Direct Address Books-Meta Stories

Children are literal little creatures, 
and children on the autism spectrum 
are often especially so. 


I think that quality may account for the laughable 
(or infuriating)
(or misleading)
(look up Martha)
(it's another flight of parentheses!) 
statement found in some descriptions
of autism that asserts children with this 
diagnosis lack a sense of humor. 


Ha!


My older boy loves books that are as 
literal as he is.  


In these books,  literal means that the 
characters react to aspects of the book 
usually ignored by characters in the 
story, such as the title, the illustrations, 
and the fact there is a reader. 
This is meta stuff, used not for
philosophy or analysis, but
just for laughs.


An early favorite was the classic 
The Monster at the End of this Book.  
Grover reads the title and 
tells the reader that he's
scared of the monster at the end 
of the book and asks for help to
avoid it.



Do Not Open this Book uses many
of the same ideas, but takes them
further, as a writer pig insults and
tries to get rid of the reader so he
can finish writing his book.









Goldilocks and the Three Hares
is (literally) a multi-leveled
book where rabbits below
comment on the story
happening above.


My boy enjoyed these and found them
funny. He really liked it when the
characters talked to him, the reader.


So have a good weekend, and I'll
see you Monday (not literally).

-Spectrum Mom