Livvie Owen Lived Here

Things haven't been easy for 14-year-old Livvie Owen. Her parents lost their jobs at the local mill when it closed down and since then have had to commute to the nearby city of Neighbor to work. They have spent the past several years renting homes and trailers, but they can't stay in one place for too long. A big part of this is because Livvie has autism, and occasionally she throws violent fits that damage the property. Livvie is obsessed with finding the perfect home for her family - one with four bedrooms so that her sister don't have to share, one that is pet-friendly so she can keep her cat, and one that just makes Livvie and her family feel at peace. On top of it all, Livvie has started hearing the sound of the whistle that once called and dismissed workers at the mill from their day at work. Most chalk it up as a figment of Livvie's imagination created by her autism. But will anyone - her teachers, her sisters, or her parents - be able to understand how important it is that she get to the bottom of this?

There are a lot of great books out there about kids with autism - Marcello in the Real World, Rules, and Anything But Typical immediately come to mind. Author Sarah Dooley did a great job of getting inside the head of a kid with autism, and Livvie's existence is in do doubt inspired by Dooley's own experiences as a special ed teacher. The narration is lyrical and beautiful - perhaps a tad too elegant and refined for someone with autism, but nevertheless it is a joy to read. Perhaps most remarkable about this story is the relationship that Livvie has with her family, especially her sisters, which is honest in both its struggles and its joys. I'll admit that I teared up a bit at the end of this book with happiness as things finally started to come together for Livvie and her family.

Overall Grade: B+