A wonderful book about a middle schooler with Autism. Emerson was born with the ability to talk and all of that disappeared around the age of 15 months which is common with those on the Autism spectrum. She is a fiery teenager with lots to say and no way to share her words, there for she shares them in behaviors which are less then wonderful. Emerson goes through the normal teen life trying to not only manage her non-verbal world but also all of those teenager challenges at the same time. A wonderful read.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Kimberlyhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngKimberly2023-05-06 08:18:162023-05-12 13:16:13Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Kimberly Filer
This is a unique story told through the eyes of someone who has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), which is an intellectual disability, and sensory processing disorder. This was a beautiful and moving story about Emerson’s struggle with being non-verbal and the challenging obstacles she faces everyday. I was easily able to empathize with Emerson and her parents with the struggles they faced. This was a heartfelt story that you’ll enjoy you read.
This amazing and inspiring true story is based on the life of Emerson. Middle school is rough enough, but being autistic and mainly nonverbal is even more hard. It tells the story from her point of view dealing with sensory issues, and soical issues of just wanting to be accepted. Amazing piece of work. Made me cry, laugh, and just couldn’t put it down, waiting to see how life works out for her.
This was an inner-dialogue story of a young girl experiencing autism. I really enjoyed reading this book. Often times, when an autistic child is like Emerson and cannot communicate with those around her, knowing their inner feelings is hard. This book is an inside look at many different experiences that many different people have, not just autistic children. In this book, Emerson experiences not being able to get the correct words to come out of her mouth, becoming frustrated over not being able to communicate, feeling like an outsider when around children not like her, feeling like she needs to get up and move, sensory sensitive, and many other aspects of mental disorders. This book really brings to light how difficult this can be for autistic children and how much they care even if they can’t show it in a way people expect everybody too.
Nonverbal by Molly Zenk a young adult and family oriented book
Severely autistic middle schooler Emerson Rayne’s words disappeared when she was fifteen months old, but that doesn’t mean she has no voice. As she navigates her day-to-day world of friendships, bullies, and overprotective, over stressed parents, Emerson’s difficult but manageable frustrations turn to self-injurious behaviors and mental and emotional instability.
Emerson’s parents fight to find her support and treatment in health and education systems that have little options for intensive needs teens. Inspired by a true story.
Every page was exciting and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. It brings a very new perspective in your life and I couldn’t put the book down.
This is a story that show a snippet of what it is like to be the autistic person. The struggles within herself to control her actions and words and the struggles of society. I liked how the words were placed giving me the feeling of her loss of control when an episode hits. It helps me look at a situation a little differently now. Also all the the things her parents did for her safety or to protect her (which I could under) we got to see the other side and what she thought of them but could not articulate her reasons. It was an interesting read as it gave me insight to this life she and her parents lead.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Lisa Helmickhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLisa Helmick2023-05-04 19:12:552023-05-12 12:53:22Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Lisa Helmick
I knew before I started reading that this book would be emotional and I can say without hesitation it was that. This character has got to be one of my all time favourites. I connected with her so easily and I loved that the author chose her as the focal point of this book. It is unusual to come across a book that tackles such a prominent issue and even more rare to find one that does it so well. I think it is so important for more books like this to be written. It gives a great insight into what life with autism must be like and I applaud the author was the accurate depiction. This is a book that everyone should read.
There were things I absolutely LOVED about this book and parts that I struggled with, as a parent to an autistic child and being neurodivergent myself. I just wanted to reach through the pages in parts of this book and help Emerson and her family understand that she isn’t a broken or defective person with missing puzzle pieces, but rather an amazingly different and unique puzzle piece of a person with her own strengths that is living in a world built for NT people. I did love Emerson as a character, as well as her BFF Ryleigh, and hope the author continues to tell their stories in other books.
In this book we follow Emerson as she navigates a world that wasn’t built for her. She has Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory processing disorder, an intellectual disability, and is functionally nonverbal. We follow Emerson through her life in this thought-provoking, heart felt book.
