Review: All the Small Wonderful Things
All the Small Wonderful Things is a middle grade novel by Australian author Kate Foster. Don’t let the term ‘middle grade’ fool you. Many think writing for kids is easy, when in fact, it’s extremely difficult. And in All the Small Wonderful Things, Foster has delivered a powerful narrative that parents, professionals who work with children, and, in particular, people with autism can treasure. Anyone who’s ever been lonely will relate to this story.
Foster draws from her experience as someone with autism to deliver powerful representation in a way that’s accessible to readers ages eight through 98. In All the Small Wonderful Things, Foster immerses us in Alex’s experience, showing us how overwhelming loud noises and uncomfortable situations are for him while he tries to navigate his last year of primary school and make a friend before he starts secondary school.
He’s convinced himself that if he wins a trophy, he’ll make friends, which means he won’t be bullied in secondary school. Alex works to train his dog, Kevin, to enter a competition.
All the Small Wonderful Things also gently touches on things like divorce and foster care. Foster does more than simply present a school bully; she weaves in some details that humanize him, and help Alex and the readers see that sometimes, people are mean because they’re hurting. It doesn’t excuse their behavior, but the way this part of the story developed was really beautiful.
Foster’s writing is sublime. This is an elegantly written story that effortlessly kept me turning the pages, curious to see how Alex would cope with the challenges that arose on his journey. The story is laced with love; it’s so heartfelt and relatable that I cried several times.
In addition to highlighting some of the challenges some people with autism face, Foster organically weaves in strategies family members, peers, and people with autism can use to manage challenging situations. In that respect, this story is an excellent resource that can broaden the reader’s understanding of autism and how to help people with autism manage in situations they find difficult. It isn’t a universal blueprint, because each person with autism is unique, but speaking from experience working with students with autism and as someone learning late-in-life they’re AuDHD, it’s very helpful.
I highly recommend All the Small Wonderful Things. 5 stars.
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