Jennifer Cook O'Toole

A rather eye-opening memoir by a woman who, in her mid-thirties, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, and who put in a lot of her own research to show how autism “looks a bit different in pink” and that because autism was identified in boys in a study, many girls and women are never diagnosed because their behaviors are different. A little too self-promotional at times for my taste, but nevertheless, an interesting account of being in a world with which you feel out of sync, a sensation I have felt most of my life.… (más)

When Julia was introduced to Sesame Street in 2017, I was ecstatic. Finally, there was some representation of autism in children's shows. Yet, in the six years that followed, there have been few, if any, books about Julia. So, when I came across My Friend Julia by Jennifer Cook, I knew I had to read it. I especially love that Jennifer Cook is also autistic—nothing for us without us.

My Friend Julia introduces Julia as "funny, smart, and autistic." I love this word order because autism is only part of who she is, just like her red hair. It then goes through activities Julia enjoys with other muppets, like art with Elmo or building with Ernie. It also shows Julia's bunny Fluffster, her flapping, and her headphones. As an autistic adult, I still have my Mr. Bear and do the same things. I loved the representation. The entire book is positive and inclusive. It ends with suggestions on how to be a good friend. It's great for autistic kids and their friends and would be perfect for schools.

Recommended age: 4-6 years old

Writing style: The book goes back and forth between descriptions of Julia and quotes by other muppets saying how they are similar or different from that description.

Lexile range (unofficial): 410L - 600L
Decoding difficulty: 4/5
Vocabulary difficulty: 4/5
Sentences difficulty: 4/5
Patterns difficulty: 5/5

Illustration style: Solid color backgrounds with full-color photos of the muppets.

Reality-based: Julia is one example of an autistic person. It works well for young children and can lead to more conversations about autism.

Disclaimer: Thank you, NetGalley and Lerner Publications, for this title. All opinions are my own.… (más)

It’s difficult to listen to a memoir with another purpose (in this case autism awareness for women) and not be a little confused. I appreciated learning so much that I didn’t know. But as the author didn’t get diagnosed until her thirties, the memoir part retroactively places autism as the reason for her experiences. I think I just would like to see more out there, so I’ll go to more books to learn. I wasn’t able to find any common ground here with the author’s life, but I’m glad that she’s out there telling her story.… (más)