Anything But Typical
Nora Raleigh Baskin
A middle school boy that struggles with having Autism. Who also happens to live in a neurotypical world which make anything any easier. He is trying to cope with the daily struggles of everyday life.
Book Cover Analysis-Megan Frerichs
Book Title
Anything But Typical
Book Cover
The cover of the book shows the protagonist Jason is wearing a light blue turtleneck that is covering his face. The only thing you can see is the hair on his head. This is not how most people wear turtle necks. Most people would consider this an odd thing to put on the cover on a book. I think that is why the author chose this cover because Jason is odd, but that is what makes him who he is.
Book Title
The title of this book is Anything But Typical. The title tells the readers Jason is anything but normal. I think the author chose this title because it bluntly states that Jason is very different than everyone else in the sense that most kids don’t do the things he does. At the same time the title doesn’t make being different seem bad. It implies that without even reading the synopsis on the back you know this story is not going to be about an average boy.
Vocab/Figurative Language-Kyle Jambretz
Vocab
Vocab #1:Neurotypical
Definition:Someone who is not autistic.
Sentence:Many people in the world are not neurotypical like Jason, but a lot of them are neurotypical.
Vocab #2:Confluence
Definition:The junction of two rivers.
Sentence:Jason is like a confluence because he has different parts of his life that differ from neurotypicals that flow into his daily life.
Vocab #3:Staggering
Definition:To walk or move unsteadily.
Sentence:Jason wears his clothes tight, so he staggers a bit when he walks.
Vocab #4:Prompt
Definition:Happens immediately, no delay.
Sentence:Everything in Jason’s life is a prompt.
Figurative Language
Device:Metaphor
Sentence:Jason is a boy on brakes.
Meaning:He is very slow on developing new skills.
Device:Simile
Sentence:Jason talks like a pencil.
Meaning:Jason doesn’t talk much, but says a couple words.
Device:Alliteration
Sentence:Jason kicked Seth's ragged leg.
Device:Hyperbole
Sentence:When Jason got the answer correct at the convention, his smile spread across the planet.
Video-Julian Berrios
Quotes Brooklyn Weber
“When I write, I can be heard. And known. But nobody has to look at me. Nobody has to see me at all.”
When Jason said this quote, he was writing to Phoenix Bird, and what he thought was that whenever he writes to her, he can be heard. Phoenix Bird is always there for him when he needs to tell him something. Also, when Jason was being made fun of and blamed for things he didn't do, Phoenix Bird had his back and Jason always counted on her to have his back.
This quote is very powerful according to me and probably one of my favorites in this book because it tells how writing could help people who aren't really heard my his/her peers, or people who do have disabilities.
“Sometimes there is nothing to hold me together.”
This quote relates to the time that Jason has absolutely lost it. His anger let him get the best of him and during that time, nothing could hold him in place. The day Jason lost it was the day he got blamed for pushing over the wheeling chair, which he didn't do. Unfortunately, no one backed him up when the teacher blamed it on him just because he has disabilities and “can't control himself”.
This quote is powerful in my opinion because it tells how sometimes we do get a bit tempered or maybe we get extremely frustrated. At this point, you may feel like nothing could possibly calm you down. This relates to most people because we all have difficult things that we have to conquer although it may be frustrating but it usually does become okay at the end.
“Romance goes like this:
Boy gets girl.
Boy loses girl.
Boy gets girl again.
The end.
It can't be any other way.”
During this time in the book, Jason doubted himself for “getting” Rebecca. And at this time he was very sad that she wouldn't like him for who he is. Jason was worried about his disabilities and was ashamed that when they would possibly meet she wouldn't have the same disabilities as him. But later in the book, he finds out that Rebecca has a disability too - she's blind.
This quote is very relatable because now that I think of it, usually every old couple has gone through this stage. And they have also taken at least one break in their lifetime. During the time in the book. Jason became very doubtful of himself, once again and thought that it was impossible to like, or possibly date, Rebecca.