Autism, the Invisible Cord: A Sibling's Diary

Silver Medal, Mom's Choice Awards for Young Adult Body, Mind and Spirit

Sure, everyone at school knows about Ezra. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. But I don't talk about him to anyone but Zoe…I rarely talk about him even to her. She doesn't ask and I don't tell. If I were to bare my soul about Ez, I'd worry she might turn against him or think less of me or say something about him I couldn't forgive. So I stay silent.

Jenny shares her tell-all story about life with Ezra, her "exasperating, infuriating, absolutely amazing, and autistic younger brother."

If living with Ezra weren't hard enough, Jenny must deal with school bullies, rude classmates, and fragile friendships. But with the promise of a summer writing program and an Ezra-inspired project, Jenny finds the courage to be more than just "Ezra's sister, protector, defender, and his best and only friend," and loosens the invisible cord just enough to follow her own dreams.

Includes a Note to Readers.

Barbara Cain, MSW, is a clinical supervisor at the University of Michigan's Psychological Clinic. Cain is also the author of several children's books on divorce, ambivalence, shyness, and diverse family structures, including two Magination Press books: Double Dip Feelings: Stories to Help Children Understand Emotions and I Don't Know Why…I Guess I'm Shy. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, and Teen magazine. She also conducts a private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Visit her at http://siblings-of-autism.com/ and follow her on Facebook: @BarbaraSCain and Twitter: @BarbaraSCain.