Thirteen-year-old, second-string quarterback Ian McGowan has serious issues with his life. Everything lately seems like a catastrophe. In fact, things are so bad that he's certain the world is ending.

Ian is sure he is all alone in tackling heavy issues: failing algebra tests, trying to understand girls, relating to his parents, comprehending current world events, and unwittingly involving himself in a life-threatening situation. The problem is that nobody else seems to notice anything is wrong! Ian has no idea what to do about any of it-and he's sure that no one will understand anyway-except maybe his best friend who isn't even talking to him at the moment.

Ian soon realizes that people and situations aren't always what they appear to be. A new friend may turn out to be someone you've known all along-without ever really knowing them at all.

This reassuring picture book explains what autism is in simple terms, helping children with siblings or classmates with autism understand what everyday life feels like from a child with autism's perspective. The superb A First Look At series consists of a number of reassuring picturebooks that give advice and promote interaction between children, parents, and teachers on a wide variety of personal, social and emotional issues. Notes for parents and teachers at the back of the book provide valuable advice for how to share this book with your child or class. Suitable for Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7), occasional prompts throughout the text give a chance to discuss the issue being raised. Written by trained psychotherapist, journalist and parent, and illustrated by an experienced children's book artist, this is a part of an acclaimed and successful, long-running series of picture-book non-fiction books for Early Years. Books in the series give advice and promote interaction between children, parents and teachers on a wide variety of personal, social and emotional issues. They are excellent tools for teachers to use during classroom discussions.