Knowing Joseph

By Judith Mammay

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933831057
• ISBN13: 9781933831053
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Blooming Tree Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.8" x 5.8"
• Age Range: 7 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 7

Customer Reviews

Honors Tolerance Class

Brian 9, has a 6-year old brother with autism. Joseph is marginally verbal; clings rigidly to routines and finds loud noises unbearably painful. Both boys play on their school's soccer team. Each time Brian hopes that Joseph will be able to stay in the game without any meltdowns. A bully named Louis targets Brian and ridicules Joseph. This results in Brian's first fight and first school infraction. Enraged that Joseph was indirectly responsible for the blemish on his otherwise spotless record, Brian once again wishes Joseph was not autistic. A family camping trip proves to be the turning point the the boys' lives. They meet a group of kids who ridicule Joseph and mess up the stones he has meticulously placed in order. A slightly older boy named Billy tells the pack to back off. They all defer to him and one girl has a crush on him. Billy knows immediately that Joseph has autism; he even tells Brian about his friend's brother Aaron who is also on the spectrum and whose behavior is very similar to Joseph's. Brian is stunned - this is the first time another kid has really "known" Joseph! Armed with this new knowledge and a new friend, Brian becomes more determined than ever to help pave the Road to Tolerance for his brother. A school project and a very clever presentation bring home the important message this book has to offer. A must have for families and educators. This one is a keeper!

Frustration, Empathy, and Love

A wonderful book for any family with a youngster at risk. Although, focused specifically on the sibiling of an autistic brother, the emotional ups and downs pertain to children within families of special needs children. Told with honest emotions about a young boy trying to cope with his brother's disability and it's impact on his everyday life. Brian clearly loves his brother, Joseph, but struggles with the anger, hurt, and frustration his brother's odd behaviors brings upon him. Brian finds himself second to Joseph within the family dynamics due to the demands of his brother's care. He finds himself having to explain and defend Joseph in school and at play. Brian is bullied and threatened because of Joseph in social situations. Brian is every young boy coming of age, but with the added conflict between anger and love of his brother, Joseph. Well written and a unique book for exploration of tolerance and acceptance by all children.

Great for teachers & students

Judith Mammay's debut novel, Knowing Joseph, opens with a little kid making a scene in a bowling alley parking lot. Brian Bertram walks away from him. "I'm glad I don't know that kid!" he says. But the boy kicking and screaming and throwing himself on the ground is Brian's autistic brother, Joseph. So begins Brian's struggle -- to deal with his brother, to defend him, and ultimately, with the help of a surprising new friend, to understand him. Author Judith Mammay is one of my online critique partners. I always enjoy her writing, so I picked up JOSEPH expecting to like it. I wasn't disappointed, and I was especially taken with the details that let readers see Joseph as a real person and not just "the kid with autism." Knowing Joseph is a natural book choice for older siblings of autistic kids, since Brian grows to model so many caring, supportive strategies for helping his brother. It's a great title for schools, too, because it helps readers understand what's behind scenes like the temper tantrum at the bowling alley. And understanding leads to acceptance. This book has many of the same themes as Cynthia Lord's Rules, another one of my favorites. Knowing Joseph is probably geared toward a slightly younger audience, though. I'm guessing the 8-10 crowd will like it best, and it has nice big print and plenty of white space so reluctant readers won't be intimidated. Kudos to the Blooming Tree Press design team for making sure this book will be accessible to kids with special needs, too.

Perfect book to teach children about autism!

Knowing Joseph is an engrossing, touching book about a young boy trying to deal with his 6-year old autistic brother. For 10-year old Brian, living with his brother Joseph isn't easy. Joseph doesn't play with other children, screams when something bothers him, and constantly needs special attention. To make matters worse, Mom and Dad are so preoccupied with Joseph's ups and downs they hardly have the time to pay attention to Brian, which isn't fair. Still, Brian does his best, always trying to make Joseph comfortable and protect him from the school bullies - but does he really know Joseph? One day at the beach during a family camping trip, Brian meets an older boy who enlightens him about autism. He not only opens a whole new window of knowledge for Brian, but for other children as well. As a result, Brian and Joseph become closer than ever. Later, back at school, the children are given an assignment. They must work in groups and make a presentation on their chosen subject: children with disabilities. To Brian's chagrin, the teacher announces that the class bully must be part of their group. As the children make their presentations, it becomes obvious the class bully has some special needs as well - not like those of Joseph, the boy he had been bullying all along. Knowing Joseph is a must read for children ages nine and up. In an engaging style, Mammay teaches the reader what autism is all about and how to treat children who have this disability. She does this by presenting the characters and the story, not by preaching, which is why middle readers will enjoy this novel. The plot is interesting and compelling. The dialogues, characters, and plot appeal to young readers. Ultimately, it is a book that not only informs, but also one that teaches the true meaning of kindness and compassion.

Autism Awareness for Siblings, Peers & ...basically anyone!

I couldn't put this book down and read the entire chapter book in one day. I enjoyed getting to know the many characters and how they interacted with each other and our character, Joseph, who just so happens to have autism. Joseph's brother, Brian, is challenged throughout the book to be a good brother to Joseph, but is also struggling with bullies and peer pressure. Finding friends to support him along the way helps him to learn not only more about his brother, but about friendship and just what makes a bully a bully. I think that this upper elementary chapter book would be a terrific book on its own. However, I think it would be a super book for sibling support groups for kids in families with autism. I also think that it would be a great introduction to autism for elementary school classes, peer assisted learning volunteers or community groups especially those that will be welcoming a student with autism into their presence. Lastly, I think anyone would get a wonderful introduction to what autism is while enjoying a inspiring story that comes full circle. I would recommend this book to be in every school, church and class library. The book makes us pause to think...what do I do well? And what does he do well? What does she do well? Instead of concentrating on our differences, it focuses on concentrating and supporting each other's strengths. Kudos to Judith Mammay for a wonderful story of friendship, compassion and understanding. Joanna Keating-Velasco, Author A Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism