Sorry to all that I haven't had a chance to write yesterdays Daily quote yet I will be doing it shortly. I started the group Dannie's Dilemmas Aspegers Kids In Mind last week on Facebook and we now have almost 200 members Thank you all for joining.
I sent a message to the group asking for twenty members to recieve a free copy of the book and to write a review, good or bad but an honest review.
I have also asked a few people on twitter to do the same, and I will post all the reviews on here good or bad, I don't believe in holding back bad reviews I believe that everyone deserves to have an honest and upfront veiw from others.
Here is the fisrt review we have recieved back. If you would like to do a review yourself please leave me a message and I promise I will get back to you.
Review of Dannie's Dilemmas, by Carol Haldane and Karen Jones.
I was fortunate enough to be sent a copy of the above book to review by Karen Jones. Karen and I go back a long way being relatives by marriage. I am a freelance writer myself and have to admit that I knew very little about Aspergers syndrome before reading Dannie's Dilemmas but having read the book, I feel I have a greater understanding of the condition.
The book is written in a simple and humorous fashion. Dannie's take on everyday occurrences, such as getting ready for a shopping trip with her mother, are explained from the perspective of a child with Aspergers and also from her mother's viewpoint. Who hasn't felt frustrated with their child for taking too long to get ready? Yet for Dannie, a getting ready for a simple trip to the shops is fraught with confusion and frustration. Her mother uses everyday language which most of us would instantly understand, but to Dannie, a common saying such as 'don't run on the stairs', is nonsensical and bizarre.
Of course she doesn't run on the stairs, she runs up or down the stairs!
I particularly liked the new shoe buying scenario and Dannie's comment that you need to get to know your new shoes, is just so true!
Dannie's Dilemmas is a remarkable book, the authors have used everyday situations to highlight the difficulties facing a parent with a child with Aspergers. Dannie comes over as an intelligent, likeable girl whose view of the world around her is coloured by her condition, however what shines through is her mother's determination to have Dannie treated as a child, not as a child with a 'condition'. It occurred to me as I read the book that there are so many idioms and colloquial sayings in daily usage, which are totally meaningless. 'Pull your socks up' or 'I laughed my head off' come to mind, to a person with Asperger's, these would be at best rather silly, at worst tragic!
I enjoyed Dannie's Dilemmas and would recommend the book to anyone with an interest in Aspergers syndrome. The interactive idea works well and the different endings to the scenarios is a stroke of genius, for the purposes of reviewing the book I read both endings and found I could relate to both the child and her mother's decisions.
Well done Lennie and Karen and best of luck with the book, it is a credit to you both and of course to 'Dannie' without whom the book would never have been written!
©Linda Blomquist. January 2010.
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