I don’t think I even know where to start with this story. For many this will be an interesting read with many thought provoking moments but for me it spoke to me on a whole other level, a real personal one. I have a 3 year old non-verbal child and this story opened my eyes to how he may be feeling. I know he knows so many words but they just don’t want to come out like they should and I feel like I can understand this so much more now by reading this through the eyes Emerson. The way she describes the thoughts and feelings of Emerson’s parents was literally like reading some of my own thoughts. I was honestly glued to this story, it really was a very emotional and powerful read and I think is definitely a read for people who want to understand a little more about someone who is non-verbal. Thank you Molly Zenk for this book, its actually helped me more than words can say.
This book is a standalone novel. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it but this book was so impactful!
The story is about Emerson, a teenager with a slew of labels as though they define her. She is labeled as having autism spectrum disorder as well as being non-verbal. This book takes you through Emerson’s story. She knows what she’d like to say but the words are lost. Yet she has to deal with people talking about her like she’s not there and doesn’t understand. She watches her parents struggle while also trying to protect her and give her some semblance of independence. While also realizing that while she’s been given the tools to cope sometimes her reaction is outside of her control.
This book is really powerful. I think everyone could benefit from reading it. It definitely gives you a first hand perspective of what it might be like to deal with and cope with the labels individuals on the spectrum have to deal with. This is a very well written book and I highly recommend anyone read this!
As a mom of more than one kiddo with autism (their choice to be addressed person first), I am thankful for this book. I have a son that is limited verbally like Emerson and also self-harms. Though they are not the same person, it was beautiful to see inside her mind. This book shows exactly what I have been trying to help others understand for quite some time; just because words are not there verbally doesn’t mean that person can’t or doesn’t want to communicate!
This is a journey of navigating through life, family, friendships, treatments and education. Though no two people are the same, this is enlightening to the struggles that can be faced to simply live life day to day. My heart went through so many emotions reading this story, I felt each and every situation with Emerson. I am so thankful for the sharing of her story.
I enjoyed reading this young adult story. This is a newer author for me which I enjoy her writing skills as well as her attention to details that made the story realistic. I found this book to be well written and hard to put down. A story about a middle school girl who has autism. Her parents are in a fight to get services in an environment that has very few. This is a story that hits to the heart for me. My daughter has many of these traits. This is a story that will hit home with a lot of parents. It is an engaging story that I read in one sitting and one you don’t want to miss. It is emotional in parts which added to the story. I found this book easy to read and I highly recommend it.
“My words disappeared when I was fifteen months only.” Emerson was a happy child who went from counting to not being able to string words together to communicate what she desires to say. Emerson Was diagnosed with functional nonverbal autism on top of a sensory processing disorder. The book, Non-Verbal give the reader first hand insight about Emerson and her family’s lives. It is really amazing to read this book from the perspective of Emerson Because you know exactly what she is struggling with throughout the book. This book is well written and is impactful. This book would be great to pose discussions with teenagers and young adults about people who are different and how their world looks. Non-Verbal gives everyone a glimpse into Emerson‘s life and is based on a true story, I only hope that going forward that there are many more books like this one.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jamie Burnshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJamie Burns2023-04-22 21:52:432023-04-28 12:30:13Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Jamie Burns
Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk. This book was a eye opening, emotional, amazing read. Its about a young girl named Emerson who at the super young age of 15 months lost all ability to speak. She was also diagnosed with Autism at the same time. On top of Autism she was also diagnosed with having sensory issues and a intellectual disability. When a child has a disability it effects everyone in that child’s life and this book documents that. This story takes us on the journey of Emerson as she functions in her own way in this crazy world. It has to be so hard to be talked about and understanding what they are saying but not being able to respond. Emerson is very lucky in the fact that her parents are strong advocates for her and will fight until their last day for her. This book opened my eyes to the hard road that children with disabilities have along with their families. I cried several times thru this read. It is written so wonderfully to make you actually feel what this child and parents are going thru.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as this was my first book by this author, but I was blown away. This was a very emotional yet incredibly relatable read as I also have ASD. Molly Zenk perfectly illustrates life in middle school which already includes emotions, cliques, and confusion, but added to the mix of navigating life as a non-verbal teenager. It is heartbreaking to think of people around you speaking near you but never even trying to engage with you because of the differences. The amount of challenges Emerson and her parents face can feel insurmountable, but they are all determined to succeed no matter what. I highly recommend picking this up as it is so well written and will have you feel nearly every emotion throughout Emerson’s story. I believe it would be especially helpful to you if you know someone with ASD as it helps you see the world through their eyes a little bit. This was such a magnificent read and will not soon forget it.
