This book is a wonderful look at special needs from an often overlooked viewpoint, their typical sibling. This book is also valuable because unlike many books meant to introduce special needs to children it is in simple enough terms to be used with very young children and does not choose to name the disability of the brother. His symptoms could be a variety of things and it isn’t important what the doctors say he has, just that his sister know she is special. This book also doesn’t sugar coat things, it describes things that are difficult as well as sometimes disappointing about having a special needs sibling. Although, it does come around at the end I think it is an important acknowledgment of what siblings go through.

*thank you to Netgalley and Future Horizons for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars

This was good! The illustrations are so bright and colourful, exactly like what most kids like. The story was well written and easy to understand and follow. It shows us what living with a family member with special needs is like in day to day life and helps readers to understand more. Told from the Sisters point of view I think it did that fairly accurately. It sounded true and therefore people are more likely to pay attention to it. Each child with special needs is different and this is just one of those stories, but it gives a pretty good example of the characteristics of special needs children. I would recommend this.

This seems like a pretty accurate portrayal of the experiences of a sibling of a child with special needs. the text is easy and the illustrations are really cute.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

A story told in the perspective of and older sister who has a younger brother with special needs. This truly tells the tale of what an older sibling that isn't quite old enough to truly understand what is going on with her younger brother, Bo. Lucy is in first grade and knows that he brother is special and needs special help, but she still truly loves him and tries to help him and teach him what ever she can.

This book is from the perspective of a girl whose brother has special needs. She describes what she likes doing at school, then what it is like to live at home with her family. She talks about how she loves her brother, and how sometimes it's not easy for her, as she can feel frustration, sadness or embarrassment sometimes. It does not always understand why her brother doesn't like playing with other kids, or why noise scares him, but she is trying her best. She also talked about how she feels left out at times as her brother requires a lot of attention from her parents.

I think that this topic is rarely talked about, and that this book did a great job at explained all the different emotions that she is going through.

Full review to follow on my blog as linked below - scheduled for 31st January (can be moved upon request)

I like how Lucy's character talks about Bo, showing how much she loves him but also being realistic as she sometimes feels sad when they can't go somewhere or have to leave early because Bo is struggling to handle it. I think this would be a good book for the entire family that includes a child with special needs because it can give the parents an insight into how their non-special needs child might be feeling and make sure they know to give them a little extra attention.

I would recommend this book to families that have a child or teen with special needs in it and also to Primary Schools and Nurseries to encourage a wider understanding of how it feels to have a sibling with special needs. To promote love, positive attention and compassion.

My Special Brother Bo is an interesting book that I believe can help open the discussion about children with special needs. It is told from an older siblings perspective and demonstrates that there are many normal emotions and feelings that surround having a sibling with special needs. The older sibling talks about being happy and her great love for her brother, but also talks about being frustrated and that she doesn't always understand why they can't do the same things other families get to do. The specific details of Bo's special needs are left out and I think that makes this book easier to use to open a conversation about this topic.

Lovely book teaching little ones that everyone is different. The first book I've seen of its kind to help prepare and to understand siblings for their special siblings

I love this book! We learn about Lucy and fun little girl who loves school and learning. Then we learn that Lucy has a brother Bo that has special needs. The book explores lots of things a child with a special needs sibling might experience or feel. She has to go to his therapies and wait, she has to leave places when he gets upset, she is afraid to have friends over to her house. But Lucy loves her brother and tries to teach him many things and enjoys making him laugh. Not only is this a good book for children who have a special needs sibling but to share at school with classes. All children need to learn about children with special needs.

NetGalley: Written by a pediatric occupational therapist who has worked for over thirteen years with children with special needs. Through this sweet story of love an acceptance, siblings of children with special needs will hear that they are loved and hold a unique place within their family. Through Lucy’s voice, children will gain a better understanding of how important and loved they are.

Before reading, I read some not so positive reviews and was worried I was not going to like this book. A lot of readers thought it was derogatory to Bo and Lucy was not a very caring big sister. They also mentioned that they felt it was not good at explaining autism to readers.

After reading, I enjoyed it. I looked at it as a great book for siblings of special needs brothers or sisters. A perfect book for a parent or educator to read and let them see it is ok to have the feelings of disappointment of not being able to do everything others do. You can let them know it is ok to be embarrassed at times but they are still your sibling and love and understanding is the best medicine of all.

As a special education substitute teacher, I will use this in my classrooms.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Future Horizons, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Lucy is a first grader who loves school! It is a charming book showing how Lucy, a young child herself, describes her brother with special needs. She describes the joys, but she also talks about how it is difficult to have a sibling with challenges. The siblings often have to forgo activities and fun events because of the child with special needs. And as children themselves it is hard to understand and feel left out. I appreciate this book mentions that. How the typical sibling is always told to be strong or brave. However, they are children themselves with needs. This book is also about the joys Lucy feels when she is able to help and teach her brother, Bo. This book shows that you can be embarrassed but that doesn’t mean you don’t love your special brother.

This book would be perfect for the sibling of a special needs child. But, even the typical child and preteen could learn and discuss empathy with this book.

I really enjoyed reading My Special Brother Bo. This was a really riveting story. The way this story was told was very clever and made it a blast to read. Lucy tells about living with her brother Bo and the challenges it brings to her family at times. The perspective of a child was the perfect way to tell this story. This book will teach kids some important life lessons and I think they will really enjoy this book.

I like this book! It talks about what it is like to grow up with a special needs sibling. The narrator is honest about feeling left out or unnoticed at times or being worried about what her friends will think of her brother if they come over. The honesty about the hard parts of this experience is tempered by the honesty of how much the narrator loves her brother and family. Her parents try to do special things with her to give her attention.
There is a lot of text on each page so it might be a lot for very young children to sit through.

I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the story from an older sibling, Lucy’s point of view of what it is like to live with a little brother, Bo, with special needs.

The story is easy to follow for any child four to eight years of age.

This is a wonderful and accurate book of what life is like when one child has special needs and the feelings that arise from their non special needs siblings.

A great book to start your children talking about their feelings.

This book is beautifully illustrated.

Thank you to Netgalley and Future Horizons for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was an informational picture book about a sibling and her brother on the autism spectrum. The true-to-life examples of some persons on the spectrum like incidents with sensory issues were covered from the young girl’s point of view and what a parent told her. I did wish for a small, underlying story and more about her range of feelings. A colorful introduction for young children, which hopefully could lead to discussions with parents and other caregivers.