Ben, King of the River

I am an elementary school counselor, and recently used this book in 5th grade classrooms at my school. We discussed the topics of cooperation, tolerance, and accepting those who are different from us. The book was useful in helping students empathize with the frustrations and emotions of the narrator, and also in seeing the good points of the disabled younger brother. We were then able to move into a discussion of accepting classmates who are "different". Several groups applauded when I finished the book - - not a frequent occurrence with this age group!

I have 5 children and one who lies somewhere on the autistic spectrum just like Ben. My two boys are sometimes embarrassed by their brother. When we checked this book out of the library, they wanted to read it again and again because we could relate to so many parts of the story. It gave me a great way to talk to my kids about their feelings and it gave us all a sense of humor about some of the stranger things my son does. I highly recommend this book for anyone searching for a way to discuss a developmentally disabled child with siblings. It is light-hearted and a great story but also very realistic about the issues and emotions involved in having a sibling who is "different".