Barnett, the mother of a child prodigy who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, swiftly draws readers into her family life, sharing her humble upbringing in central Indiana as a member of the New Amish, and her whirlwind romance and marriage to a young man named Michael Barnett. The couple settles down to raise a family, he working at Target, she running a daycare center. When informed that their first child will never read or tie his shoes, the author follows her "mother gut," opening her own pre-kindergarten "boot camp" for autistic kids to prepare them for mainstreaming. Barnett had seen a "spark" in Jake and deeply believed that her child had much higher potential. Indeed, Jake-with an IQ higher than Einstein's-not only soon reads, but creates an original theorem that may put him in line for a Nobel Prize (at nine, he's been admitted to a nearby university). With passion and grace, Barnett covers Jake's transformation, how close he came to being "lost" in a special ed system focused on what children "can't do," and her own journey as the mother of three sons and as advocate for Jake and other autistic children. She also explores and defends the balance between Jake's intellectual pursuits and his right to an ordinary, happy childhood. This eloquent memoir about an extraordinary boy and a resilient and remarkable mother will be of interest to every parent and/or educator hoping to nurture a child's authentic "spark." (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A memoir that attempts to answer the question, how do we determine the differences between gifted and disabled? By even the most conservative of estimates, the number of children diagnosed with autism in the United States has skyrocketed in recent decades. However, the rise is attributed not to an increase in individuals with autism, but the changing methods of diagnosing the disorder. Also changing is how we respond to different facets of autism, which is at the heart of Barnett's memoir. Her son Jake received a diagnosis at the age of 2, which set off a series of standard educational responses; research indicates that a focus on daily life skills--self care, motor skills, etc.--provides the best chances of success. Jake's educational plan was no different, except that when the teacher discouraged the author from letting Jake engage too much with his alphabet learning cards, it simply didn't feel right. Barnett took an approach that instead focused on what she would refer to as his "spark," hoping to bring out the strengths that were at risk of being overshadowed by his perceived deficits. Focusing on his interests and strengths came with its own set of risks; there was no guarantee that reinventing his education would have an end result that would be any different than the standard education plan. Not working on "achievable" goals could result in frustrations that would hamper future efforts to help him learn core life skills. Barnett's approach would not, of course, necessarily work for all parents, but that's part of the point. Her wrestling with the choices she faced is laid bare on the page, and readers get a sense that she has ideas bigger than just her family. Her success with Jake is unimpeachable: He is a "prodigy in math and science" who "began taking college-level courses in math, astronomy, and physics at eight and was accepted to university at nine." An invigorating, encouraging read.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In this compelling memoir, the mother of an autistic savant featured in a 60 Minutes segment tells the story of her remarkable son. The book would have benefited from a foreword by a prominent scientist and/or psychiatrist who could establish that this is completely legit. At two, Jake is diagnosed with autism. As a tyke, he memorizes every license plate in the neighborhood and teaches himself Braille. At eight, he starts auditing college courses. At 10, he teaches himself the entire high-school math curriculum in two weeks. At 13, he is a college sophomore at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The book contains many interesting nuggets about kids with autism; for example, they dislike bowling alleys (too noisy). The family's story, which includes Jake's dad losing his job and his mom suffering from a stroke at age 30, seems destined for a TV or movie screen. Barnett even runs a day-care center, takes in foster kids, and starts a sports program for autistic kids. Jake is unusual, but so is his superhuman mom.--Springen, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist