Author: Kate Foster

Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 5 July 2023

Blurb: A fun, frolicking adventure about five kids with a mystery to solve!

Eleven-year-old Oli is spending his school holidays at Heroes Club, where kids can build friendships and learn about their emotions, but Oli just wants to be home … where it’s familiar, not-so-boring and he can play his favourite game.

But when Oli and the other kids at the club see a stray dog who keeps disappearing into a soon-to-be-demolished building across the street, Oli and his four fellow heroes hatch a daring rescue plan to save the dog before it’s too late.

It’s going to take bravery, some seriously smart teamwork … and a few broken rules.

Review: This was another fantastic book by Kate Foster that features a cast of interesting, autistic characters. The story did highlight how weird ‘social skills’ classes are, even things like showing a picture of someone with a smile and saying ‘that person is happy’ when, as an adult, I know so many people who smile but aren’t happy, makes those classes seem odd ad even neurotypical people don’t adhere to those ‘rules’… but I digress.

This story was great and shows that autistic kids can make friends, especially with each other, and do amazing things. They often spot things that others don’t see, like a stray dog, and their hyperfocus on the wellbeing of the dog is not a ‘bad thing’.

I enjoyed this story and meeting Oli and his friends.

If you have an autistic child who is scared of attending these sorts of classes, this is a wonderful book to share. It is also one that neurotypical kids should read as it can give some insight into the fact that if they have met one autistic kid, they have met one autistic kid.

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Author: Kate Foster

Illustrator: Sophie Beer

Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 3 May 2023

Blurb: The world’s happiest and most dog-friendly superhero is here! A brand new adventure for junior readers from Kate Foster.

Meet Harriet Hound. She’s eight years old and loves dogs!

But Harriet has something else that makes her super … the power to summon the dogs from her family’s rescue shelter every time there’s trouble afoot.

Whether it’s a carnival catastrophe, a sudden storm, or vanishing vegetables, Harriet and her best dog friends use their super special talents and problem-solving skills to save the day!

“Perfectly-judged stories that will thrill young readers with intriguing mysteries, simple-yet-rhythmic writing and a highly-inventive brand of canine magic.” Andrew McDonald

“This gorgeous book gets a big paws-up from me – funny, adorable and packed full of puppies.” Nat Amoore

Review: I have to say that I LOVED this book. There are three stories that are fun and uplifting, and I really hope the publisher will create a series of these books.

What’s not to love about an eight-year-old superhero with the coolest doggy pyjamas I’ve ever seen? Not to mention she’s autistic and gloriously so.

This is positive representation of an autistic girl. I also enjoyed that she’s different to other autistic characters I’ve read, showing that if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person, the same happens when you read about autistic characters.

If you’re looking for a book with great characters and a fun story, this is one to read. While it’s aimed at kids, I really enjoyed it as an adult, so a great one to share with kids in your life too.

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Author: Kathy Hoopmann, & Josie Montano

Illustrator: Ann-Marie Finn

Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Wombat Books

Publication date: 10 August 2019

Blurb: Mona likes to moan.
Kiki is a worry-wart.
Bart loves following rules.
And Zane HATES following rules.

When the four of them are put into The Secret Science Society together, this could only mean one thing: DISASTER!

Will they be able to work together to create an experiment that Mona won’t moan about, Kiki knows is safe, Bart will think is perfect and that is really, REALLY exciting for Zane?

But ssssssshhhhhhh, the ending is a secret.

Review: I discovered this book through the Forevability Awards. It came second in 2021.

I really enjoyed this story, there were so many things that made me smile. The main character has ADHD, his best friend is autistic. The other two characters are likely neurodivergent too, however it’s not stated in the story. The fact that these characters are neurodivergent isn’t the main point of the story, it’s more that these kids are living life. They have a teacher who is working with them to play to their strengths instead of trying to change them or punish them.

This is a fun middle grade book with many funny moments that kids and grown ups will enjoy.

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Author: Kate Foster

Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 7 April 2021

Blurb: At home, Alex’s best friend is Kevin the cockapoo, although what he wants most of all is a friend at school. But that is harder than he ever expected. A touching story about learning that friendship isn’t one size fits all and is often found where you least expect it.

Everything is changing for 11-year-old Alex and, as an autistic person, change can be terrifying. With the first day of high school only a couple of months away, Alex is sure that having a friend by his side will help. So, he’s devised a plan – impress the kids at school by winning a trophy at the PAWS Dog Show with his trusty sidekick, Kevin. This should be a walk in the park . . . right?

Review: There is also a lot of talk about diversity in kids books and how important that kids see themselves in literature. Usually, they’re talking about race, however I realised that I didn’t see myself in many books. Then I read Paws by Kate Foster! This book had me in tears so many times and I’ve never felt so seen. So many of the feelings Alex has around friendships are the same as what I felt (and still feel).

One of the stand out thing about Paws is that it features an autistic character who is just navigating life. He has the same hopes and dreams of any other child. He just wants a friend, and to compete in the local dog show with his cockapoo, Kevin.

While this book features an autistic character, it’s not a story about autism. It’s a story about a kid in Grade Six trying to navigate life. He has the same worries about finishing primary school and moving to high school that almost every other kid in Grade Six has, as well as hopes and dreams for his future.

This is a book that should be in every school library and read widely as it’s a great story and goes a long way into breaking the stigma around autism.

I wanted to read this book so much that I ordered it from two different libraries! I’m currently reading it a second time.

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