Description
"I am odd, I am new. I wonder if you are too. I hear voices in the air. I see you don't, and that's not fair."
Step into the world of Benjamin Giroux, a 10-year-old boy with autism, as he invites readers to see life from his perspective. In this picture book, Benjamin's poem, which he composed during a school assignment, takes center stage.
When Benjamin's parents shared his poem with friends and family, they could not have anticipated that the poem would go viral. Now, for the first time, I Am Odd, I Am New is brought to life in an illustrated picture book that captures Benjamin's world view.
About the Author
Benjamin Giroux is the author of the poem "I Am Odd, I Am New." The poem, now also a picture book (I Am Odd, I Am New), has received a Kirkus Reviews starred review and was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Benjamin is also an award-winning songwriter, was named poet laureate of Plattsburgh, New York, and has been the face of the National Autism Association's antibullying campaign. He has been featured in the Huffington Post and on the Today Show and Good Morning America. His poem has been translated into several languages and made into a critically acclaimed music video, releasing in April 2022. Benjamin lives in upstate New York with his parents and pet snake, Monty. Roz MacLean is an award-winning Canadian illustrator and children's writer. She especially loves making art about themes that are important to her, like exploring emotions and diverse ways of being in the world. She has written and illustrated two books, The Body Book and Violet's Cloudy Day.
Reviews
"Written when the autistic author was 10, Giroux's poetic exploration of being/feeling different from the perspective of living on the spectrum brings to light that being neurodivergent is not the same as being broken or "less." Being different is not an insurmountable obstacle to experiencing life but rather a gift to experience more."
-- Kirkus Starred Review
"Benjamin Giroux's goal when writing his poem was to have society understand that being odd is different, and different is a good thing."
-- Today
"A 10-year-old New York boy who was given a school assignment ended up touching the hearts of thousands after writing a moving poem that gives an inside look into his life with autism."
-- The Daily Mail
"Later, paper airplanes soar with the suggestion that different shouldn't mean separate, providing an answer to the poem's hopeful concluding sentiments about finding where one belongs."
-- Publisher's Weekly
"this illustrated book and its powerful message will be an invaluable resource for creative writing teachers. With unique clarity, it provides a child's perspective of the world that will inspire genuine empathy in KS2 children reading this independently, or discussing it as a class in PSHE lessons."
-- School Reading List
Book Information
ISBN 9780764362415
Author Benjamin Giroux
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Publisher Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 544g
Dimensions(mm) 267mm * 203mm * 12mm
Step into the world of Benjamin Giroux, a 10-year-old boy with autism, as he invites readers to see life from his perspective. In this picture book, Benjamin's poem, which he composed during a school assignment, takes center stage.
When Benjamin's parents shared his poem with friends and family, they could not have anticipated that the poem would go viral. Now, for the first time, I Am Odd, I Am New is brought to life in an illustrated picture book that captures Benjamin's world view.
About the Author
Benjamin Giroux is the author of the poem "I Am Odd, I Am New." The poem, now also a picture book (I Am Odd, I Am New), has received a Kirkus Reviews starred review and was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Benjamin is also an award-winning songwriter, was named poet laureate of Plattsburgh, New York, and has been the face of the National Autism Association's antibullying campaign. He has been featured in the Huffington Post and on the Today Show and Good Morning America. His poem has been translated into several languages and made into a critically acclaimed music video, releasing in April 2022. Benjamin lives in upstate New York with his parents and pet snake, Monty. Roz MacLean is an award-winning Canadian illustrator and children's writer. She especially loves making art about themes that are important to her, like exploring emotions and diverse ways of being in the world. She has written and illustrated two books, The Body Book and Violet's Cloudy Day.
Reviews
"Written when the autistic author was 10, Giroux's poetic exploration of being/feeling different from the perspective of living on the spectrum brings to light that being neurodivergent is not the same as being broken or "less." Being different is not an insurmountable obstacle to experiencing life but rather a gift to experience more."
-- Kirkus Starred Review
"Benjamin Giroux's goal when writing his poem was to have society understand that being odd is different, and different is a good thing."
-- Today
"A 10-year-old New York boy who was given a school assignment ended up touching the hearts of thousands after writing a moving poem that gives an inside look into his life with autism."
-- The Daily Mail
"Later, paper airplanes soar with the suggestion that different shouldn't mean separate, providing an answer to the poem's hopeful concluding sentiments about finding where one belongs."
-- Publisher's Weekly
"this illustrated book and its powerful message will be an invaluable resource for creative writing teachers. With unique clarity, it provides a child's perspective of the world that will inspire genuine empathy in KS2 children reading this independently, or discussing it as a class in PSHE lessons."
-- School Reading List
Book Information
ISBN 9780764362415
Author Benjamin Giroux
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Publisher Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 544g
Dimensions(mm) 267mm * 203mm * 12mm
