Kathy Hoopmann

This graphic novel re-telling of Kathy Hoopmann's best-selling Blue Bottle Mystery brings the much-loved fantasy story to life for a new generation of readers. The hero is Ben, a boy with Asperger Syndrome (AS). When Ben and his friend Andy find an old bottle in the school yard, little do they know of the surprises about to be unleashed in their lives. Bound up with this exciting mystery is the story of how Ben is diagnosed with AS and how he and his family deal with the problems and joys that come along with it.

An Asperger Adventure

Blue Bottle Mystery - The Graphic Novel

Maggie Gordon

Blue Bottle Mystery is a short graphic novel that tells a very youth-friendly story while also teaching readers about what Aspergers is, and showcasing some of the difficulties that people with Aspergers face. It would be a good educational book for children, but also for adults trying to learn about the condition.

Nadine 

Tells the story of a few days in the life of an initially undiagnosed aspergers student, his teacher and family. I am in two minds about the book. The 'excuse' for the lack of diagnosis on the part of the family seems to be the death of the mother. At school the distraction of the teacher who is coping with the illness and then death of her mother. However the nasty portrayals of classroom scenes are probably pretty accurate where ignorance and lack of personal advocacy exists.
The magical element? I'm not sure about that. Winning the lottery is unrealistic and offers a panacea that just isn't going to happen - magical thinking probably forms a big part in the lives of families and individuals coping with the day to day life of special needs.
On the other hand some things are sensitively dealt with - for example use of slow exposure to new experience and the employment of strategies subsequent to diagnosis. Would be interested to see how families and individuals in this situation respond to the book.

Blue Bottle Mystery - The Graphic Novel An Asperger Adventure

Reviews