A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor & illustrated Caitriona Sweeney

 

A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor & illustrated Caitriona Sweeney

• Realistic Fiction
• Grade: Pre-K - 2nd
• Awards: Moonbeam Children's Book Award Winner 2009

Summary:

A Friend Like Simon is a story about a boy named Matthew and how he became friends with Simon. On the first day, Matthew said hello to Simon's mom, but Simon just stared at the ground. Simon's teacher told the class that he would do some lessons with the class and some with his special teacher. Matthew asked Simon to play at recess but he liked being alone. Matthew noticed that Simon would get upset at little things and rearrange his pencils and books the same way each day. Matthew stopped asking Simon to play because he was different. On the way to the fair, Simon and Matthew sat next to each other on the bus and shared a sandwich. Simon stood up to "horrible Hettie" when she cut in the icecream line and Matthew was grateful. Matthew learned that sometimes Simon would play and sometimes he would like to be alone which was okay. He also learned that no one should get left out just because they're different. 

Evaluation:

A Friend Like Simon is a great resource for the classroom because it introduces children to autism and how it can impact their friends or classmates. This story emphasizes that being different is okay and everyone should be included and treated with kindness even if they want to be alone sometimes. Books like A Friend Like Simon encourage a classroom of inclusiveness and diversity. This book can be used for second-graders because it is appropriate for their reading level and comprehension. A Friend Like Simon can be used for a unit on language arts comprehension because students can draw connections to the story if they feel different from their classmates or if they have friends who may act different.