Hello, hello! As many of my neurodiverse friends know, April is AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH. Being neurodiverse myself, and being a librarian, of course, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by… I just had to come up with a list of wonderful books for the occasion. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, I decided to branch out on all spectrums of neurodiversity. So, without further ado, here are over 100 book recommendations, ranging from children's picture books and middle-grade stories, teen and young adult fiction and adult reads!
For Children’s Picture Books 1. Up and Adam by Debbie Zapata 2. ADHD and Me by Chelsea DiCicco 3. All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism by Shaina Rudolph and Danielle Royer 4. How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville 5. It Was Supposed to Be Sunny by Samantha Cotterill 6. Juan Has the Jitters! by Aneta Cruz 7. The Girl Who Thought In Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca 8. Big Truck Play Date by Laurie Carmody 9. Rowdy in the Library by Yvonne Fletcher 10. Cory Stories: A Kid's Book About Living with ADHD by Jeanne Kraus 11. The Playground Problem: a Book about Anxiety by Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway 12. The Perfect Project: a Book about Autism by Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway 13. The Classroom Mystery: a Book about ADHD by Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway 14. My Friend has Autism by Amanda F. Doering 15. Some Kids Have Autism by Martha Rustad 16. Aurora's Gift: Children's Autism Awareness Book for Kids by Emily Bunny 17. A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey 18. Dyslexia (A True Book: Health) (Library Edition) by Ann O. Squire 19. Balloons by Rainbow Mosho 20. Dyslexia: My Health Series by Alvin Silverstein 21. The Abilities in Me: ADHD by Gemma Keir 22. Dyslexic Brains Are Beautiful Brains by Kaitlin McCartny 23. My Wandering Dreaming Mind by Merriam Sarcia Saunders 24. A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott 25. Different- A Great Thing to Be! By Heather Avis 26. When Things Get Too Loud: A Story About Sensory Overload by Anne Alcott 27. When Oliver Speaks by Kimberly Garvin 28. Me is Awesome: The Story of my Dyspraxic World (Dyspraxia) by Terri Lamberton 29. My Friend Josh has DCD: A Picture Book to Help Your Child Understand Developmental Coordination Disorder by Christine R Draper 30. What Your Friend With Apraxia Wants You To Know by Laura T Bruno 31. Masterpiece: An Inclusive Kids Books Celebrating a Child on the Autism Spectrum by Alexandra Hoffman 32. Beyond Words: A Child's Journey Through Apraxia by Dana Hall 33. My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete 34. Dyslexic Legends Alphabet by Beck Feiner 35. Mindfulness Workbook for Kids with ADHD: Engaging Activities to Help Children Clam, Focus, Self-Regulate, and to Promote Health and Wellness in Children by Jennie Miller 36. Finding My Superpower: A book for dyslexic thinkers by Sarah Prestidge
For Children’s Middle-Grade 1. The Spaghetti Detectives by Andreas Steinhöfel 2. A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin 3. The Brave by James Bird 4. Tune it Out by Jamie Sumner 5. The Summer of June by Jamie Sumner 6. Roll With It by Jamie Sumner 7. One Kid's Trash by Jamie Sumner 8. Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught 9. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Twenty-First Century Medical Library) by Bruce Hyman 10. The Autism Acceptance book: Being a Friend to Someone with Autism by Ellen Sabin 11. Best Kept Secret : The Third Generation by Ann M Martin 12. Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery 13. Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor by Temple Grandin 14. Get a Grip by Cohen Vivy 15. Real by Carol Cujec 16. Bad Best Friend by Rachel Vail 17. The Someday Birds by Sally Pla 18. The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson 19. Can you see me? by Libby Scott 20. A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll 21. Nobody's perfect by Marlee Matlin 22. Superstar by Mandy Davis 23. Focused by Alyson Gerber 24. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt 25. Wonder by R. J. Palacio 26. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
