ENCHANTED STORIES: The Space We're In

The Space We're In
By Katya Balen
New York : Margaret Ferguson Books, Holiday House, 2019. Fiction.

Frank's whole life, everything has always been about his autistic brother, Max. Being a big brother is nothing like what he imagined and Frank has a difficult time understanding Max's behavior. Despite his struggles with his relationship with Max, life seems to be going great for Frank, until tragedy strikes. While Frank and his family are working to heal after a difficult year, Frank learns to love Max for who he is and they become closer than ever.

This story shows the struggles and the joys of having a family member with autism. Watching the relationship between Frank and Max evolve as they come to understand each other is truly beautiful. This book is very raw and tackles some tricky topics such as death & grief, autism, and bullies. While there are some heavy moments, the author brings a wonderful contrast by adding many moments of hope and joy.

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