Haddon, Mark. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

Haddon, Mark. The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Vintage, 2002 [978-1-4000-3271-6]

One night Christopher finds his neighbor’s dog murdered with a pitchfork. Because he is found with the dog, he is taken to the police station where his father picks him up. The reader slowly realizes that Christopher is not a normal child. He is autistic. What makes this incredible story so powerful is that the book is narrated by Christopher. The reader gets into the mind of an autistic child, his feelings, his thoughts, and his rationale. All the twists of the plot are seen through Christopher’s eyes. This 226 page book was very enlightening to me. Although I had been a special education teacher for 13 years, knowing all the book-learning and even working with autistic children did not make me feel like this book. This is a MUST-READ for anyone who has any contact with an autistic person. Please be aware that when Christopher goes out into the world, he meets people who use some colorful language. There are people using the “f-word” and the “c-word.” It is not overdone.. but it is there.