Hi everyone, this week I’m featuring a post about an English tween author I found. One of the reasons the first book caught my eye was because the blurb at the back stated that it was written by ‘Eleven-year-old Libby Scott’!! A tween read by a tween author!! I HAD to read it and boy did it pack a punch. Press below to find out more…
To begin with I need to acknowledge that the idea for these amazing stories came from a tween girl who has succeeded beyond any of us could ever imagine.
When I found the first one, Can you see me? (Scholastic Children’s Books; 2019) I was only starting on my exploration into stories featuring neurodiverse tweens. After I read this book, one written by an autistic tween about an autistic tween, I found myself feeling inspired and humbled. With the help of Rebecca Westcott, Libby Scott created a world where we, as readers, could learn about the life of a British tween who discovers that she is on the autistic spectrum and gives us a glimpse of her amazing adventures as she discovers who she really is.
I thought for this post I would give you something a little different from my usual format.
Tally Adams is the name of the young heroine in this delightful series. The first story where we meet her, Can you see me?, we learn that Tally has just found out about her autism diagnosis but chooses to hide it. She knows how uncomfortable people feel around her and is sure that they don’t understand autism. They don’t understand her. By masking her autism, Tally is hiding her real self. But when her real self is fierce and wonderful, it can’t stay hidden forever. When I first read this my reaction was mixed. I hadn’t laughed and cried like that for a while!! This was by far a sweet story of family, or friendship, school and one girl’s journey as she grows up autistic and learns the conflicting dynamics in human relationships. Libby Scott is a brave and amazing young writer who has given us readers an authentic young heroine in Tally Adams.
The second story in the series Do you know me? (Scholastic Children’s Books, 2020) follows Tally’s story as she braves the school camp. She is now proud of who she is and doesn’t try to hide her autism, but now she is determined to make sure people see who she really is. Unlike at school, being in camp is a whole other ball game and pretty soon Tally must face obstacles in the form of a bully from a neighboring school and have her true feelings tested. What I really enjoyed were the diary entries, Libby Scott’s signature format. These gave us Tally’s innermost thoughts and how being autistic feels like from the ‘inside’, sort of. A lot of what Tally goes through feels so real and made me think of what other kids like her would endure. I loved this a lot and felt myself cheering tally on with everything she succeeds at. Readers will find themselves enjoying the descriptions of the varied outdoor activities and usual camp drama.
‘Perhaps everyone else is different but a little bit similar at the same time. And maybe all the little similarities add up to something bigger than the differences between them!’
This next title is Ways to be me (Scholastic, 2021). In this amazing read Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott have given us the prequel story. We’re taken to a period in time just before ten-year-old Tally discovers she is autistic. She enjoys school and her friends, looks forward to the school production, but at home things aren’t going so well. Mum and Dad have been making Tally feel pressed and upset. Although Tally wishes things didn’t bother her so much, sometimes she feels so misunderstood and frustrated she could explode. Then her Mum and Dad tell her about something she’s never heard before. Something called autism, and everything changes. I felt so moved and tears would flood my eyes as I read this. We see a younger Tally, one who is frustrated and sick of being expected to behave one way at school to pretend she’s someone else. The way each issue is dealt with and the slight way Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott tease the backstory of our young ‘tiger’ Tally is so expertly woven with what looks like homework quizzes, notes and scribbles from the inner workings of Tally herself. This lovely read captivated me from beginning to end. I enjoyed the school scenes and those of the production of Little Red immensely. Relationships she has with her friends Layla, Lucy, and Miles along with those of her family are crafted really well. I like how we see a younger version of the older sister Nell in this read too.
“It’s not easy being me either… It’s not easy being anyone, Tally. And I know that you’re autistic, but that’s not the only word to describe who you are. And you need to figure out who you are if you’re going to figure out how you can solve your problems.” – Nell to Tally
The last title of this delightful series is All the pieces of me (Scholastic, 2022). Year 9 can be tough for everyone, but for Tally it feels even tougher. Everything seems to be changing as everyone grows up. Makeup, boys, social media – why is it all starting to feel so different? Tally has always known that being autistic means some things are harder for her. But becoming a teenager has left Tally feeling like she has no idea who she even is anymore. Young Tally’s fourth story is as awe-inspiring as the others. Tally is now almost thirteen and in Year 9; the rest of her year are into makeup and boys while Tally is still trying hard to navigate her own feelings. This story for me felt somewhat slightly more intense than the previous books. We seem to be delving deeper into Tally’s inner thoughts and how she distinguishes between what’s right and wrong. Peer pressure and cyber bullying come into the mix here and it’s quite powerful how Scott details the thought process of our young Tally as she grapples with it all. At times I wonder if Libby Scott is giving us her own experiences or embellishing something that happened to her. I felt really sad when she ended up being targeted by Lucy but felt amazed at how she stood up to her eventually. The descriptions of the stables and Horses there were great and I loved how the parents played a bigger role in this story. An amazing series for readers of all ages to enjoy!!
‘…she knows that Mum, Dad and Nell can see her.
They know that there are a lot of ways to be her and they know who she is.
But even they can’t know what it’s like to be constantly forced to shove all the pieces of you into a form that makes other people happy but feels so wrong of her. And all Tally wants is to be allowed to let her pieces settle into their natural shape.’
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 