While graphic novels as a genre have been very hard for me to get into (if you have any suggestions for a reluctant graphic novel reader, you should let me know), I've always enjoyed comics of the "funny papers" variety. Which might help to explain my latest obessession,
Pearls Before Swine, which is written by Stephan Pastis. While Pastis always depicts himself as a something of a pathetic slob with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth, he doesn't smoke and is actually quite handsome.
That's him right there.
His work is featured in over 150 newspapers, and has a cast of characters that are both funny and touching. There's Pig, who is optimistic and good-natured and innocent. Rat is conniving and doesn't like other people (and is a little bit like Dogbert at times). Goat is the smart one, while Zebra lives next door to a fraternity of crocodiles that want to eat him. I know it all might sound a bit bizarre, but what comic strip doesn't? What really matters is that Pastis has a delightfully skewed view of the world that entertains me greatly.
Where can you find
Pearls Before Swine? Several collections and treasuries--like
Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic--are available via interlibrary loan. Pastis also has a
blog which is highly entertaining.
Quirky, Yes--Hopeless, No by Cynthia La Brie Norall can perhaps best be described by its subtitle, Practical Tips to Help Your Child with Asperger's Syndrome Become Socially Accepted. Norall, an educational psychologist, uses twenty years of experience with Asperger's children to create this easy-to-follow, practical guide. With topics such as "How to Greet Others and Make Eye Contact" and "How to Pay Compliments," this book gets right to the nitty-gritty of human interaction.
Growing Up on the Spectrum: A Guide to Life, Love, and Learning for Teens and Young Adults with Autism and Asperger's by Lynn Kern Koegel and Claire LaZebnik is aimed at older children and people in their early 20's, so it deals with topics that aren't always addressed in the autism and Asperger's literature. Subjects like dating, romance, and life beyond high school and college are explored. LaZebnik's 15-year-old autistic son also weighs in, and contributes drawings for the book.
