Product Description

Seb is a loner. Brilliant with numbers but hopeless with people, he prefers the company of computers and his only friend, Guzzle. Things change for the better when he makes friends with Kristie, Madeline and Jen, and a new computer teacher - Miss Adonia - arrives. However, Seb is soon caught up in a web of computer fraud and lies and turns to Madeline's mysterious cyber friend for help.

Weaving the facts of Asperger Syndrome into the story, this fast-paced book is acclaimed author Kathy Hoopmann's best novel yet and will be a rivetting read for teenagers of all sorts and abilities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #529635 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781843100720
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
'Haze is about Seb, a teenager with Asperger's. The author clearly has an intimate knowledge of children like Seb and the way she describes his feelings and actions will strike chords with parents, social workers, care workers and teachers...I think that it could be useful for schools where staff could use it in class as a vehicle for exploring diversity and difference. It could also be reassuring for some families trying to understand the dilemmas of living with Asperger's.' -Rostrum 'As with all Kathy Hoopmann's books I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is easy to read and, once again, is a book that I expect young people with Asperger Syndrome will be able to identify with.' - Communication 'The descriptions of the various characters in this mini novel are in themselves vignettes of various problems encountered by adolescents, from cliques and alcohol consumption, to neglectful or abusive parents...The book is brief and the story is captivating enough to keep the reader's interest. By interweaving an assortment of characters throughout the story in various sub-plots, the author is able to elaborate on the intellectual and kinaesthetic experience of having Asperger's.' - Woodbury Reports Newsletter 'An absorbing and intriguing story that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of a teenage aspie perfectly...and believe me I should know!' Luke Jackson, author of Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence

About the Author
Kathy Hoopmann lives in Australia with her husband and three children. She is also the author of the Asperger Adventure series for younger children, Blue Bottle Mystery, Of Mice and Aliens, and Lisa and the Lacemaker, all published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Customer Reviews

A peek inside an Aspie mind
As the mother of a teen with Aspergers, I am well-versed in the clinical diagnosis and behavioral descriptions. Instead of describing symptoms, Kathy Hoopmann introduces a human being with feelings and hopes. This is a must read for anyone who wants to better understand Aspergers as well as the uniqueness and value of all people.

a counselor's review
I thought this book depicted how life is for a teen with asperger's very well. I work with young adults with asperger's and it helped me see things better from their perspective. I liked it so well I passed it along to another colleague to read.

Hazy Shades
This book makes me think of the 1968 Jimi Hendrix classic, "Purple Haze." "Purple haze, all through my brain, lately things don't seem the same." People with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) can relate to that sentiment - what seems so straightforward to neurotypicals is hazy and confusing to people with AS.

Seb, 17 has Asperger's Syndrome (AS) which is the spectrum partner to autism. He is brilliant; math, science and computers are his forte. His social questions and quirks are recognizable to those familiar with AS. His attention to detail; rigid adherence to routine sometimes serve him poorly. Three bullies lie in wait for him each morning and beat him up. Seb just cannot shift over to taking a different route nor can he deviate from having his meals at a set given time every evening.

Seb's friend Guzzle helps him navigate tricky social grounds. Guzzle lives in a chaotic household; his stepfather is an abusive man whom Guzzle has given a very appropriate nickname. Two girls also help Seb; Kristie, who has a crush on him and Madeline, who lives with a psychotic mother and is desperate to escape. The mental cruelty and emotional abuse the woman inflicts on her only child is just as if not more damaging than the physical cruelty that is part of Guzzle's home life. Madeline's mother keeps other relatives from seeing her; she destroys Madeline's things; takes everything away from her and even tells Madeline when she was little that Santa wasn't coming that year. (That is the kind of thing that makes me truly regret having ever fallen for Santa. I truly wish I'd never believed in Santa in the first place).

The girls teach Seb how to date; what the expectations are and what people talk about and where they go. Seb has trouble seeing the rationale for doing things he doesn't enjoy, such as going to a movie or exchanging pleasantries that he doesn't really mean. The girls have to explain these things to him; they are horrified when Seb says, "I never hug my mum." They explain to him why it is important to tolerate hugs to appease others, even though he doesn't like them. This is a concession that makes others happy and is a way of teaching him how to see from the standpoint of other people.

Angels are part of the story as well; a new computer teacher who goes to bat for Seb when an Internet Security breach has been discovered; the girls; Guzzle and a mysterious man known as "Mr. Minty." The banding of these angels and the delightful Mr. Minty make for a sweet story indeed.