But really all she is different – neurodivergent, though it is not until nearly the end of the book that Frankie gets an insight into why she views things differently. Frankie and her family are White; diversity in health, ability, and race is woven naturally into the story.

She carries the charm of the characters throughout the pages and it's hard not to love the colour scheme and drawings which pop off the pages.A unique story told with a light touch and an abundance of warmth and wit, Frankie’s World is laugh-out-loud funny and a love letter to daring to be different. From acclaimed Autistic Irish comedian Aoife Dooley comes a fresh and funny debut middle-grade graphic novel about fitting in and standing out. Frankie believes she is an alien; she is the smallest person in her class – and she is accused of talking too much! This review was written by Roy James I work as a librarian across two primary schools, and I tutor English Literature and Language at a secondary school. The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble".

She is, in short, a square peg trying to jam herself into the round hole that is the world around her, and she doesn’t understand why.At its core, it really does have a wonderful message and I love that there's autism rep (from an autistic creator). The author uses this as a device for dark humor, which is common in many stories, but please be aware of it in case the middle grade reader is currently experiencing grief or raising many questions about death. To Frankie, she feels like an alien at times - like she doesn't fit in, like she doesn't say the right thing, like she seems to annoy the people around her. I will definitely be talking to my daughter about how risky that behaviour is, but it won't stop me from giving her the book as I think she will really enjoy it.

This outstanding collection, which effectively showcases the work of talented authors, illustrators and translators from around the world, is utterly captivating and cannot be recommended highly enough. It's great to read a book where autism is represented using the author's lived experience as the foundation.Thankfully, Frankie has two best friends at school, one of whom is a wheelchair user, and her Mam, who totally gets her.