Neurodiversity Booklist

Recommended reads for children and teens

Updated May 8, 2024
W
Winnipeg Public Library
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Thunder and the noise storms
Ansloos, Jeffrey Paul
Paper Book
A Nov/Dec Loan Stars Jr Top Ten Pick 2021! A Blue Spruce Award nominee 2021! When the world gets too loud and chaotic, a young boy's grandfather helps him listen with wonder instead.    Kids laughing, sneakers squeaking, balls bouncing--for Thunder, the sounds...
Also available as an eBook.
Different : a great thing to be!
Avis, Heather
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . This joyful rhyming book encourages children to value the "different" in all people, leading the way to a kinder world in which the differences in all of us are celebrated and embraced. Macy is a girl who's a lot like you and me, but she's also...
Aaron Slater, illustrator
Beaty, Andrea
Paper Book
Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can't...
The dancing letters
Fournier, Evelyne
Paper Book
An endearing family story about love and dyslexia Olivia is a little girl full of life and imagination. But when her grandmother asks her to write a story for her birthday, Olivia feels a little unsure. Because when it comes to writing, things never go as she intended. Words thumb their...
Canadian author.
I am odd, I am new
Giroux, Benjamin
Paper Book
"I am odd, I am new. I wonder if you are too. I hear voices in the air. I see you don't, and that's not fair." Step into the world of Benjamin Giroux, a 10-year-old boy with autism, as he invites readers to see life from his perspective. In this picture book, Benjamin's poem, which he...
A day with no words
Hammond, Tiffany
Paper Book
An instant #1 New York Times bestselling picture book and Dolly Gray Award winner! A Day With No Words invites readers into the life of an Autism Family who communicates just as the child does, without spoken language. The American Library Association Booklist...
Charlie makes a splash!
Peete, Holly Robinson
Paper Book
The award-winning team who brought us MY BROTHER CHARLIE present a companion book that celebrates the power of water for those who have autism. Like many kids on the autism spectrum, Charlie finds solace and empowerment in pools, ponds, sprinklers, visiting the aquarium, and swimming in...
Comme Tu Es!: Un Livre Sur L'inclusion
O'Hair, Margaret
Paper Book
See below for English description. C'est parfois difficile d'etre different, que ce soit a cause de son physique, de l'endroit ou l'on vit ou de ce que l'on peut faire ou non. Mais est-ce que ce ne serait pas ennuyeux si nous etions tous pareils? Etre different, c'est super! C'est...
Malik's number thoughts : a story about OCD
Rompella, Natalie
Paper Book
A determined boy learns to manage his OCD. Malik's obsessive-compulsive disorder means his brain wants him to do everything on the count of four. When he's invited to a minigolf birthday party, Malik is excited. But he worries about his Number Thoughts. If he has to take four...
Ma maison-tête
Vigg
Paper Book
Figure it out, Henri Weldon
Davis, Tanita S.
Paper Book
Tanita S. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says, has written another funny, warm story featuring middle school and family life--all about the complex calculations it takes for everyone to balance the equations of their lives and what it takes to be part of a team while...
I am a masterpiece! : an empowering story about inclusivity and growing up with Down Syndrome
Armstrong, Mia
Paper Book
Tween actress Mia Armstrong celebrates her fun, funny, beautiful childhood living with Down syndrome in this debut picture book. Mia likes many of the things other people like--going to the beach, the color blue, drawing. But she doesn't like when strangers stare at her because...
Bitsy bat, school star
Windness, Kaz
Paper Book
Three starred reviews! A little bat struggles to fit in only to learn to celebrate differences in this "darling book for all children but especially those with autism" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Kaz...
The unstoppable Jamie
Givens, Joy
Paper Book
Inspired by the author's son, the story of a boy with Down syndrome who goes on a superhero's journey to New York City and learns what truly makes him unstoppable. Jamie likes to pretend he's a superhero. With his cape and gadgets, he feels like he can face anything. When his...
Good different
Kuyatt, Meg Eden
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book An extraordinary novel-in-verse for fans of Starfish and A Kind of Spark about a neurodivergent girl who comes to understand and celebrate her difference. Selah knows her rules for being normal. She always, always...
Also available as an eBook.
The u-nique Lou Fox
Carmichael, Jodi
Paper Book
Award-winning author Jodi Carmichael, who has ADHD herself, affirms and celebrates those who struggle with their uniqueness and triumphantly discover its gifts It isn't easy being Louisa Elizabeth Fitzhenry-O'Shaughnessy--especially with dyslexia. She prefers Lou Fox, the dream name she'll...

