A simple, heartfelt story that follows the life of a child with autism through his imaginative journey as he seeks to be accepted, loved, and celebrated for his strengths and abilities. Despite the qualities that make children on the autism spectrum exceptional, they all have hopes, dreams, and desires of belonging that all children feel. This book is a powerful reminder that with a little help from each of us, children with autism can fulfill their dreams.

Danni is in the school playground when his friend, Charlie, kicks a ball that hits him in the stomach, waking up the sleeping red beast: `I hate you – I’m gonna get you!’. The red beast doesn’t hear the teacher asking if he’s okay. It doesn’t see that Charlie is sorry – how can Danni tame the red beast?

What does being ready for an emergency look like? Journey through a day in the life of a friend who lives with a potential emergency. Learn about autistic meltdowns, see the signs of the rumbling stage, and discover what you can do to help if something happens.

Traffic! Road works! Ambulances! Where do you go when the hustle and bustle of the city gets too much?
The Spaces In Between weaves between the busy lives of several children who are all seeking secret spaces where they can go to find peace and quiet.

Up Where the Stars Are is an uplifting story by award-winning author Ryan Jacobson and award-winning illustrator Michelle Hazelwood Hyde. It showcases the positive power of imagination and celebrates the unique gifts that every child possesses. It also introduces children to nine constellations, complete with instructions for finding them in the night sky.

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.

Irma is Lauren’s best friend. Irma knows all the strategies Lauren uses when her Autism Spectrum Disorder makes it hard to “go with the flow.” Lauren helps Irma learn English words and understand unfamiliar customs. So why does Irma suddenly want to introduce Lauren to her mountain-biking, litter-dropping neighbor Jonas? Why is Irma calling Jonas her friend?

As if sharing Irma weren’t bad enough, Lauren also has an alarming new problem at school. Their teacher has announced a mountain biking day when the students will learn to ride their bikes on an obstacle course. But Lauren still uses training wheels. She just can’t face the teasing she will get when her classmates see them. She isn’t brave like Irma. She can’t go with the flow like Dad. How can she possibly face this challenge?

Lauren has Autism Spectrum Disorder, and she sees the world a little differently from other kids. What makes her comfortable are her routines and her strategies to manage her anxiety, which can get out of control in no time. So it is a challenge to deal with her rambunctious cousins, try on scratchy dresses, and follow impossible directions about going down aisles slowly-but-not-like-a-sloth and tossing pretend flowers around. Is it any surprise that Lauren flips her lid more than once? But while having an extended family seems like a lot of trouble at first, she’s about to learn just how much they can care for one another.

In Penguin Days, two award winners revisit second-grader Lauren from the acclaimed Slug Days with equal humor and empathy. Drawing on her experience teaching children with ASD, Sara Leach creates an energetic character who stomps eloquently off the page. And Rebecca Bender’s delightful black-and-white illustrations show, in Lauren’s fraught situations and facial expressions, all the love and assertiveness that could possibly dwell together in one unique, little person.

Chester has always wanted to become a service dog, but when he fails his certification test it seems like that dream will never come true, that is until a family adopts him to be a companion for their ten-year-old son, Gus, who has autism.

After being separated from his family, Franklin becomes an independent cat, until he meets a goofy dog named Chester. Chester is a service dog to his person, a boy named Gus, and Chester knows just the girl to be Franklin’s person–Gus’s classmate, Amelia.

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 by the award-winning author of The Someday Birds is a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish.

Ben Snyder is ready for middle school. But his super picky eating, which has never been a big deal before, is about to take him down. Suddenly everybody’s on his case about what he’s eating and what he’s not–his old friends, his new friends, his weird lab partner, the girl he’s crushing on, and a bully–and Ben finds himself in social free fall, sliding toward the bottom of the middle school food chain. Even worse, there’s an upcoming three-day class trip to a colonial campsite. Knowing he can’t handle the gag-worthy menu, Ben prepares for the outing like it’s a survival mission. Armed with new and unexpected information about his eating habits that could change everything, he sets out with three tactical goals: impress the girl, outsmart the bully, and avoid every single meal. But when epic hunger threatens to push him over the edge, Ben must decide how far he will go to fit in and if he has the courage to stand out.

A simple, heartfelt story that follows the life of a child with autism through his imaginative journey as he seeks to be accepted, loved and celebrated for his strengths and abilities. Despite the qualities that make children on the autism spectrum exceptional, they all have hopes, dreams and feelings of belonging that all children desire. This beautifully illustrated picture book is a powerful reminder that with a little help from each of us, children with autism can fulfill their dreams.

Inspired by the author’s experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), I Think I Think a Lot can be a starting point for discussions about overthinking or obsessive thought and about the many ways individuals see and experience the world. The neurodivergent main character allows readers to see themselves and others in the story and emphasizes self-acceptance in the face of comparison.

This book uses vivid picture scenes to describe a child’s inner feelings during stressful (although not always bad) situations. Dragons roar, storms crash, and bats stare as different situations are resolved (or diminished) through small acts of connection by someone “on the outside.”

A warm and witty portrait of child prodigy and world-famous classical musician Glenn Gould.

Glenn was a child who knew his own mind — he liked boats but did not like fishing; he enjoyed puns and pranks but did not like bullying; he loved learning but did not like school … but more than anything else he loved to play the piano.

