The Space We're in
What's This Book About
Ten-year-old Frank has trouble navigating his relationship with his younger brother Max who is autistic. Frank loves soccer, codes, riding his bike, and playing with his friends. His brother Max is five. Max only eats foods that are beige or white, hates baths, and if he has to wear a t-shirt that isn’t gray with yellow stripes he melts down down down. Frank longs for the brother he was promised by his parents before Max was born—someone who was supposed to be his biggest fan, so he could be the best brother in the world. Instead, Frank has trouble navigating Max’s behavior and their relationship. But when tragedy strikes, Frank finds a way to try and repair their fractured family and in doing so learns to love Max for who he is. In her debut novel, Katya Balen uses her knowledge of autism and experience working with autistic people to create an intriguing and intense yet always respectful family story. For readers of Counting by 7s and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
What Kind of Book is The Space We're in
Reviews
Book Lists That Include This Book
The Creative Behind the Book
Katya Balen lives just outside London with her boyfriend and their rescue dog. She’s worked in a number of special schools for autistic children. She now runs Mainspring Arts, a non-profit that organizes creative projects for neurodivergent people. The Space We’re In is her first novel.
What Has Katya Balen Said About This Book
Nothing yet! Let Katya Balen know that you want to hear from them about their book.
Other Books You Might Enjoy If You Liked This Book
Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780823442898
- Publication Date
- October 8, 2019
- Publisher
- Margaret Ferguson Books
- Page Count
- 176
- Audience
- Middle Grade
- Reading Age
- 8 - 12 years
Contribute to this page
Are you the author or illustrator? Claim your book.