FRANKIE'S WORLD

A realistic graphic novel about a young autistic girl.

Eleven-year-old Frankie, who lives in Ireland, struggles socially. For one thing, people tell her she talks way too much, and they often react like she’s said the wrong thing at the wrong time. There’s a bunch of other stuff that makes her feel different—her taste in music, her small size, her sensitivity—so she feels about as weird as the class bullies say she is. Frankie’s family—Mam, stepfather, and annoying little sister—is pretty great though, especially her supportive mother. When an upcoming competition in art, Frankie’s favorite school subject, focuses on the theme of your true self, Frankie wonders if she might be more similar to her absent father than the family she lives with. To find out more, she and her friends begin a quest to locate her dad. With positive endings to the various storylines, the narrative demonstrates just how validating an autism diagnosis can be. Frankie goes from feeling like an alien to understanding and appreciating how her brain works. Dooley, who is autistic herself, uses clean, comic-style art in black, blue, and orange. The illustrations are fun, playful, and endearing—just like Frankie. Frankie and her family are White; diversity in health, ability, and race is woven naturally into the story.

Validating for those who need it, delightful reading for all.