Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Narrator Jason Blake has autism. He describes his feelings on a storyboard website where he also submits original stories. On the site he meets a girl whom he comes to think of as a girlfriend, but she does not know of his disability. When he learns that he will be going to a storyboard convention that she is also attending, his life takes an interesting turn. This is an excellent way to introduce kids to autism, through the eyes of someone who deals with it every day. Jason also provides a lot of information about what makes a good story and how to write one. In order to have a good story, he says, "something bad has to happen." There's humor here, and good descriptions of family dynamics, plus much that can be used in the writing curriculum. Highly recommended. Grades 5-8.