To spread more awareness for autism here is another book that does a great job explaining Asperger Syndrome.

For anyone who knows someone on the autism spectrum

Here is the story of first friendships starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum.

For 3^rd grader Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises – some of them good, some of them bad. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a stray baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter.

The minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.

This is a good book for kids who have just started reading and if they have an autistic child in their elementary school class. Bat kind of comes off more of a brat sometimes. Then again, I was a brat sometimes too. Most kids with autism come off as brats some of the time but we don’t mean to be brats.

Friendships aren’t always easy for kids with autism. We tend to be socially awkward and we vary from too friendly to not friendly enough. I know it wasn’t easy for me to make friends. It still isn’t easy. For me, past and present, it’s easier to make friends with people older than me than with people my own age, like Bat. I did have some friends growing up, but I mostly played around them than with them. I’ve watched so many shows and read so many books about friendship, but I have yet to understand how it works.

Let’s talk about another subject: SKUNKS!

Bat grew very attached to the baby skunk very fast. It’s understandable. Baby skunks are adorable. See picture below:

Why anyone would want to have a wild animal living in their house is beyond me. I get it. There’re cute when they’re babies but what happens when their older?

And if a skunk ever sprays you, here’s the secret recipe that gets rid of skunk odor:

• 1-quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• ¼ cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
• 1 teaspoon liquid soap or dish detergent
• Mix these together and bathe (‘shampoo’ in or rub down) the sprayed victim thoroughly

This isn’t my favorite book featuring a child on the autism spectrum. Mostly because Bat’s sister is a bigger brat than he is. Again, this is a good book for kids to learn about autism and skunks. It’s got short chapters and big font size for those kids just stepping away from picture books.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Skunks

One in 1,000 people can’t smell a skunk’s spray.