Also available as an eBook.

Canadian author.

Fifty-Four Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers
Carter, Caela
Paper Book
From the critically acclaimed author of the ALA Notable and Charlotte Huck Honor Book Forever, or a Long, Long Time comes a moving own-voices story that shines a light on how one girl's learning differences are neither right nor wrong...just perfectly individual. For fans of Alyson Gerber,...
Lost inside my head
Vigg
Paper Book
★"A celebration of hope, resilience, and the power of ­self-acceptance that will resonate with readers of all ages...A work that depicts ­vividly what the mind of a person with ADHD experiences...Highly recommended." -- School Library Journal How is Vincent supposed to focus...
Honestly Elliott
McDunn, Gillian
Paper Book
Schneider Family Book Award: Best Middle Grade Honor Book! Highly-acclaimed author of Caterpillar Summer, Gillian McDunn explores boyhood in a funny, big-hearted story about a kid trying to find the best way to be his best self. ...
Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen
McGovern, Kate
Paper Book
Maple is in fifth grade--again. Now everyone will find out she struggles with reading--or will they? An engaging read for anyone who has ever felt different. Maple Mehta-Cohen has been keeping a secret: she can't read all that well. She has an impressive vocabulary and loves...
Growing pangs
Ormsbee, Kathryn
Paper Book
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR . A PARENTS MAGAZINE BEST BOOK Inspired by a true story! Eleven-year old homeschooled Katie has always felt different . . . and now she can't stop worrying. Introducing an irresistibly relatable graphic novel about friendship, anxiety...
Also available as an eBook.
Jude saves the world
Riley, Ronnie
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Alex Gino, A. J. Sass, and Kyle Lukoff this is the joyful and heartwarming story of Jude, a nonbinary kid who knows exactly who they are and decides to create a safe space in their community from Indies Introduce and Indie Next List pick author, Ronnie Riley. ...
Canadian author.
Buzzing
Sattin, Samuel
Paper Book
2024 Eisner-Nominated for Best Publication for Kids * A 2024 ALA Notable Children's Book * New York Public Library Best Book of 2023  ★ "Heartwarming [and] authentic" --Shelf Awareness, starred review
Also available as an eBook.
At the Speed of Gus
Scrimger, Richard
Paper Book
A smartly funny and sympathetic story about being different and finding your way. Meet the compelling, charismatic 13-year-old Augustus Constantine, a boy whose mind (and mouth) operate at a different speed than the rest of society. Gus has ADHD, and he's on medication to help him focus....

Also available as an eBook.

Canadian author.

