Children's Book Suggestions | Autism Awareness Month

Some of our favorite books for and about kids with autism, for readers age 4-14. More books can be found in the library's online catalog.

Updated January 30, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Flap your hands : a celebration of stimming
Asbell, Steve
Paper Book
This fascinating, groundbreaking picture book by an autistic creator celebrates stims--the repetitive movements that provide focused stimulation to people on the autistic spectrum. When you're feeling overwhelmed And the world's too much to bear... If your feelings...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

This beach is loud!
Cotterill, Samantha
Paper Book
Patience, understanding, and a soothing exercise saves the beach day when excitement turns to sensory overload. Going to the beach is exciting. But it can also be busy. And loud. Sand can feel hot or itchy or sticky...and it gets everywhere! In This Beach Is Loud...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

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...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Bitsy bat, school star
Windness, Kaz
Paper Book
Three starred reviews! 2024 Bank Street Best Children's Book Selection 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)...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Henry, like always
Bailey, Jenn
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Winner  A Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book  A NPR 2023 Books We Love Pick A School Library Journal Best Book of 2023  A 2023 Chicago Public Library Best of the...

Early Reader (Level 3)

Slug days
Leach, Sara
Paper Book
Lauren, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (an umbrella term that has included Asperger Syndrome since 2013), navigates the ups and downs of school and home life. School friendships have always been a challenge, but Lauren finds she is exactly the friend a brand new classmate needs On...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

A boy called Bat
Arnold, Elana K.
Paper Book
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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The extraordinary adventures of Alice Tonks
Kenny, Emily
Paper Book
What if you could talk to animals? Alice Tonks desperately wants to make friends at boarding school but, being autistic, she's always found it hard to fit in. Then she discovers she is a "switcher" and can talk to animals. As she starts to explore her newfound abilities, to her...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Anything but typical
Baskin, Nora Raleigh.
Paper Book
Told from the first-person perspective of an autistic boy, Nora Raleigh Baskin's novel is an enlightening story for anyone who has ever worried about fitting in. Jason Blake is an autistic twelve-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Most days it's just a matter of time before...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

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...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Let the monster out
Lucas, Chad
Ebook
Now in paperback, an equal parts heart-pounding and heartfelt middle-grade mystery about facing--and accepting--your fears, perfect for fans of Stranger Things and The Parker Inheritance Bones Malone feels like he can't do anything right in his new...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

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! ...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

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. ...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

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...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Me and Sam-Sam handle the apocalypse
Vaught, Susan
Paper Book
"Edgar-winning Vaught, a neuropsychologist, has both personal and professional experience to draw on in crafting a narrator who is admirably smart and resilient despite an 'itchy' brain and a compulsion to count things." --Booklist (starred review) "Deeply smart and...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The girl who thought in pictures : the story of Dr. Temple Grandin
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 you should know. Meet Dr....

Children's Nonfiction (Age 5-8)


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