It's a big day for Lauren. Her best friend, Irma, has invited her over to play at her house for the first time. Her Dad is worried that something will go wrong because of Lauren's Autism Spectrum Disorder, But Lauren has everything planned out, so she knows the day will be perfect. She knows that they will look for bugs, do some beading, and eat meatballs for lunch (which Lauren thinks are very tasty), and it seems like the perfect day. Lauren soon discovers Irma's next-door neighbor, though, and when he wants her to go biking with him, Lauren is very worried about the change of plans. How will she explain that she still has training wheels?
AGE RANGE KIDS
THEMES
Biking
Autism
Friends
Courage
OVERALL RATING 10/10
I think this is my favorite early reader book that I have ever read. The plot is subtle and the focus is on emotions and characters. Though some of the issues are made more difficult for Lauren due to her Autism Spectrum Disorder, they are still relatable to children who are not on the autism spectrum, as well. There are no evil villains, and everyone has realistic emotions. It is a beautiful story about overcoming your fears, trying new things, and making new friends. I think that Duck Days is a very important book to have in libraries and bookstores, as there are not very many books for kids that include children with autism respectfully.
PROS
Good emotions
Great characters
Representation of children with Autism
CONS
???
NOTES
I do not have Autism Spectrum Disorder, so of course I am not the perfect person to judge this book's representation, but I have read some other reviews of it and it seems like a general consensus that it is well done in that regard.
There are two other books about this character titled Slug Days and Penguin Days, which I have not read, but other reviews seem to say they are even better than this one!