Glenn had a professional performing career by the time he was fifteen; he gave concerts all over the world in his twenties. He became best known for his interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. But Glenn grew to dislike concerts — the hall was too cold, or he didn’t feel well, or the audience made too much noise (he didn’t even like their applause!). He discovered that when he played and recorded music in an empty concert hall, he could make it sound exactly the way he wanted. He could do what he loved best, while being completely himself.

More than anything, Lucas wants to enjoy birthday parties like his friends… but he is overwhelmed by all of the sights, sounds and sensations that come with celebrations. When he gets invited to a birthday party for his friend, he makes a brave plan to join in, thinking that he should act like everyone else. But when his plan fails, a new friend teaches him that there is more than one way to enjoy a birthday party… and that’s perfectly fine.

In this exciting graphic novel, Logan is thrilled when his parents tell him they’re all taking the train to see the Santa Claus parade. But Logan isn’t like most 11-year-olds – he can’t speak, and he mostly lives in his head. On this adventure, Logan must face some of his greatest fears: masks, dogs and the unknown. When he’s separated from his parents at the parade, Logan goes where he’s the bravest version of himself – his imagination. Transforming into superhero ThunderBoom, Logan is determined to stomp his way through any challenges.

Evelyn strives for excellence. Allie couldn’t care less. These polar opposites must work together if they have any hope of saving their school’s robotics program.

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 just what makes her different–and why that is ok.

When the other kids mock her at recess, Nanette doesn’t listen. She’d rather focus on puddles, spider webs, and whatever she can create with her hands. One day a boy named Noah–who’d rather fly paper airplanes than listen to the lesson–starts sitting at Nanette’s table. At first, Noah finds Nanette confusing and a little frustrating. But her ideas look like so much fun…

Expressively illustrated in colored pencils, this school story will foster discussions about navigating differences and embracing creativity. A Head Full of Birds is a sensitive portrayal of neurodiverse friendships and the joy that comes when we reimagine the world together.

Welcome to Bolingbroke. It’s a small town just like any other . . . or so eighth graders Val and Lanie think. They’re the best of best friends–they love the same comics, they watch the same shows, and they’re always there for each other. Which is important when you’re queer, like Lanie, or on the spectrum, like Val, and just don’t seem to fit in anywhere.

When a school project about their hometown’s supernatural history leads to a for-real ghost sighting, Val and Lanie realize Bolingbroke might not be as boring as they’d always thought. But after a run-in with the resident middle school queen bee (who also happens to be Lanie’s former friend), they decide to take things to the next level . . . and accidentally summon the Ojja-Wojja, a demonic presence connected to a slew of mysterious tragedies throughout Bolingbroke’s sordid history.

Now all heck has broken loose. With the whole town acting weird and nowhere left to turn, it’s going to be up to Val, Lanie, and their small group of friends to return things to normal–if “normal” is even something they want to return to.

Juan claps his hands to get his Jitters out. They make his tummy swoosh and swirl. His Jitters happen when there are too many people, too much noise, or too many changes to his day. Juan doesn’t like surprises.

Tomorrow there is an athletic event planned at school, which makes Juan very nervous. But his teacher has the perfect solution- math–Juan’s favorite subject! Counting, sorting, and matching help Juan calm his Jitters. By making math part of the day’s athletic games, and by appointing Juan the official judge, his teacher can make sure that Juan will have fun and feel included. The class is calling it the Mathletic Games!

A girl with autism who almost never speaks demonstrates how easily she communicates with her brother and grandmother through facial expressions, gestures, flashcards, and drawings.

When Corey’s school hosts a semi-truck event, he cannot believe it, but the crowd of classmates quickly leaves him feeling overwhelmed.

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 day. Bat?s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he?s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet. From acclaimed author Elana K. Arnold comes a story of first friendship starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum.

Tracy likes to draw, make movies and play, just like other kids. She also has autism spectrum disorder. This means she processes many everyday situations differently, such as making friends. Over time, she’s learned tricks for communicating and coping when things are hard for her. Follow along as Tracy gives a peek at what life is really like for someone living with autism and how she discovered life beyond this common disorder. Every story in the My Life Beyond series stems from the imagination and experience of a Mayo Clinic patient.

Vivy Cohen is determined. She’s had enough of playing catch in the park. She’s ready to pitch for a real baseball team.

But Vivy’s mom is worried about Vivy being the only girl on the team, and the only autistic kid. She wants Vivy to forget about pitching, but Vivy won’t give up. When her social skills teacher makes her write a letter to someone, Vivy knows exactly who to choose- her hero, Major League pitcher VJ Capello. Then two amazing things happen- A coach sees Vivy’s amazing knuckleball and invites her to join his team. And VJ starts writing back!

Frankie is different from everyone in her class, and she can’t figure out why. She has trouble concentrating, and her classmates tease her for not having a dad at home. To try to make sense of the world, Frankie doodles her daily adventures in a journal. One day, when Frankie sneaks into her mom’s room and sees her biological father’s name on her birth certificate, she decides to go on a mission to track him down. Could Frankie’s father be the key to finding out why Frankie feels so adrift?

The author-illustrator shares her journey of growing up autistic in a confusing “normal” world, all the while missing some important information about herself, in this joyfully illustrated and completely unique book that provides crucial information about autism.