No One Needed to Know

By: D. G. Driver

Narrated by: Allie James

Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Heidi's brother, Donald, is 16 and autistic. She has always loved playing with him, but now she's 11 and her life is changing. She's embarrassed to have her brother around and doesn't want her friends to know about him. High school boys bully him. When the kids at her school find out about him, she gets bullied too. It's not fair. No one seems to understand. But Heidi needs to understand too. She can't change her brother, but she can change how she feels about him, and she can get people to see why her brother is special.

A perfect book for people who enjoyed the best-selling children's novel Wonder by R. J. Palacio or the Newberry Honor Award winning novel Rules by Cynthia Lord.

Winner! of the 2017 Literary Classics Awards Seal of Approval
Winner! 2017 Literary Classics Awards - Silver Medal for Preteen Fiction
Winner! 2017 Purple Dragonfly Children's Book Awards (Honorable Mention for Special Needs Awareness category)

©2017 Donna G Driver (P)2018 Donna G Driver

Great book on tolerance

This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another. I think this story was well done. It seems to me a very realistic series of events and behavior by these kids. I like the solution Heidi comes up with to try to bring a bit more tolerance and empathy to her classmates and herself.

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator and I would listen to another. Her reading is expressive, yet she does not have overly distinct voices for each character. This was not really an issue but noticeable.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.

A sweet and touching story.

A condition that is very widespread in America and across the World is handled with sensitivity by the Author.

A good performance by the Narrator makes this an important Book for people of all ages.


This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Great Listen!!!

No One Needed to Know
: D. G. Driver

This is an excellent book that takes the listener inside the relationship of a "normal" eleven year old girl and her "high functioning autistic" brother. Heidi is growing up and beginning to really notice her brother's uniqueness. When other kids bully Donald and make fun of her, she is torn between her love for Donald and wanting a normal life. This gives the listener a chance to see how others live. A very good listen with life lessons!



The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed by Allie James.



I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Powerful unfolding of what we all Need to Know

Allie James authentically voices these characters and presents the appropriate angst for the young hero, her friends (and enemies) and her brother. D.G. Driver presents a powerful message of discovery, Heidi's discovery that impacts her whole circle of friends. Transformation ensues. Amazing that it's couched in this 2hr 40min tale.
I would prefer the narrator have slowed down quite a bit. I felt like she was racing through the story. I wanted some dramatic pauses, even space between speeches and paragraphs to allow the emotions and events to sink into my awareness before I turned to view the next scene.