Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo (mar-SEL-o) is about to start the summer before his senior year of high school. He's got a summer job lined up to help take care of the horses at the school stables, and he can't wait to get started. His father, on the other hand, has different plans. He wants Marcelo to get outside of his comfort zone, and get some experience in the real world. Marcelo has Asperger's Syndrome, which is a psychological condition similar to autism. He has trouble understanding non-verbal cues, figures of speech, nonliteral speech, jokes, sarcasm ... he lacks understanding of some elements of basic social interaction. He attends a school for special needs children where his unique understanding isn't seen as "stupid" or "retarded." Marcelo doesn't want to go and work at his dad's law office. He knows that other people misunderstand him, and treat him differently. He would rather be around people who he is comfortable with, and who understand without judging him.

But his dad is insistent. If he successfully works at the law office over the summer, Marcelo can choose where he wants to go to school in the fall. If not, his father is sending him to public school for his senior year. Marcelo agrees reluctantly, and begins his summer in the mail room. It is clear from her "I don't like you" speech his first day that his immediate superior, Jasmine, is far from thrilled about his presence. She had wanted to hire someone else, and got Marcelo instead. As the days go by, she starts to warm to him. Although she knows that someone else would be faster, she also recognizes his high standards and precision.

Explaining his condition to her, he talks about his pervasive interest in religion. It is a common characteristic for people who are diagnosed with Asperger's and in the Autism spectrum. "It's an interest that the person chooses to think about because he gets pleasure and even joy from doing it. It absorbs the attention of the AS person to the exclusion of other interests because it is more important and more fun than other interests," (Stork pg. 57, 2009). He studies Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and others.

Arturo's partner also has a son who is working at the law firm. Wendell is attending law school, and plans to follow in his father's footsteps ... but law office lackey isn't really what he had in mind for the summer. Wendell recruits Marcelo's help with the proposal of a deal. He will help Wendell, and in exchange, Wendell will make sure that Marcelo's father sees his summer at the law firm as a success. All Wendell wants in return is Marcelo's help in securing a date with Jasmine.

The more time goes on, the more Marcelo is convinced that Wendell's intentions are far from admirable. In helping Wendell with a pending lawsuit, he comes across a picture of a girl in the "trash" pile. Her face is disfigured, most likely as a result of a Vidrokmak windshield. Vidromak makes windshields that are supposed to break into tiny pieces upon impact, rendering them safe for passengers, and Arturo's practice is defending them. This picture touches a part of Marcelo in a way he cannot explain. He is compelled to help her, in whatever small way he can. He enlists Jasmine's help, and they set about trying to find more information. Suddenly, Marcelo is faced with a moral dilemna. If his father knew about this girl, has he done anything to aid her, or is he bound to do what is best for Vidromak's bottom line? Can Marcelo proceed in his course of action without betraying either his father or himself? This is the kind of real world question that Marcelo has never encountered before. Is this something Marcelo can handle?

Stork does a masterful job of bringing you into the world of Marcelo with speech patterns, and inner monologues. You begin to see the world as perhaps Marcelo does, and recognize that different doesn't mean wrong or stupid. This is the kind of book more of our kids need to be reading in order to teach tolerance and understanding. There are all kinds of people that make up a world, and the ones who are different can be the most beautiful. This book won the Schneider Family Book Award for embodying the artistic expression of the disability experience for adolescent audiences.

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork
Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena

Stork, Francisco X. (2009). Marcelo in the Real World. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.