Oh Brother

So much is changing in Gina’s life. Her family is moving, she’s about to start high school, and her brother Rob just clambered out his playroom window and raided the new neighbour’s fridge!

This coming-of-age memoir explores the lived experience of being a sibling of someone with high support needs. As a nonverbal autistic boy with an intellectual disability, Rob doesn’t communicate his thoughts and feelings like most people do. Despite the complications that come with that, the Chadderton family has never failed to show each other kindness and love.

But as Gina begins to navigate high school, she wonders whether Rob’s antics might scare off her new friend, Callie. Then again, maybe Gina’s own anxieties are enough to drive Callie away!

Compassionate, informative, and emotionally nuanced, Oh Brother is a heartfelt story about the good days and bad days that come with growing up with someone who will always need substantial support. It’s about friendship, family, disability, and the power of Vegemite toast.