2026 Book of the Year
Trevor the Noteable G.O.A.T. by Martha Summa-Chadwick
Crissy Renner
Of the thousands of quotes about books, the one that best describes Helen’s inaugural “Book of the Year”
The editorial staff of Helen is delighted to announce that it has selected “Trevor the Noteable G.O.A.T.” as its 2026 Book of the Year. We have chosen this book because we believe it has the greatest potential to create broad impact for the disability community.
The selection committee deems that the book distinguishes itself in the following ways:
The book’s protagonist, a fifth-grade boy named Trevor, soundly represents a member of the autism community. His eccentric mannerisms, varied talents, physical and emotional challenges, and how he is responded to by his peers, are all spot-on representations of a high-functioning autistic boy. Trevor’s autism affects some of his basic motor movements, his self-expression, and his executive functioning capabilities, such as attention focus. He is also one of the smallest percentage of people with autism who have savant abilities.
When Trevor experiences the power of music for both enjoyment and therapy, his life is dramatically changed in a very positive manner. Research has confirmed that music reaches both hemispheres of the brain and can play an essential role in brain development by encouraging the formation of brand-new neural networks. A gifted teacher or therapist like Trevor’s can use music to help people with autism or other intellectual/developmental disabilities who have motor, speech, or cognition challenges.
The story has been written to be inclusive of all ages and levels of interest. The young reader will undoubtedly enjoy the entertaining and thought-provoking middle-grade narrative presented. Others who read Trevor’s story will benefit from its message as well. Teachers, counselors, musicians, parents whose marriage has been stressed through constant daily decisions regarding a neurodiverse family member, caregivers, neurotypical classmates, siblings of neurodiverse family members, and many others will appreciate Trevor’s story of finding the dogged determination to succeed when self-acceptance, sympathetic guidance, and understanding from others are realized.
Trevor’s story is not just a stand-alone book; in addition, a unique website (https://trevorthenoteablegoat.com/) associated with it is constantly evolving. Online digital information contains original music, interactive activities for children, and resources about music and music therapy for parents, educators, and caregivers. To the best of our knowledge here at Helen, this is the first such book to be multidimensional in this manner.
If ever there was a book that could be described as a “living book,” this is the one. Readers who learn Trevor’s story in the book can also visit the website, where they are invited to think about, explore, and act on a variety of dynamic scenarios and opportunities. Activities and learning on the site are divided between fun activities for kids and learning and information for adults.
The take-home messages that the book provides are consistently positive. The book and the website both encourage the reader to be an interactive agent for further exploration. This allows young readers to think about such things as-- how do they feel about Trevor? Do they see themselves as friends of Trevor? Do they see themselves as Trevor? How would Trevor respond if he were placed in a new school? How would he feel about not being picked for the class play? These are all situations faced daily by both neurotypical and neurodiverse children, who have to balance how they interact with their peers while they receive their education. Readers, whether they are on the spectrum or not, can use the lessons from Trevor when they find themselves amid learning difficulties, ridicule, teasing, and sensory issues. This feature also lends itself to the formation of a future “Trevor community” of people interested in the potential of these discussions in a social network.
Trevor’s story can immediately contribute to the recent re-emphasis in many circles on reading to children at night. We feel that the ‘bedtime story’ can become even more important to children with disabilities. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.Org, Save the Children, and UNICEF all promote talking points on their websites, discussing the benefits of reading to children before they go to bed. Here at Helen, we have already received feedback from parents of children with autism who have shared the Trevor story with their children by reading aloud one chapter a night. The response to date has been overwhelmingly positive.
The book’s author holds unique qualifications for writing this story. Martha Summa-Chadwick, DMA, has a professional background as both a concert pianist and former IT specialist. Her intimate knowledge of music and autism, gained through years of teaching children on the spectrum, is evident throughout Trevor’s story. Dr. Summa-Chadwick is not only the author of the book, but also its illustrator, composer of original music for the story, and designer and creator of the Trevor website.
All the above reasons contribute to our decision to create a new tradition in declaring “Trevor the Noteable G.O.A.T.” as our first book of the year!
About the Author
Crissy Renner holds a degree as a National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA). She is currently working at the Orange Grove Center in the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center with Dr. Rick Rader as his Administrative Assistant. While at her position at Orange Grove, she has accomplished becoming the Special Olympics Coordinator, a Dementia trainer, Managing Editor of HELEN, and the Executive Assistant to Project D.I.M.E. During her time working for Orange Grove Center, she has grown in many areas and has become an integral part of Project D.I.M.E., and at Orange Grove with the inner workings of many important projects.