Slug Days

September 25, 2017
Lauren, a girl on the autism spectrum, takes readers through a week full of ups and downs in this sensitively told story. The book’s title refers to how Lauren thinks of days that aren’t going well, when she feels “slow and slimy” and friendless. And with classmates, teachers, and other adults who find her frustrating at times, Lauren has a few of those days as the week unfolds. The first-person narration lets readers understand Lauren’s motivations and reasoning in a way that others in her life often do not (including her focus on tactile sensations, especially stickiness). Bender’s pencil drawings readily reflect characters’ frustrations and other emotions—feelings that Lauren acknowledges she has trouble recognizing. Leach’s empathetic novel should both open eyes and encourage greater patience and understanding. Ages 7–10.

September 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-Lauren, who has Asperger's syndrome, has trouble reading social cues, doesn't always understand what her classmates are thinking, and gets into fights. Sometimes she has "slug days," where she feels slow, slimy, and like no one understands her. But sometimes she has "butterfly days," where she gets a sticker at school for being well-behaved and shares an ice cream with her mom afterwards. With the help of her routines, her squishy ball, and her special strawberry eraser, Lauren learns to manage her feelings, and eventually makes a new friend at school. There is humor peppered throughout the story as Lauren learns to deal with her slobbery baby sister and tries not to "flip her lid." There is conflict, as her teacher and classmates learn to accept Lauren's differences. The frequent illustrations will assist readers in understanding Lauren's feelings. VERDICT A necessary addition to elementary school libraries and a potential spark for a discussion about autism, Asperger's, or simply embracing differences.-Morgan O'Reilly, Riverdale Country School, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
Lauren knows her autism spectrum disorder makes her behave differently from her classmates, but that doesn't mean it's always easy to know how to act. First-person narration makes Lauren's logic clear, even as readers may see why something she does seems funny. Frequent pencil and digital illustrations break up the paragraphs and should help young readers understand Lauren's emotions and others' reactions.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2018
On slug days Lauren feels slow and slimy. She's aware of how her autism spectrum disorder makes her behave differently from her classmates, but that doesn't mean it's always easy to know how to act. The first-person narration makes Lauren's logic clear, even as readers may see why something she does is funny (regarding an irritated boy on the bus: Mom told me when people look upset you should try to make them feel better?I gave him a kiss ). Lauren has plenty of support from the adults around her, who provide hints about responding to social cues and strategies ?such as squeezing a ball or an eraser in stressful moments. (Leach's experience teaching students with ASD, mentioned in the appended author's note, shows in the specificity of these suggestions.) Lauren's happier butterfly days become something to root for, as she bonds with her baby sister and eventually makes a friend. Frequent clear pencil and digital illustrations break up the ?sometimes-long paragraphs and should help young readers understMar/Apr 2018 p 89 The Problim Children by Natalie Lloyd; illus. by the author Intermediate Tegen/HarperCollins 289 pp. 1/18 978-0-06-242820-2 $16.99 e-book ed. 978-0-06-242823-3 $9.99 Spinning off the Monday's child is fair of face / Tuesday's child is full of grace rhyme, Lloyd presents seven quirky siblings, each born on a different day of the week, looking out for themselves in their Swampy Woods home while their parents are away on an archaeological expedition (or so they think). After they accidentally blow up their own house, the Problims find the deed to their missing grandfather's home in nearby Lost Cove. The town is less than thrilled to see them?especially Desdemona O'pinion, who lives next door and holds a particular grudge against the Problim family. But in no time, the Problims endear themselves to the rest of the neighbors, and well-developed secondary characters are one of the book's strongest points, from sisters who both run bakeries (called Good Donuts and Better Donuts, respectively) to a woman trapped at home because of an allergy to air. The whimsy factor is high in this lighthearted novel ?(Friday-born Frida wears a fox costume and speaks in rhyme; Mona, born on a Monday, threatens to feed enemies to her Venus fly trap), and readers are also in for a heavy dose of bathroom humor: Toot, the family's Tuesday-born youngest, communicates solely through a lexicon of flatulence, translated in footnotes. Numerous subplots keep the story moving without overwhelming the Problims' family-centered mystery, and the many unanswered questions are clear fodder for future books. sarah rettger

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)