INT. BILLY'S BEDROOM – MORNING.

It's one of my favorite times of day. The room is dark, and Billy's still warm and snuggly from sleep.

Me: Time to wake up, big guy. Time to get ready for camp.

He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and whispers to me.

Billy: Mama, how do you feel?

Me: I feel like I love you.

Billy smiles.

Billy: That makes me feel thankful.

My heart bursts and I hug him deeply.

Me: I'm thankful too. I'm thankful for you.

Billy: I am not frustrated.

Me: That's good.

Billy: I am not very shy.

Me: Truer words have never been spoken.

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The illustration for "Proud."

Billy and Willow love the book, The Way I Feel, written and illustrated by Janan Cain. Both kids have started using words to identify their feelings, a major goal for us this year. A book can't teach these ideas all by itself, but as a visual reinforcement of conversations about these vague concepts of emotions, I think it can be very helpful, particularly to preschoolers and/or those kids with developmental delays. The illustrations in The Way I Feel are engaging and colorful, and the little rhymes do a great job of capturing the essence of feelings such as “jealous,” “shy,” “silly,” “frustrated” or “excited.” I recommend it, if your kids are working on these concepts.

FYI, I bought this book with my own hard-earned cash, and all opinions contained herein are my own, un-sponsored objective perspective. However, had anyone offered to pay me for it, I would have happily taken their money.

Sigh.

“What do elevators, beloved character actor Wilford Brimley, mall maps, flashing yellow traffic lights, the Weather Channel and Allstate commercials have in common?” Griffin's Big Daddy asks. Then he goes on to answer this intriguing question in the pages of his hilarious new memoir, Big Daddy's Tales, From the Lighter Side of Raising a Kid with Autism.

Buy this book! Billy's in it!

F. Lewis Stark (a pen name) is well-known to those of us in the autism community as the popular blogger at BigDaddyAutism.com where he talks about his funny and fascinating life as parent to an autistic son. He also co-hosts the (Weekly? Monthly? How often does this show come on?) radio show "AutismWTF" with fellow autism parent/blogger Lynn Hydoba of AutismArmyMom.com.

Big Daddy's Tales include many memorable, gut-bustingly hilarious anecdotes about the world viewed through the eyes of his adored and adorable son. He also includes many of his Griffin cartoons – which really should get him his own show on the Cartoon Network or Comedy Central (I defy anyone to read “The Farting Continues” without laughing so hard they fall out of their chair).

But this is not a book that puts a shiny fake smiley face on autism. It's not a politically correct book. It is an honest book from a parent who openly shares the fact that his son's autism diagnosis felt, at first, like being smashed in the face by a frying pan. Big Daddy's Tales, though, are proof that you can get smashed in the face by a frying pan and still not forget how to laugh.

Nestled within the anecdotes of the Big Daddy clan are also stories from other parents of kids on the spectrum. Lynn writes an introduction to the book as well as a chapter; other chapters feature stories from bloggers from Stimeyland.com, TheKingAndEye.com, LifeWithASeverelyDisabledChild, LittleBitQuirky, AnybodyWantAPeanut?, LifeInTheHouseThatAspergerBuilt, ChipandBobo, YeahGoodTimes, LivingWithLogan, StuartDuncan, and yep, yours truly. Big Daddy included my Billy musings in the chapter titled, “You're on the Spectrum, Charlie Brown!”

If Life is a Spectrum, this book is the most honest, colorful, funny and touching picture of that wide spectrum I've read – and I have read a LOT of books about autism. A. LOT.

Big Daddy says it best in his epilogue: “If you allow it to be, the world can seem full of sorrows and negativity. We chose to live in joy.”

Order a copy of Big Daddy's Tales by clicking on the button at the right, which will take you to the author's store.

A typical problem for families of autistic children is isolation. We can start to form a cocoon around our child and ourselves to protect against both real

and imagined physical and emotional dangers. We can lose touch with friends and the community around us as we shuttle our child to and from therapy and school and back home again. In our efforts to protect our child, we can succeed in cutting him off entirely from the real world.

Lisa Jo Rudy's new book, Get Out, Explore and Have Fun!, is an antidote to autism isolation and a great tool to help parents engage with their autistic child in a variety of real-world settings. The mother of a 13-year-old autistic son (as well as a neurotypical daughter), she gives practical advice on choosing and enjoying community activities and settings.

Rudy makes the case that not only can you visit the museum, participate in sports with your child, enroll your child in piano lessons, etc., but you should. A life in which your child does little more than work on his deficits in a variety of artificial supported settings (like therapy), Rudy contends, is hardly a life at all, for your child or you.

Beginning by helping parents pinpoint their child's individual passions, Rudy moves on to hand-hold parents of autistic kids through the process of selecting community settings; trying out various sports; participating in youth groups (like 4-H or Scouts); visiting museums, zoos and aquariums; attending performing arts events; engaging with your faith community, and much more.

In each chapter, Rudy introduces a variety of options – such as, in the Sports chapter, the various kinds of sports a family might try – as well as tips, issues to consider, and questions to ask both yourself and the organizer. Inspiring “success stories” are also included, illustrating the blossoming effect that a passionate pursuit can have on an autistic child.

Articulate yet conversational in style, Rudy rejects the idea that a family with an autistic child can't be joyful, energetic, involved and fun-loving. Get Out, Explore and Have Fun shows how parents of autistic kids can expect more from their child and their lives.

Ready more about Lisa Rudy and her new book at www.LisaRudy.com.