For Young Adult/Teens 1. Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe 2. Stuff That's Loud: A Teen's Guide To Unspiraling When Ocd Gets Noisy Ben Sedley 3. Obsessed: A Memoir Of My Life With OCD by Allison Britz 4. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green 5. Six goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger 6. The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison 7. Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann 8. The Easy Part of Impossible by Sarah Wones Tomp 9. The Anxiety Survival Guide For Teens : CBT Skills To Overcome Fear, Worry & Panic by Jennifer Shannon 10. Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson 11. A List of Cages by Robin Roe 12. Slider by Pete Hautman 13. Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer 14. Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl 15. The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide : How to Grow up Awesome and Autistic by Siena Castellon 16. The Social Survival Guide for Teens on the Autism Spectrum: How to Make Friends and Navigate Your Emotions by Lindsey Sterling 17. The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens by Yenn Purkis
For Adults 1. A Thorn In My Pocket: Temple Grandin's mother tells the family story by Eustacia Cutler 2. Down Syndrome by Salvatore Tocci 3. Just This Side of Normal by Elizabeth Gerlach 4. Unraveling The ADD/ADHD by Fiasco: Successful Parenting Without Drugs by David Stein 5. Finding Ben : A Mother's Journey Through the Maze of Asperger's By Barbara LaSalle 6. Louder than Words : A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism by Jenny McCarthy, 7. The Asperger's Answer Book : The Top 300 Questions Parents Ask by Susan Ashley 8. Thinking in pictures : And Other Reports From My Life With Autism by Temple Grandin 9. Visual Thinking : The Hidden Gifts Of People Who Think In Pictures, Patterns, And Abstractions by Temple Grandin 10. Unraveling The Mystery Of Autism And Pervasive Developmental Disorder : A Mother's Story Of Research And Recovery by Karyn Seroussi 11. With the Light : Raising An Autistic Child by Keiko Tobe 12. Neurotribes : The Legacy Of Autism And The Future Of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman 13. Getting the Best for Your Child With Autism: An Expert's Guide To Treatment by Bryna Siegel 14. ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says by Russell Barkley 15. The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need To Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping, And Healing by Karen Siff Exkorn 16. OCD : A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Michael A. Tompkins 17. Against Medical Advice : A True Story by James Patterson 18. The Brain That Changes Itself : Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge 19. Asperger's Syndrome : A Guide For Parents and Professionals by Tony Attwood 20. LIVING WITH OCD: Triumph over Negative Emotions, Obsessive Thoughts, and Compulsive Behaviors (The OCD Breakthrough Series) by CROSS BORDER BOOKS 21. Developing Talents : Careers For Individuals With Asperger Syndrome And High-Functioning Autism by Temple Grandin 22. Talking ADHD - The Breakthrough Guide To Understanding, Empowering, and Communicating Without Judgement by Esther Goldberg 23. Dyspraxia Developmental Co-ordination Disorder by Dr. Amanda Kirby 24. Mindful Parenting for Autistic Children: Understand ASD, Overcome the Challenges, and Successfully Parent Children with Autism Through Practical DBT Skills and Mindfulness Activities by Catherine L. Abbott 25. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Simple Techniques to Instantly Be Happier, Find Inner Peace, and Improve Your Life by Olivia Telford 26. Unlocking Happiness with ADHD: Learning to Thrive with Practical Exercises; Developing A Healthy and Fulfilling Life Style by D.W. Sawyer 27. Women with ADHD: The Complete Guide to Stay Organized, Overcome Distractions, and Improve Relationships. Manage Your Emotions, Finances, and Succeed in Life by Sarah Davis
A few other honorable mentions: 1. Listening to My Body: A guide to helping kids understand the connection between their sensations (what the heck are those?) and feelings so that they can get better at figuring out what they need by Gabi Garcia 2. Find Your Calm: A Mindful Approach To Relieve Anxiety And Grow Your Bravery (Growing Heart & Minds) by Gabi Garcia 3. Acceptance is my Superpower: A children’s Book about Diversity and Equality (My Superpower Books) by Alicia Ortego 4. Teen Girls Anxiety Survival Guide: 10 Techniques to Overcoming Teen Girls Anxiety, Worries, Social Stress, Academic Pressures and Social Media by R ROBINSON 5. The Highly Sensitive: How to Find Inner Peace, Develop Your Gifts, and Thrive by Judy Dyer
Interested in learning more about Autism Awareness Month and what it means? Check out some of these cool articles below! Autism Awareness Month Highlights Connection Between ASD and ADHD World Autism Awareness Day 2023: History, Significance, Theme and Important facts on Autism World Autism Awareness Day Thanks for reading! Enjoy this post? Make sure to like- and subscribe to the blog for great new recommendations!
