The Friendship Puzzle





	What a beautifully written and inspiring read for all ages. So many children have difficulty understanding other kids who are different, and all too often jump to wrong conclusions and keep their distance. This touching story is one that will open the door to new relationships. I will certainly be recommending this wonderful resource to patients, colleagues, and friends!
	Dr. Sherri Abraham, Clinical Psychologist

	As the father of a child with autism, I've seen first hand the misunderstanding that children with autism face. That's why it's so important that Jenny is sharing her family's story with the world. This book (The Friendship Puzzle) is giving children with autism spectrum disorders a voice, and helping others understand that these children have so much potential.
	Dr. Paul Law, Director of the IAN Project, www.IANproject.org


	As a teacher, I have been searching for a book like this for a long time. Written from a unique point of view, this story is a perfect tool to use with the “general education” classroom. One of my goals as a special education teacher is to encourage interaction between my students and other students in the school. The Friendship Puzzle is a fun and simple way to educate teachers, children, and parents alike about autism.
	Joanne Davis, Special Education Teacher

	I love this book and it is an excellent resource for teachers, caregivers, parents, and children of all ages. It is a book I plan on sharing with other children to give them a better understanding of how everyone is different and unique in their own way. If everyone comes together, we will have a more understanding and loving future! Thank you for sharing such an amazing book to help the future generation.
	Christine Boone, Special Educator

	The Friendship Puzzle is a wonderful book for children of all ages. This book encourages children to learn about each other and to embrace diversity and our differences. The Friendship Puzzle is a must read for every classroom.
	Erica Solliday, Teacher

	The Friendship Puzzle is such a fitting title for the wonderful children’s' book I’ve just enjoyed. If anything is, indeed, a puzzle, it is friendship and community. We are all very differently shaped pieces that we must figure out how to fit together to make an understandable and satisfying picture. The skills to do so are often forgotten by adults—eroded over time by learned prejudices or lost in the odd safety of ignorance. Children are so much more blessed in that their openness and desire to learn and to understand their world and each other is almost always fresh and unspoiled. That innocent and priceless quality makes a book like The Friendship Puzzle a splendid tool for teaching children hot to better understand, accept, and include other children challenged with autism. The story is intuitive, and it effectively presents autism less as an intimidating enigma and instead, as a more easily perceived difference that can be overcome with kindness and friendship. Parents and teachers should all include this book among the reading materials for their children and students. They should also read it with them to share in the learning experience provided by the story and by the thoughtful questions and suggested activities at its end. By learning how to more understandably fit those with autism into life’s friendship puzzle, we can all enjoy a richer, more beautiful picture coming together.
	Andrew Kelly, President, New Age Enterprises, Former Teacher


	My greatest wish as a special needs mom is that my son Justin feels included. The Friendship Puzzle starts a dialogue, takes away fear and uncertainty, providing typical children the tools they need to reach out to a special needs child. The gift of friendship, unconditional love and acceptance is one given from one heart to another. My son’s heart is open, ready, and waiting for the Mackenzie’s of this world.
	Lisa Gwyn Paar, Mom

	Great story and message. What a great tool for teaching young children about autism. This should be the first book in a series! The books to follow should have more ideas/ways to reach out to children with autism. Excellent!
	Jennifer Berkau, Special Educator and Mom

	Hats off to Julie Coe and "The Friendship Puzzle"! The book is a terrific way to introduce autism to children and provides parents and educators with teaching tools to initiate a discussion on the subject. As a parent of an autistic child, I highly recommend the book as it shows that we all are the same inside but express ourselves differently.
	Lili P. Weingarten, Parent

	As the father of two boys with Autism, my dream for their future is for everyone to get a chance to see Dominic and Dylans amazing personalities. It is books like this, that will help typical children learn to accept and welcome their not so typical classmates.
	Paul Maloni, Parent


	The Friendship Puzzle has given me a way to introduce autism to children and teachers who are not familiar with the population. The ideas provided are wonderful and give many opportunities to allow children to show love and acceptance to those who are different then themselves.
	Danielle Bailey, SLP