This is such an important book. It is definitely recommended for middle grades, but frankly I recommend it for everyone. As an educator, I believe that this book definitely gives insight into a section of the population that many people do not understand. This book focuses on Emerson and her family. Emerson is diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and all her words disappeared when she was 15 months old. This book shows many of the ups and downs that she experienced from this point forward. Emerson navigated being nonverbal in a verbal world as well as she can and this book is definitely heart wrenching. I found myself cheering and crying throughout the book. Emerson definitely faced her struggles during a period when many young adults struggle. I definitely recommend this book. I think it definitely is a great read and one that will have you looking at the world around you a little differently.
This is such a wonderfully engaging read and although an emotional one it is also inspirational, and I was captivated from start to finish. The storyline focuses on teenager Emerson, who is severely autistic and who’s words disappeared when she was just fifteen months old. However, this does not mean that she has no voice. Throughout the story we learn about how she deals with her life and the challenges that her autism causes from her own point of view. It’s soon obvious that she’s a very independent and strong teenager. Along with friendships which she does not find easy, sadly Emerson is also bullied and her obvious frustrations turn to self injurious behaviour. She also has to deal with over protective and stressed out parents who also cause her to become frustrated. The story also shows how much her parents have to deal with having a severely autistic daughter, who also suffers from mental and emotional instabilities. It’s not just day to day living which is difficult, but her parents have to fight just to get their daughter the appropriate support and treatment that she needs in both the health and education systems, both of which are lacking in options for intensive needs teens. I was definitely taken on am emotional rollercoaster whilst reading this book, however the issues are dealt with sensitively and honestly and there are lighthearted moments as well.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jennifer Gordonhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJennifer Gordon2023-04-22 17:01:512023-04-28 12:28:30Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Jennifer Gordon
Non-Verbal is inspired by a true story and tells the life of severely autistic Emerson Rayne from her point of view. Emerson lost her ability to talk at the tender age of fifteen months old. Now, at the age of fourteen, Emerson is trying to navigate the difficult world of middle school. Middle school is tough enough as she deals with bullies, friendships, and the stress of being a teenager but for Emerson she must also deal with over protective stressed out parents and stressed-out teachers. She tries to remain good Emerson so she does not stress everyone out but finds that sometimes bad Emerson cannot help but lose control. Sometimes she cannot fight the urge to run away or eat the things that she knows that she should not eat. Sometimes the bugs crawl on her skin and she cannot stop scratching. Sometimes she feels like her body is on fire and she tries to make it stop. Having a daily routine usually helps to keep Emerson grounded and from having outbursts but sometimes the sensory overload from the bright lights and loud noises at school set her off. Now for some reason she is having outbursts that lead her to self-harm and she seems mentally and emotionally unstable. It is up to Emerson’s parents to try to keep her safe and find her the help and support she needs in both the health and education systems.
