Children's Books About the Autism Spectrum (Juvenile Fiction/Juvenile Nonfiction)

These are just a sample of recommended Juvenile fiction and Juvenile nonfiction on the topic of Autism. These books are all available through the Sussex County Library System.

Updated December 13, 2024
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A boy called Bat /
Arnold, Elana K.
Ebook
The first book in a funny, heartfelt, and irresistible young middle grade series starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum. For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises--some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise...
Henry, like always /
Bailey, Jenn,
Paper Book
A beginning chapter book series based on the award-winning picture book, A Friend for Henry. Henry likes Classroom Ten. He likes how it is always the same. But this week, Henry's class will have a parade, and a parade means having Share Time on the ...
Al Capone does my shirts /
Choldenko, Gennifer,
Paper Book
Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school.  But Natalie has autism, and when she's denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms...
Who is Temple Grandin? /
Demuth, Patricia
Paper Book
Autism did not stop her--in fact, it helped Temple Grandin become a brilliant scientist and inventor. Temple Grandin wasn't officially diagnosed with autism until she was in her 40s, but she knew at an early age that she was different from her family and classmates. She couldn't...
Frankie's world
Dooley, Aoife,
Paper Book
From acclaimed Autistic Irish comedian Aoife Dooley comes a fresh and funny debut middle-grade graphic novel about fitting in and standing out. Frankie is different from everyone in her class, and she can't figure out why. She has trouble concentrating, and her classmates tease her...
Mockingbird /
Erskine, Kathryn.
Paper Book
In Caitlin's world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That's the stuff Caitlin's older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon's dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with...
Dear Mothman /
Gow, Robin,
Paper Book
Halfway through sixth grade, Noah's best friend and the only other trans boy in his school, Lewis, passed away in a car accident. Lewis was adventurous and curious, always bringing a new paranormal story to share with Noah. Together they daydreamed about cryptids and shared discovering their genders...
Get a grip, Vivy Cohen! /
Kapit, Sarah
Paper Book
In this perfectly pitched novel-in-letters, autistic eleven-year-old Vivy Cohen won't let anything stop her from playing baseball--not when she has a major-league star as her pen pal. Vivy Cohen is determined. She's had enough of playing catch in the park. She's ready to pitch...
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...
Rules
Lord, Cynthia.
Paper Book
This Newbery Honor Book is a heartfelt and witty story about feeling different and finding acceptance--beyond the rules.Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years...
Team players /
Lupica, Mike
Paper Book
Cassie must learn that you can't "fix" someone else after a girl with Aspergers joins her softball team in the fourth and final book of the Home Team series from New York Times bestselling author and sports-writing legend Mike Lupica. Cassie Bennett is great at being in...
Rain reign /
Martin, Ann M.,
Ebook
Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose's obsessions, her rules, and the other...
A kind of spark /
McNicoll, Elle,
Paper Book
Perfect for readers of Song for a Whale and Counting by 7s, a neurodivergent girl campaigns for a memorial when she learns that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different. "A must-read for students and adults alike." ...
The girl who thought in pictures :
Mosca, Julia Finley,
Paper Book
NSTA Best STEM Books for K-12 Selection NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books Selection Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award Recipient A Mighty Girl Book of the Year If you've ever felt different, if you've ever been low, if you don't quite fit in, there's a name...
A bird will soar /
Myers, Alison Green,
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD A heartfelt and hopeful debut about a bird-loving autistic child whose family's special nest is in danger of falling apart. Axel loves everything about birds, especially eagles. No one worries that an eagle will fly too...
Planet Earth is blue /
Panteleakos, Nicole,
Paper Book
"Tender and illuminating. A beautiful debut." --Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me A heartrending and hopeful debut novel about a nonverbal girl and her passion for space exploration, for fans of See You in the Cosmos, Mockingbird, and...
The fire, the water, and Maudie McGinn /
Pla, Sally J.,
Paper Book
Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novel is a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish. A Schneider Family Book Award winner! ...
All my stripes :
Rudolph, Shaina.
Paper Book
This helpful story for kids with autism spectrum disorders follows a young zebra who learns to understand how he is different from the rest of his classmates."It teaches us to embrace not only who we are, but also to embrace the people around us who are brilliantly different thanks to their own...
Ellen outside the lines /
Sass, A. J.,
Paper Book
Winner of a Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor! A heartfelt novel about a neurodivergent thirteen-year-old navigating changing friendships, a school trip, and expanding horizons for fans of Rain Reign and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World. ...
Can you see me? /
Scott, Libby,
Paper Book
A coming-of-age story about learning to celebrate yourself -- and teaching the world to recognize you, too -- perfect for fans of R. J. Palacio's Wonder!"This glimpse into the world of a young autistic girl is astonishingly insightful and honest. Tally's struggles to 'fit in' are heart...

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