This is such a wonderful resource for kids who are learning about what it means to be Autistic! I love that it described what a neuropsychological exam might look like and gives 3 kids as examples to follow through the story. It utilizes affirming language and talks about the ways that Autism can present both great traits and struggles. I will definitely be adding this to my library!

Before I launch into my review, I would like to say thank you to Katia Fredricksen, Yael Rothman PhD, Boys Town Press, and Netgalley for the Advanced Digital Reader Copy of this title. For anyone with their eye on this title, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.

The fact that we are reading a book that looks at a type of disability makes it all the more disappointing that the book opens with white text on pastel pin and blue backgrounds. I personally found the text inaccessible and would have appreciated a better contrast. I actually travelled through the book wondering where all the text was. At the 40% mark, I noticed some faint writing and went back a page to find more white text on an even lighter background than before. I was unable to read it at all.

The pictures were absolutely wonderful, and I enjoyed looking at them. Originally, I thought the book was entirely made up of illustrations. For such a subject, I do think there needs to be more said on the subject than leaving it up to one’s own subjectivity.

Unfortunately, whilst the book seems like a great idea and I can see the potential in having a children-centered approach, I was unable to engage with the inconsiderate formatting of the book and, therefore, rendered it a 1 out of 5 stars until suitable edits are made.

I loved this book! My darling goddaughter is 5 years old and watching her grow and learn as an autistic child has been wonderful, stressful, beautiful, scary, and every other emotion you can think of. This book was simple (not in a bad way) and educational. Some of the material I've read is very academic and I don't always understand. I feel better having read this book. Thank you very much.

This is a wonderful book. It’s meant for children ages 6-12, but would also be beneficial for parents and family members of children on the spectrum. I have a toddler on the spectrum and I feel this would be a great for his cousins to read to have an understanding of why he is different. I appreciate how informative and simple the explanations were. I liked how they used three different children to explain how even within autism there are still differences, which is why it is considered a spectrum. The illustrations were also beautifully done. I would purchase this book for when my son is older and able to understand the content. This book would also be great for classrooms, especially those which are integrated.

Thank you Boys Town Press for providing this book via NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is an excellent resource for understanding autism, making it an ideal read for the classroom. It is easy to follow and provides valuable insight into the behaviors and experiences of autistic students. In today’s classrooms, it's highly likely that there is at least one student with autism, and this book helps foster empathy and understanding. It explains in clear terms why certain behaviors occur, offering a perspective that can help both students and educators. By reading this book, students can gain a deeper appreciation for neurodiversity and learn how to be more supportive and inclusive of their peers with autism. This is an essential read for creating a more understanding and compassionate classroom environment.

This is a fantastic introduction to autism, written simply enough for children but with enough information that adults can learn too. The illustrations are fantastic, including ones showing the different parts of the brain. I love how the book shows the differences in the brain (which can be detected before birth now) and went on to show how autism affects people. Very friendly, fun and informative. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

I enjoyed reading this book as found it was very informative and I am now a bit more aware of what Autism is.
I would highly recommend this book to others to read as it can be very helpful especially for kids.

I absolutely loved this book and how it explains autism to children. Even as an adult, there were things I learned from reading it.

My son is waiting to be tested for autism, but I could relate, a lot of the things went over in the book, to him. So as a parent who would potentially need a book like this in the future, I found a lot of value in it. After reading this, I think it would easily be understood by children, and if not, it could easily be understood by an adult in their life, where they could explain it better. I'm not an expert on autism, so I don't know if anything is missing, but from the few areas gone over it seems like it would be immensely helpful to children and their parents.

I like that there were a few examples of stimming. I did not completely understand what stimming actually was, until reading this book. Also, I really like how their were three different kids with very different ways of thinking shown as examples. It really helped me understand autism and how different each person with it might be.

Overall, I think this would be a great tool to for anyone to understand the basics of what autism is, especially children in the ages 6-12, which is listed on the back of the book as the suggested age range. I would definitely buy this to help my child understand autism!

This was a nice overview for young children about how autistic brains work differently. I very much appreciate that it was approached as difference and not an illness to be fixed. It was young in ways not always in sync with my high school sped students, but did provide me with some ways to discuss this variety with them. On that end, it did exactly what I needed and yay for serendipity putting it in front of me on Netgalley!

Different Thinkers:Autism is a great resource for families and educators. I hope you understand that kids with autism are not all the same but they all have strengths that need to be celebrated. It also gets good tips and strategies to help with students and children with autism be successful in school. Great read..

This book is an excellent introduction to autism for kiddos and their parents. It is informative, positive, and highlights strengths and pointing out that differences are not bad. It also has great prompts and talks about some of the difficulties in a way that doesn't feel isolating. I am excited to read this book with my autistic kiddo when it is published

Great information in this book. However it it suggested it's for ages 6-12. Yet the writing is too advanced for the younger readers targeted. Appears more adult oriented with ways to talked with younger kids about autism than a book for them to learn to understand better.

This book isa great for families dealing with Autistic children. I have a 7 year old son with Autism level 3, we spent the afternoon reading this book and my son enjoyed the pictures. This book was filled with information and not to mention the pictures were a wonderful addition to it. I helped us understand why they may think or behave differently than others but showed how that can be a positive thing. Overall I found it was very helpful and would definitely recommend. I will be purchasing this book so I can have a physical copy a home.


Thank you Netgalley for the Ebook!

This children's book uses simple language to explain concepts that can be kinda tricky for kids (or even adults) to understand. Overall, it was very informative. I appreciated the explanations. It has tells us about three different autistic children, the challenges they face, and some of the ways that they find to work with their different thinking brains. The art was well done and complemented the text well.
Low key wish that this book had been around growing up as it would've been helpful to understand more about someone close to me who has autism.
Overall, 4/5. Would pick up a book from this series again.

Such an interesting read as a person with autism, I will be buying a copy for my friend who was recently diagnosed as I think that it is a valuable resource to understanding the brains of those with autism

Different Thinkers: Autism is an accessible, compassionate, and empowering resource for children, parents and educators. The book highlights the diverse experiences of autistic children, focusing on their unique strengths while providing practical strategies for managing challenges.

The writing is clear and engaging, using simple language to explain complex concepts like how autistic brains work. Thought-provoking prompts and activities encourage reflection and self-acceptance, while the bright and colorful illustrations make it visually appealing for younger readers.

What stands out most is the book’s positive framing of autism, focusing on individuality and self-advocacy. It also includes nuanced details, such as the presentation of autism in girls, which adds depth and inclusivity.

Whether you’re starting conversations about autism at home, in the classroom, this is an invaluable resource. It’s a must-have for anyone looking to foster understanding and celebrate neurodiversity. Highly recommended!

I LOVED this! As a mother of three, I feel that this book is important for every family to read. It simplifies for children to understand some of the things they are seeing in their friends/classmates. It normalized that we are all different in such a beautiful way. Plus, it is interactive. I could see this being a conversation starter about autism, similarities, and differences. I will be adding this book to our home library.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

I decided to pick this book up, because at 26 years old, I was recently diagnosed with autism. I am still trying to learn more about autism and "embrace" my autism/autistic identity if you will. I think this book is very important to read to children because it teaches a child that just because someone has a disability, they should be treated with kindness. If only there were more books like this published when I was a young child!

As someone who has an autistic sibling, this was such a powerful and helpful book. I thought it was informative without providing too much information - and I can see that it would be such a great tool for teaching children about autism.

Really loved this one. Which it had been around when I was a kid (no one could really teach me about my autism, so I had to figure everything out on my own).