Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World

I am beginning to love biographies!  Something, I am surprised that I’ll admit.  I think part of the reason is because there are so many talented authors writing biographies and creating them in such a way that makes them interesting to read and exciting to learn about.  Sid Fleischman’s Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini is one such great biography as is Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World written by Sy Montgomery.

Many people may be familiar with Temple Grandin’s name after the HBO movie starring Clare Danes came out in 2010 called Temple Grandin.  If you are unfamiliar with her name, definitely read this book and do some more research.  Grandin was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum Disorder as a young child, but that didn’t stop her from earning her Doctorate degree.

She thinks visually in pictures, like animals do which makes her a perfect advocate for the animals she works with.  Temple Grandin has revolutionized the livestock industry ensuring that cattle are handled in cruelty-free facilities that she herself has designed.  She can connect with animals in a way very few of us can, and has used her expertise to give animals a voice.

This biography is geared toward a younger audience, but Temple Grandin has written a book titled Thinking in Pictures: and Other Reports of My Life with Autism.  This is a fascinating biography about a woman whose father never thought she’d amount to anything but has proven him and others throughout her life wrong by leading a life rich and full of meaning – and that’s what matters to her.  You can check out her website with great information about her life and about living with autism.

A quick mention about Sy Montgomery: he has written a number of non-fiction books for children that are a high-caliber.  A few of the titles include: The Tarantula Scientist, Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot, and Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea.  Check out his website here.

Title: Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World
Author: Sy Montgomery
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Page Number: 148 pgs.