My Friend Julia: A Sesame Street ® Book about Autism
Cook, Jennifer
Paper Book
Meet Julia! Julia is an autistic girl who loves art and her family. Join Elmo, Abby, and the rest of the Sesame Street crew as they introduce Julia and all the things that make her special.
Just roll with it
Durfey-Lavoie, Lee
Paper Book
Starting middle school is hard enough when you don't know anyone; it's even harder when you're shy. A contemporary middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Guts and Real Friendsabout how dealing with anxiety and OCD can affect everyday life. As long as Maggie rolls...
The autistic guide to adventure : active pursuits from archery to wild swimming for tweens and teens
Mason, Allie
Paper Book
It's time for a new generation of autistic adventurers! Outdoor adventuring can be life changing - it makes you physically and mentally stronger, takes you to new places and introduces you to new friends, as well as being an exhilarating challenge - but it can be stressful...
Rebel Girls celebrate neurodiversity : 25 tales of creative thinkers
Mallory, Shadae
Paper Book
TRUE STORIES OF NEURODIVERGENT ICONS This collection features 25 inspiring tales of neurodivergent artists, athletes, innovators, and more. Read about how these women and girls thought creatively, achieved their dreams, and advocated for the rights of neurodivergent people...
La dyslexie-dysorthographie : album éducatif pour comprendre et mieux vivre la différence
Tremblay, Marianne
Paper Book
Wonderfully wired brains
Gooding, Louise
Paper Book
An informative and inclusive children's guide to neurodiversity for those not in the know and to inspire children who are neurodivergent. Our brains are unique in the way they function, work, and think. Neurodiversity is still a relatively 'new' concept that can be tricky to...
My brain needs glasses : ADHD explained to kids
Vincent, Annick
Paper Book
I'll tell you a secret about me: ever since I was little, I've had a tendency to get "spaced out." My ideas jump around like popcorn. It 's hard to keep my concentration when my thoughts a re banging a round in my head like bumper cars... Tom is eight years old and coping with...
Something more
Khalilieh, Jackie
Paper Book
Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical...

Also available as an eBook.

Canadian author.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club
Reyes, Sonora
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of the National Book Award Finalist The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School comes a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing. An ideal next read for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson. Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic...
This is the way the world ends : a novel
Wilde, Jen
Paper Book
Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Hazel Wood are cordially invited to spend one fateful night surviving an elite private school's epic masquerade ball in Jen Wilde's debut thriller, This Is the Way the World Ends. As an autistic scholarship student at the...
I got you babe
Coccia, Paul
Paper Book
This year's fun fair will have a Pride Carnival theme and twelve-year-old Mac couldn't be more excited. Mac convinces his best friend, Amy, to do a Sonny and Cher drag number. He has their outfits all planned out, right down to the bellbottoms and fur vests. And he wants their performance...

Hi-Lo Fiction.

Canadian author.

Racing hearts
Di Lorenzo, Melinda
Paper Book
To honor the death of her best friend, teen Sienna signs up to do a triathlon and finds a connection with an unexpected training partner in this body-positive romance exploring first love, grief, perseverance and trusting in yourself. Five months ago, Sienna Shoring lost her best friend,...

Hi-Lo Fiction.

Canadian author.

Below the surface
Finley, Allison
Paper Book
A thirteen-year-old boy finds a pocket watch linked to a local legend about a lost treasure. Theo is happy spending his summer searching the river for treasure. Even if he mostly just finds empty cans and fishing lures. But when he discovers a pocket watch in the waters beneath a bridge...

Hi-Lo Fiction.

Canadian author.

He who dreams
Florence, Melanie
Paper Book
Juggling soccer, school, friends and family leaves John with little time for anything else. But one day at the local community center, following the sound of drums, he stumbles into an Indigenous dance class. Before he knows what's happening, John finds himself stumbling through beginner classes...

Hi-Lo Fiction.

Also available as an eBook and in DAISY format.

Canadian author.

Dropped!
Kuipers, Alice
Paper Book
Dex is dropped onto a deserted tropical island to be a player in a social media competition. Dex is one of six contestants on Dropped!, an internet reality show. He's glad to escape his real life after being dumped by his girlfriend, Lola, and destroying his social life. He and the other...

Hi-Lo Fiction.

Canadian author.

The crosswood
Prendergast, Gabrielle
Paper Book
In the first book of the Faerie Woods series, Blue must find his way into the magical forest known as the Crosswood and through the dangerous Faerie lands beyond it. Fourteen-year-old Blue Jasper takes his younger siblings, twins Indigo and Violet, out for a hike to give their mother a...

Hi-Lo Fiction.

Also available as an eBook.

Canadian author.


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