This was an absolutely beautiful and moving story that tells the point of view of someone who has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder, an intellectual disability, and a sensory processing disorder. We see firsthand from her point of view life through Emerson’s eyes and although she is unable to speak, she has a voice and wants to be heard. We see the struggles and challenges she faces everyday as she fights the urge to do things like run, run, run. How she so desperately wants to be good so she does not worry those around her but cannot control how she reacts to certain stimuli in her environment. Bullies, loud noises, bright lights, and straying from her routine all set Emerson off and she is unable to stop from reacting. Good Emerson turns to bad Emerson, and she is saddened that she has worried those that love her and care for her. Emerson’s parents do everything they can to protect her, get her the help she needs, and show her that they love her. It was easy to empathize with Emerson and her parents with the struggles they all faced. A touching story that really gave insight on the dynamics surrounding those that have ASD and the daily struggles and challenges they face. A poignant, thought provoking and heartfelt read.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Tara Johnson Barneshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngTara Johnson Barnes2023-04-22 16:11:172023-04-28 12:27:58Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes
This book was an amazing read from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down, and had to know if things would get better for Emerson. Emerson Rayne is a middle school girl who is Autistic and mostly non-verbal. She can speak sometimes, usually short one or two word answers, and very infrequently. When she was a toddler, she could speak perfectly fine, until she was around fifteen months old, and then her words left her. Emerson wants to be like the neurotypical girls she sees sometimes at school, but the sensory overload that comes from being in a school with bright lights, loud noises and mean kids, sometimes makes Emerson’s days more difficult. Emerson wants to be a good girl, but sometimes she finds it too difficult to fight the urges to run away, to eat things she shouldn’t, and possibly worst of all the feeling of bugs crawling on her that she knows is not on the outside, as well as the feeling of fire that is also not on the outside but leads her to harming herself in an effort to make the pain stop. Sometimes her attempts to get the feelings to go away cause her to hurt those around her, like her best friend Ryleigh or even her teachers. As her behavior problems at school continue to escalate, her parents try everything they know how to try and so does the school, until the finally are forced to put her back into what she calls the hospital school, an inpatient treatment for children experiencing behavior crisis. Between a new treatment plan, and a new school targeted at helping ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) kids, Emerson and her family hope things will get better. As a part of two ASD kids, as well as a SpEd parapro for a middle school child, I found this book to be very authentic and helpful. I quickly got attached to Emerson, while also being able to empathize with her parents as well as with her teachers/parapros. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know a little more about what it’s like to be in any of these positions.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Candice Esteshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngCandice Estes2023-04-22 13:01:492023-04-28 12:36:07Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Candice Estes
This was a really emotional and inspiring read for me. This story is based on a true events which make what you read even more of an emotional read. In this story we follow Emerson Rayne. When she was 15 months old she lost the ability to use her words and she went from a “normal” functioning child to a child diagnosed as being part of the Autistic spectrum. What follows is an insight into Emersons life and how her disabilities impact her daily life in ways we don’t even think about. I love Emerson’s character she is a determined young woman who just wants what every girl her age does, to fit in and have friends. However these are hard things for her and you can feel her anger and frustrations as she tries to find her way. We also see how Emerson’s disabilities impact those around her including her parents and it was hard to read how her parents struggled to get the help and support Emerson needs to be able to have a normal life.
This story really hit home for me as I had an aunty who couldn’t communicate and suffered with different physical and mental disabilities. It has made me realise just how hard things could be for her and it helped me to understand why she used to get frustrated when we couldn’t understand what she wanted to say.
This is a very moving story which gives you a insight into what it is like to live as Emerson does and how hard she tries to navigate and fit in. No matter how hard she never gives up.
This is one of the most meaningful books which I have read in the past few years. This is written in a perspective from a non verbal autistic teen, Emerson, who is labelled to have autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, Intellectual disability and also non verbal. It demands a compassionate look into her daily life, her routine and the struggle her parents go through to support her and get her fair share of education. Our heart breaks as we read through her journey, how stressed she is when people around her talk as if she does not understand. Her stress and the pressure her parents go through to help her is so realistic. I have seen Autism in close quarters , and I can relate to each and everything the author conveys through this book. Hats off for asserting the significance of inclusion of neuro-diversified kids in our education system . Molly zenk, take a bow . Keep writing. We are here to support you and stand up for Autism.
