“Autism has many faces and 'ARTism' is surely one of them. Judy Endow captures the fluid world of the autistic person with 'artism,' so naturally compelled by a world of pattern, theme and feel. This natural alternative 'normality' is one of the most misunderstood 'functionally non-verbal' worlds of cognitively different people. Judy playfully addresses her audience through a middle world where the language of 'artism' in those with autism can borrow the interpretive words of the mainstream world to build bridges and entice and invite them to respectfully do likewise.”

—Donna Williams, bestselling author of Nobody Nowhere and Autism and Sensing: The Unlost Instinct.

“Throughout human history the really important stuff of life has not found its place in prose, in ordinary discourse. Art and music and poetry have helped bridge the gap. Yet, people who live with significant differences have seldom been allowed to sing their song or share their art except in a limited space called 'special' meaning 'other.' Judy Endow has given us a book from her heart and from her experience that is truly extraordinary. Her beautiful poetry lets us join her in her unique life journey and wonder from whence she drew the strength and the courage to keep from letting her autism define her and her life. And with her words she offers a way to redefine autism and those who have been burdened with labels and places of otherness to see them as one with us. Read this book. It's wonderful.”

—Anne M. Donnellan, Professor, School of Leadership and Education Sciences, University of San Diego, and Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“This collection is a beautiful and complex expression of what it is to know autism from the inside out. These poems are more than moving, they are instructive and teach much about how to support, listen, and appreciate. Making Lemonade will help families, educators, and others who support people with this label understand the challenges, difficulties, wonder, and uniqueness that is autism.”

—Paula Kluth, Ph.D., author of "You're Going to Love This Kid!": Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom.

"Those of us who have become helpers to people with autism enjoy books written by persons with autism on the experience of autism. Through our own experience and reading we slowly come to understand some of the aspects of living with autism. In the process we begin to understand not only our friends with autism but ourselves better, our individual learning styles, abilities and challenges. Some of us learn more easily from detailed instruction, some from relevant experiences, some from anecdotes, and some of us learn from experience we gain with art forms such as poetry. Dr. Nicolas Anastasiow, in addressing the 1985 National Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs in Denver, Colorado, stated, "The artist trusts his or her inductive reasoning and intuitively arrives at insights in a way researchers tend to shy away from." The artist in all of us will gain great insight from Judy Endow's book, Making Lemonade.

"Making Lemonade combines a storytelling style with the elements of poetry to give us an experience of autism. Judy describes the challenges she lives with as 'lemons' and proceeds to make lemonade for us. I have not seen a book on autism in this style that concentrates a lifetime of experiences into poetry. Each poem invites us to focus on one of Judy's lemons. By choosing her words simply and sparingly, she trusts us to fill in the spaces with our own experience and knowledge arriving at insights intuitively as Dr. Anastasiow suggested over 20 years ago.

"Sometimes when I pick up a book, I skip or skim the introduction. The introduction to Making Lemonade is not to be skipped. It holds truths about autism and gives us a mind-set for all the works that follow. Judy tells us in her introduction that she has autism and this autism has given her a lot of lemons in her life. She tells us she chooses to learn to make lemonade and then she makes a request: Judy requests that we not simply understand, but help her learn how. I am humbled by her request.

"I would like to tell you about one or two of my favorite poems in Judy's book, but the truth is that I have different favorite poems for how I feel on different days. 'Getting Squished' helps put words to the feelings that Judy and others such as Temple Grandin have expressed. At one level I can understand that a squeeze machine may feel very good. However, through Judy's words I now have a deeper understanding of why this may be so. To have one's 'insides leak out and the world seep in' would be a surreal and scary phenomena.

"I also enjoy reading and re-reading 'Take What?' This poem makes me laugh at our language and the meaning our culture makes of words we use. When you are saying goodbye to someone and you ask them to 'take care,' what is it that you ask them to take? If this was said to you, what would you take?

"In another poem, Judy tells us about going to a certain place she calls 'the town of Ultimate Inside Frustration.' I am sure we've all been there at least a few times. Have you drawn a map to get out? Judy has. I do not have such a map although I hope I may have helped my friends with autism draw maps for themselves and I hope I may have helped others as they learn to make lemonade.

"Today I wish I had a map. It is raining outside; I didn't sleep well; I'm late making dinner. I'm feeling muddled and I am thirsty. However, I think there is a glass of lemonade waiting for me in the refrigerator and I believe it is just what I need.

"You can order your copy of Making Lemonade by Judy Endow with illustrations by Ben Averill online at the Making Lemonade Store, makinglemonadestore.com. The website has information about workshops and speaking engagements including Judy's keynote address on Saturday, May 12, 2007 at the Kalahari resort. Making Lemonade is not a book of recipes on how to make lemonade from the lemons of autism, but it is a book that will help you understand the ingrediants."

—Eileen L. Ziesler, M.A., Editor, Autism Society of Wisconsin Newsletter, Spring 2006.