for those with and without autism. For grades 3 - 6

*thank you to Netgalley, Katia Fredricksen, PhD & Yael Rothman, PhD and Boys Town Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*



4 stars.


This is exactly the type of book I would have appreciated being given back in early Primary School. Unfortunately I was not so it want until I was 39 that I was Diagnosed as Autistic. Who knows, if I had this back as a small child I may have been able to share that I related to the kids in the book. But then again, I was a girl in the 80s and 90s and as the book address, back then, apparently girls didn't have Autism.

Thankfully that's now changed and this book does an excellent job of acknowledging so many facts about what it is like to be Autistic and that it's not a bad thing at all. I love and appreciate how they reiterate that throughout as often, mainly with girls, Autism is something we tend to hide.

In this book we have 3 kids, Luna, Ravi and Liam. All different and unique in their own ways. Which is another thing I really appreciate with this book. There is no Stereotypical Autistic. The authors don't say things like, 'all Autistics do this and that'. They acknowledge that Autistics are of all ages, gender and are all unique. There is no standard list all Autistics follow. There are more common traits and lessor common ones and you may have some of the same as the kids in this but you also may have others. Near the end there is even a section where you can write what parts you connect with.

The style and layout of books like these that are focused on educating, is also something that I particularly find important. The wording and explaining was very well written. Easy and basic to follow. The pictures also helped as some Autistics find visuals along with words to be how they try to understand something.

Overall, I found this book to be amazing. It's a great read for anyone really. For an Autistic. For a parent or family member. For classmates to have an understanding if there is an Autistic child in the class. For adults who may have a friend shows child is Autistic. Or even someone who is interested in learning more about Autism. The list goes on and on.

I would highly recommend this book. Expecually to small children who can go through it with family members and friends.

A lovely book that breaks down information about autism in a very easy-to-understand way. It is light, chatty/conversational in tone and presented in such a way that encourages conversation, rather than being prescriptive and lecturing to kids. I imagine it will be very helpful to parents and teachers.

This is a powerful uplifting view of the Autism Spectrum. I was so grateful to Net Galley & the publishers for letting me enjoy this outstanding book. This book is so amazing!! I can't say enough about it. This book was created for elementary age children and their caregivers in mind. The book talks about Autism: what it is, how it affects behaviors, emotions & more. It explains how different aspects of Autism can shape their relationships and their behaviors both at home, school, and everywhere. It has prompts through the book that help children discover more about their diagnosis and the amazing things it means. The strong message to children is so encouraging and helps them discover their own abilities and strengths. I love that the authors keep it simple and so easy for everyone to understand. The care taken in explaining what Autism is and how it makes things different for my child. I can't wait to add this to our own home library. I loved the positive outlook it gave. My son who is 5 is on the Autism spectrum and I am so thankful for this book and its encouraging message to everyone. Everyone needs this book to share. Worth A Billion Stars.

This is a great accesible book to use as a tool to explain autism to children. It uses very clear language and examples which are very relatable. As someone who works with kids who have autism I can see myself using examples of this book to talk about autism with these kids.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

This is a great book that explains Autism in a child friendly manner. It explains a little about neurodiversity and how the brain works, before showing examples of a few different children and how they react in different situations and what helps them.
Beautifully illustrated and would provide a good talking point for parents or educators.

As an adult I found "Different Thinkers: Autism" to be an engaging and interesting read, The illustrations throughout the book were fantastic and eye catching. That being said, I'm not sure if this is a great book for a child if that's the intention. It's wordy and uses pretty mature language for younger kids. Either way, the content is highly informative and I plan to recommend it to other adults.

This book is massively long. It has great information and is more of a non-fiction book. But the author spends so long talking about different parts or giving multiple examples that it drags. This isn’t meant to be a story time type of book, but to read from beginning to end in one sitting is a bit much.

Some of the more in-depth concepts are at odds with the format and illustrations. Still, this is good coverage of a topic that isn't available enough for young readers. It's judgment free and not at all scary. A good choice for kids with autism or those who want to understand their friends better.

Thank you for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

The perfect book to learn the basics of autism and how autistic people function. It's a book that children both with and without autism can learn a lot from and a good book for parents to read with their kids.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Explains autism well to young readers.

This picture book is written from first-person perspective of a child who has Autism, speaking to the reader to discuss and normalize common symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a child/adolescent therapist, I am excited to use this book in sessions with my clients who are learning about this diagnosis or are recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is even a helpful tool for kids who have family or friends with Autism and would benefit from learning and understanding about common symptoms/experiences that those with Autism go through. The book also offers some question/answer portions at the end which allow the reader to fill in the blank to identify their strengths, struggles, coping strategies, etc, after reading through the book and learning more about Autism Spectrum Disorder. The illustrations are brightly colored and basic, but also engaging and do not distract from the content and purpose of the book. The language is written in a way that allows a child to understand what symptoms/experiences of Autism are like without using language that is too clinical in nature. I have not seen a book similar to this one before, and I will explore other similar titles in the series with clients moving forward!

Different Thinkers: Autism is a fun children's book that invites young readers to explore the world of autism. It simplifies complex concepts, making them easy to understand, and encourages kids to reflect on their own experiences. I highly recommend it for anyone starting this journey with their child.

Netgalley ARC - I think the back 2/3rds of this is really great and provides a great resource, but the first 1/3rd seems unecessary and is not very engaging. I don't think we need to start with author descriptions, and the brain details could be condensed since that doesn't really come up in the later discussion that is more autism-experience specific.

This book really explains autism well for a young audience. I like that it has questions to allow for discussion with the kids you’re reading the book with or to. I also appreciate the way the book is organized.

Thanks to NetGalley for access to this book.

This book is absolutely perfect. It offers a good amount of information at an age appropriate level that the kids (and adults) will be able to glob onto and devoir. It presents everything in such an empathetic way as well. I have been looking for a really good book on Autism for children for our libraries children's collection and this definitely fits the bill!

Wow, I am really impressed with this book. As a neurodivergent parent of neurodivergent children, I have found it challenging to access books or other sources of information that I can use as a resource for them. I’m so tired of reading books, likely that are written by neurotypical authors, that focus on flaunting the idea that autism is a “superpower” or that autists are lucky to have the “gift” of autism. I find this sort of information dismissive and unhelpful.

This book broke down the important information into straight forward, age-appropriate explanations and didn’t use the word “superpower” once! I would definitely read this to my children and I loved the pages that offered opportunities for children to identify positive things about themselves as well as things they struggle with. More books like this, please!

This is such an informative book, I found it really interesting, the illustrations are really engaging, the text maybe too advanced for some autistic children in the intended age for (6-12yrs) for the book.

Book two from two pediatric neurologists books about different thinkers. The book explains how your brain works and introduces the concept of autism through exploring how three different characters experience the world. There are great prompts here and everything is so clearly explained for children to be able to understand. It felt informative and empowering.