This is a GREAT story that gives you insight into the life of a young girl with autism. I liked that it gave perspective from both the parent/outside view and the thoughts of Emerson. It is easy to make judgements based on behavior, but we forget to think about the frustrations of a person with Autism. The author did a nice job of telling Emerson’s story.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Tanya Wallhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngTanya Wall2023-04-22 09:50:142023-04-28 12:34:59Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Tanya Wall, April 2023
As the mother of several teenagers, I know the struggles they have everyday. In this book you see those teen struggles from the point of view of Emerson, who has autism and is non-verbal. I have seen non-verbal individuals and had no understanding of what they were going through. This book I feel gave me a glimpse of the complexities that are going on in a person’s mind even if they can not express it to the world.
What a beautifully written book about the life of Emerson and her parents. Emerson lost her words at 15 months of age when diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This book chronicles the challenges and victories that she has, along with those around her.
This book had me experiencing a variety of emotions at any given time. As a parent of a young adult with ASD, I could recognize many of these factors that Emerson is going through. It’s difficult to understand ASD at all but for those experiencing it, it’s scary.
I hope and pray that this book can be used to inspire others who are on this journey to never give up on themselves or their loved ones. This ultimately is a story of triumph but shows the scars (literal and figurative) earned along the way.
This book is recommended for young adults with ASD and I agree but would also recommend it for parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, and friends of anyone with ASD.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Julie Johnsonhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJulie Johnson2023-04-22 07:48:292023-04-28 12:31:59Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Julie Johnson
Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk is a moving Young Adult fiction book that is inspired by a true story. This story delves into the life of Emerson Rayne who has a more severe form of Autism which impacts on every facet of her being. I really felt for Emerson, and her family as they struggled through their journey. All the challenges they faced not only in their day-to-day lives, but also is trying to get the support and treatment for her special needs. This story highlights some of the challenges and difficulties a severely autistic person, and their families, experience. There are some heart-breaking and scary moments, lots of emotion, and some more inspiring and hopeful parts- all wrapped up in a well-written and thought-provoking story. Well worth the read!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Angela Hayeshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAngela Hayes2023-04-21 21:23:512023-04-28 12:20:06Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Angela Hayes
4.5 stars Non-Verbal is a Young Adult story based on a true story. Apparently, it is recommended for teenagers 10 – 18 years. This young woman was labelled as having an autism spectrum disorder, having sensory processing disorder, and an intellectual disability as well as being functionally non-verbal. That is a lot of labels. It is a moving and captivating story about Emerson who is severely autistic and unable to verbalise in words, but she does have a voice. It is a story told by her that will make your heart ache. We see how she navigates her world and what it is like to be present but talked about like she doesn’t understand. We watch as her stressed and over protective parents fight not only with her to keep her safe but for her and to get her the support and treatment she needs. I have a grandson who is low on the Asperger’s spectrum and has auditory processing disorder and I know the struggles we faced in getting the help he needed. It is easy to feel for these people that evoke such strong emotions. With friendships, bullies, Emerson’s self-harm behaviours, and mental and emotional issues we truly see how life is for this vulnerable young woman and people like her. Non-Verbal is a thought-provoking and moving story.
I chose to read this book because we think my daughter has a higher functioning Autism and can’t get her tested for it for another year. I love how the story tells about the daily struggles Emerson goes through being a teenager who has non verbal Autism. I felt like the book was relatable because I have a friend who’s son is non verbal with Autism. If you don’t know much about Autism, I feel like this book can teach you a lot about it. The details was great. I have no complaints at all who this story was written. I think it was written beautifully!
This is a glimpse into what it is like for Emerson to live with Autism. It is a very unique perspective to see things through her eyes and ears. I have a sister who is non-verbal and we have always wondered about what she understands and what she doesn’t. This book will challenge how we speak to and think about those who don’t have words to express what they are feeling inside.
This book is an amazing insight of what it’s like being nonverbal and a teenager. There are many issues that present themselves in the teenage years but what if you can’t voice them and tell someone how everything feels. I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing how Emerson’s mind works and how she deals with it day to day. A great read to help you understand what it is like to be nonverbal.
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