Spaghetti Is Not a Finger Food: (And Other Life Lessons)

This deliciously entertaining and humorous chapter book gets top marks for presenting a delightfully quirky day in the life of an eight-year-old boy with Asperger's Syndrome.

Being eight, Connor knew a lot. He knew that Mrs. Winters did not like to be interrupted, but he was sure she would appreciate his fact-finding methods―and who wouldn' t want to know more about geckos? He knew he needed the new library book, "More All About Dogs," more than Jane needed to keep sitting on that stool―and he only nudged her off so he could reach it. On a day when everything seemed to go wrong, Connor turned out to be the only one who could save the school from a dog-caused Code Yellow!

Told from the point of view of a child with Asperger Syndrome, author Jodi Carmichael highlights some of the challenges―and triumphs―of experiencing a day at school from a different perspective.

Heartwarming, funny, and charmingly illustrated, Spaghetti is NOT a Finger Food is the winner of four awards: The Mom' s Choice Gold Award; The Moonbeam Best First Book Award; The Professionals Network Recognition of Merit; and The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Digital Award.

Jodi Carmichael was born and raised in Manitoba, Canada. She loves reading, writing, summers at the lake, and knows almost everything about chocolate! Her dreams of becoming an author began to come true when she attended her first SCBWI conference in Los Angeles in 2007. She was thrilled when her submission was nominated for the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award. Jodi is a strong advocate for Asperger's Syndrome which led to Connor and his adventures in Spaghetti is NOT a Finger Food and Other Life Lessons. It is her belief that understanding brings tolerance, acceptance, and compassion for others. Jodi lives in a big yellow house in the heart of Winnipeg. There she can often be found dancing in the living room with her two wildly imaginative daughters, her patient and supportive husband, and a scruffy Border Terrier named Zoe. She continues to write, give presentations, and talk about writing to whoever will listen.

Sarah Ackerley grew up in Waxahachie, TX in a family of seven children. She always loved to draw, and can remember trading artwork for pencils and snacks as an elementary school student. Sarah went on to study art at the University of Texas at Austin, and then published the first of five successful children’s books in 2008. Her love of travel and a desire to spend time in another part of the world led Sarah to move to Kenya for a year in 2014, where she traveled and painted murals in rural community schools. This sparked a passion for large-scale art, and Sarah began painting murals around the world before settling in Los Angeles, a city she loves for its vibrant art scene. Today, Sarah’s work can be found in Kenya, Thailand, Mexico, Guatemala, and throughout the United States. Visit Sarah on the web at www.sarahponce.com.