Books About Disabilities and Neurodivergence

Check out these books if you're looking for a way to help talk to your child about disabilities and neurodivergence.

Updated June 20, 2024
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What happened to you?
Catchpole, James
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor book! This accessible, funny, and groundbreaking story addresses the questions children often ask, as well as a disabled child's choice not to answer. What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar?...
A sky-blue bench
Rahman, Bahram
Paper Book
It's Afghan schoolgirl Aria's first day back at school since her accident. She's excited, but she's also worried about sitting on the hard floor all day with her new prosthetic "helper-leg." Just as Aria feared, sitting on the floor is so uncomfortable that she can't think about learning...
The mermaid with no tail
Long, Jessica Tatiana
Paper Book
Paralympic champion swimmer and gold medalist Jessica Long celebrates the importance of dreaming big and the power of being different in The Mermaid with No Tail. As a baby, Jessica was adopted from a Russian orphanage. Her legs were amputated below the knee when she was 18 months old....
Best day ever!
Singer, Marilyn
Paper Book
A sweet dog-loves-kid/kid-loves-dog story, in which the kid uses a wheelchair, from an award-winning children's poet and talented debut illustrator. This playful puppy thinks she's having the best day ever! She's so happy to be out with her friend, she doesn...
Nope. Never. Not for me!
Cotterill, Samantha
Paper Book
This deceptively simple story guides sensitive kids through trying a new food, with support and encouragement aplenty. Children are often picky eaters, but for kids on the autism spectrum or with sensory issues, trying new foods can be especially challenging. In Nope! Never!...
My whirling, twirling motor
Saunders, Merriam Sarcia
Paper Book
A Warm, Empowering Story About High Energy, Big Feelings, and Celebrating What Makes Kids Unique This engaging picture book follows Charlie, a young boy who feels like he has a "whirling, twirling motor" inside him every day, making it hard to sit still, slow down, or stay focused even...

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