Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Inspiring biography of brave woman with autism.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
SHE PERSISTED: TEMPLE GRANDIN tells the life story of a woman born with autism who became an accomplished scientist, public speaker, and animal behavior expert. Though she was born at a time when people with autism were sent to live in institutions, Temple's parents kept her at home when she was young, hired people to teach her at her own pace, and sent her to local schools. That set her on a path to inventing things that help improve the lives of animals, which opened up a world where she could put her talents to use helping others understand both autism and animals. Even when people told her she didn't belong or couldn't do the work, she persisted and proved them wrong.
Is It Any Good?
This inspiring biography is a nice reminder that everyone has different gifts and talents, and that success doesn't depend on fitting into other people's expectations of "normal." She Persisted: Temple Grandin shows how Temple succeeded in ways that defied society's expectations. Temple's work with animals and in education gave her opportunities, and she doesn't shy away from acknowledging that it was hard and sometimes scary to take risks. Author Lyn Miller-Lachmann does a wonderful job showing the ways Temple and the people in her life persisted, especially when she decided to go public with her autism diagnosis.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they can do to help people whose brains work differently, like the teachers and parents did in She Persisted: Temple Grandin. What are some of the things you can do to be sure their gifts and talents aren't wasted?
How can a community help everyone feel welcome and valued?
Have you thought about things you could invent? What problems would you like to solve?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrators : Alexandra Boiger , Gillian Flint
- Genre : Biography
- Topics : Activism , STEM , History , Animals
- Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Perseverance
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Philomel
- Publication date : April 5, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 9
- Number of pages : 80
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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