Book Review

Blue Bottle Mystery - An Asperger Adventure

Author: Kathy Hoopman.
Reviewed by Krissy Wright.

Kathy Hoopman is a primary school teacher and children's author. In this simple but delightful story she has captured the essence of what it is like to live with Asperger's syndrome. Ben and Andy are friends who attend the same school. The story focuses on Ben's experiences at school and his continued bewilderment at what to him seems odd rituals and often confusing ways in which other people interact with him. It isn't until well into the story that he receives a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. Although the book is brief (I read it in less than an hour) and it is a children's story, it still manages to encompass a diverse range of issues common to children with Asperger's syndrome.

I particularly liked the subtle blend of an imaginative child's tale and yet a view inside the world of Asperger's syndrome. This book would be lovely for teachers to read to a class; it would also be great for parents to read with their child with Asperger's syndrome and siblings. It is also just a great imaginative story.