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Children’s Book Character with Autism Shares Positive Message to Readers
Local children's author Paul O'Silly creates a new character with Asperger's Syndrome in a fun way for everyone to relate to.
Paul O’Silly has started writing children’s books in 2007. When he started to think about what to write for his very first story, way back then, he was stuck on what would make a good kids’ book. He suddenly decided that if he came up with a character, he could make that character into a story. At that moment, he had drawn a picture of a friendly little boy. The little boy became a character named Peter Huntley. After he imagined his character (his personality, what he looked like, etc.), he invented other characters (the children who became the little boy’s friends) and a place for them all to live in, which would become the setting for the stories. The rest developed right from there.
I must say the world might be completely off-guard. Here, for the first time ever, is a book about a small little boy with Asperger’s Syndrome that could be relatable to everyone. It could help explain what Asperger’s Syndrome or autism really is, and introduce kids and parents to autism in a non-stereotypical and friendly way. Then we could all accept everyone for who they ARE, and not for what they’re SUPPOSED to be.
Peter Huntley Says Hello was officially published by Lulu.com on October 19th, 2017. The book talks about when Peter first moved to the town of Oakwood. He previously didn’t have any friends, but that all changes when he meets a girl named Annie. She has a heart of gold and, like Peter, has a disability (she explains to Peter that she was diagnosed with ADHD). Annie helps him learn to make friends. She ends up becoming his best friend, since they both have a similar personality and way of thinking.
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There will be more books about Peter Huntley and his many friends coming soon. Paul O’Silly says he probably based the character of Peter Huntley on himself as a kid. He was a happy-go-lucky, lovable and friendly child. The town Peter and his friends live in and have their adventures is based off a real-life town called Oakland, a town he had lived in Bergen County, NJ for a part of his childhood.
For the manuscript editions of Paul O’Silly’s books, please find the following links here:
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http://www.lulu.com/shop/paul-...
In creating Peter Huntley, Paul O’Silly has tried to explain what autism and Asperger’s Syndrome really are, but not base anything of any negative stereotypes about autism. The character has really related well to many readers.
Paul O’Silly believes the secret of that success was the way the stories were written. The first story describes autism and Peter having Asperger’s, while the other stories going forward deal with things all kids can relate to, with or without disabilities (bullying, school, friendships, playing, etc.). In that way, it becomes more like watching Charles Schulz’s Peanuts or Marc Brown’s Arthur in the sense that it’s about a bunch of children who are all friends and live in the same community. That way all children and grownups could truly accept and welcome this character with an open mind about him.
Peter Huntley has made a HUGE impression on everyone who has read about him. Everyone who read his stories really enjoy him. After I was introduced to Maggie Graham and her theatre company (known as Stage Craft Studio), I showed her my script for a stage play adaptation of the Peter Huntley stories. She instantly set up a read-through in the spring of 2016. The read-through was a success! So she set up a full-scale production which was put on in the fall of 2016. The play was an instant classic, and is uploaded to YouTube:
The Stage Craft Studio website can be found at at http://www.stagecraftstudio.com/
