To be most effective, writers are often told to “write what you know.” That’s a bit of advice that 17-year-old Andrew Brundidge has taken to heart.
The Minnesota teen tapped his authentic experience as a big brother to write about siblings with autism—and dancing. In Andrew Does his Dance, the first-time teen author tells his own story drawn from his experience in his family.
Andrew traveled from his home in Minnesota to an elementary school in Harlem to wow a group of students by reading his new picture book to them, then breaking out his best dance moves.
His visit to PS 133 in Harlem brought him into a classroom with students enrolled in the school’s Horizon program; it integrates students with autism with peers who are not on the spectrum.
“I love coming out working with the youth. It’s great to see well developing kids with autism and quote-unquote normal children mixing together and having a great time learning the same things,” said Andrew.
The eldest of the four Brundidge children, Andrew’s younger sister and two younger brothers have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Andrew Does His Dance shows the big brother’s tenderness and good deeds on behalf of his siblings, often carried out while he’s moving and grooving.
When a video of him dancing while shoveling show goes viral, Andrew is recognized for being special, in a way that’s entirely different from his siblings.
With a limited number of children’s books written about families of color and even fewer featuring children on the autism spectrum, Andrew Does his Dance struck a chord with its relevance and representation.
“To have Andrew here and read this book was great for our scholars to see. They are able to know that their siblings who do not have autism love and care for them,” said PS 133 school principal Ellman Schwanna.
Accompanying Andrew on his visit to the school was his mom Sheletta,
herself the author of three picture books based on the real life experiences of her three children on the spectrum.
“We got so busy with the other kids that we forgot to tell Andrew how much we see him and how much we appreciate his hard work,” Sheletta told the students. “I said, son, you should have a book too but you should write this one, not me.”
After Andrew read his book aloud to the class, the mother and son led the students in an empowering writing exercise.
“Everyone has a book inside themselves,” Sheletta said. “Think of a story about yourself that you want the world to know. Let’s work on it! Draw it and write it, do your cover right now.”
That encouragement was appreciated by the educators who invited the Brundidges to the school.
“It was magnificent for them to get an opportunity to see Andrew and to do some writing and tell their own stories. It’s inspiring them to understand that reading and writing go hand in hand,” said Sean Davenport, superintendent of the Harlem Community School District. “That promotes that they can do anything that anyone else can do.”
While the dancing teen author from Minnesota left an impression on the students, they will have a tangible way to remember his visit. The Brundidges donated dozens of copies of “Andrew Does his Dance” for the classrooms and school library for students who want to re-read the story and see themselves in it.