Finding My Voice

Frankie is worried about starting secondary school. She only knows two friends there, and they’re in different classes. She wants to be cool, and she doesn’t want to tell anyone that she’s autistic. Then the head teacher reads out the rules in the first assembly and his favourite is ‘No talking’. That’s one of Frankie’s best things! How will she make friends if she can’t talk?

Luckily, Frankie also enjoys playing music, and there’s a Battle of the Bands competition coming up. If she can join Mo and Lisa’s band, then maybe she might make new friends while doing something she loves? But then the bully from Frankie’s previous school, Nadine, joins the school. Will she make Frankie feel bad again, or can Frankie find her voice and stand out?

This is a funny, positive book to read before starting senior school. The overall theme is to just be yourself, even if you’re different, and Frankie and her friends are supportive of and kind to each other. Like Frankie’s World, this is a graphic novel with humour and heart. It is a sequel, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. The creator is autistic herself and it’s based on her experiences. Honest and funny, this will engage upper primary readers and prompt discussions around empathy.