On World Autism Day, celebrate autistic people and learn about autism to create a better and more inclusive world. Read these stories written by autistic authors, featuring #OwnVoices and authentic representation.
A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond
A Day With No Words invites readers into the life of a family who communicates just as their child does, without spoken language. Ages 4-8.
I Am Odd, I Am New by Benjamin Giroux
Step into the world of Benjamin Giroux, a 10-year-old autistic boy, as he invites readers to see life from his perspective. In this picture book, Benjamin's poem, which he composed during a school assignment, takes center stage. Ages 5-8.
Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess
Twelve-year-old Mia is just trying to navigate a world that doesn't understand her true autistic self. While she wishes she could stand up to her bullies, she's always been able to express her feelings through singing and songwriting, even more so with her best friend, Charlie, who is nonbinary, putting together the best beats for her. Ages 8+.
Get A Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit
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. Author Sarah Kapit has a longstanding involvement in the disability rights and neurodiversity movements. Ages 8-12.
A Kind Of Spark by Elle McNicoll
When she discovers that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different, a neurodivergent girl who sees and hears things others cannot refuses to let them be forgotten. Ages 8-14.
Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt
Seventh-grader Selah Godfrey knows that to be "normal," she has to keep her feelings tightly controlled when people are around, but after hitting a fellow student, she needs to figure out what makes her different and why that is okay. Told in verse. Ages 9+.
The Many Half-Lived Lives Of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor
An autistic nonbinary eighteen-year-old moves to a new town and school with the support of their loving father and finds friends in an LGBTQ+ club — but they all must come together to solve the decades-old murder of a teenage boy and confront the demons lurking in Sam's past. Ages 12+.
Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
Six of Crows meets The Iron Fey series in this high-energy YA fantasy that follows the adventures of changeling Seelie and her twin sister as they embark upon the heist of a lifetime for a mystery legacy. As they evade capture by both human and fae forces, Seelie discovers more about her own autistic identity, her magical powers, and love along the way. Ages 13+.
The Spirit Bares its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, sixteen-year-old autistic transgender boy Silas must expose a power-hungry secret society while confined to a cruel finishing school designed to turn him into the perfect wife.
So, I'm Autistic by Sarah O'Brien
There isn't a secret manual outlining exactly how to get through your teens and young adulthood as an autistic individual, but this book provides a script for how to do what adulthood will make you do anyway, in a way that is most accessible for you.
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice Of A Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism by Naoki Higashida
Naoki Higashida was only a middle-schooler when he began to write The Reason I Jump, examining issues as diverse and complex as self-harm, perceptions of time and beauty, and the challenges of communication.
Sensory: Life on the Spectrum edited by Bex Ollerton
A colourful and eclectic comics anthology exploring a wide range of autistic experiences — from diagnosis journeys to finding community — from autistic contributors.
Unmasking Autism by Devon Price
A deep dive into the spectrum of autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society's narrow understanding of neurodiversity.
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
Scottish comedian Fern Brady was told she couldn't be autistic because she'd had loads of boyfriends and is good at eye contact. In this frank and surreal memoir, she delivers a sharp and often hilarious portrait of neurodivergence and living unmasked.
Two Wrongs Make A Right by Chloe Liese
There's much ado about everything when two adversaries become allies and fake a relationship to fool their meddling friends in this swoony, inclusive reimagining of the Bard's beloved play Much Ado About Nothing.
The Framed Women Of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace
An abandoned English manor. A peculiar missing portrait. A cozy, deviously clever murder mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.
