Middle Grade and YA Books with Neurodiverse Characters to Add to Your Classroom Library

July is Disability Pride Month, and it's a great time to celebrate literature with neurodiverse characters that is written by neurodiverse authors. Reading books about neurodiversity can help students build understanding and empathy, promote self-acceptance and belonging, normalize neurodiversity, and inspire social advocacy. Books are powerful, and we are so excited to share a few of our favorite middle grade and YA book recommendations for your ELA classroom. 

Middle grade and YA books with neurodiverse characters written by neurodivergent authors: 

⭐A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll (autistic and dyspraxic novelist) - Addie, the protagonist in this book, is an autistic Scottish girl. She advocates for a memorial to be created in honor of women who were persecuted as witches in the town where she lives. One of the things we love most about this book is the role that external support systems play in Addie's life. 

⭐Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit (autistic writer) - Vivy Cohen, the protagonist in this novel, is an autistic girl who writes letters to her hero: pitcher VJ Capello. Throughout the book, she processes the challenge of having an overprotective parent and being the only autistic girl on her baseball team. 

⭐Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings (autistic author) - In this book, the protagonist Tilly faces ADHD burnout after graduating from high school. She struggles to know what to do next in her life. When she has the opportunity to travel internationally for an internship, she makes friends with a fellow intern: Oliver. Together, they clarify their long-term goals. 

⭐Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (author living with OCD) - In this YA novel, the main character Aza has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as well as anxiety. Throughout the book, Aza works to solve a mystery, while also accepting the reality of coping with lifelong symptoms of OCD and realizing that she is deserving of love. 

⭐Focused by Alyson Gerber (author with ADHD) - In Focused, the protagonist Clea faces challenges in school and within friendships. Once she is tested for ADHD, she learns that her experiences of having racing thoughts, getting distracted, and making impulsive decisions are symptoms of her diagnosis. 

Tips for guiding empathy-centered conversations about neurodivergence with students: 

• Before you begin reading a book with a neurodiverse character, create a lesson about neurodivergence. Consider using research-based informational texts by certified psychologists and other experts. It's important to make sure that you're getting information about neurodivergence from a reliable source; misinformation causes harm. 
• Read excerpts of memoirs and biographies written by individuals who are neurodiverse. Ask questions that encourage students to think critically about why it is important to read books written by neurodiverse authors. (Ex. How might a neurodiverse author's portrayal of neurodiversity be different than the writing of an author who is neurotypical?) 
• Invite guest speakers to your classroom who are neurodiverse to share about their life experiences. 
• Use creative presentation formats (ex. using visual aids or podcasts) and classroom structures (ex. dimming lights or offering noise canceling headphones) to help your students think about how each individual learns differently. Then, talk with your students about why it is important to normalize different learning needs. 
• Challenge stereotypes about neurodiversity by showing diverse representation of neurodiverse individuals. Remind students that every person's experience of being neurodivergent is unique. 
• Set ground rules for conversations about neurodiversity. Co-create a list of ways that all of the conversation participants can create a safe space to ask respectful questions and share their thoughts and feelings. (ex. avoid generalizations and stereotypes about a diagnosis, trust or respect what someone shares about their personal experience of being neurodiverse, use positive or neutral language, etc.) 
• Share examples of successful individuals who are neurodiverse (ex. Albert Einstein, Temple Grandin, and Greta Thunberg)
• Review contemporary terminology used by the disability community and discuss how certain words have changed over time. Encourage students to continually research to see which terms are preferred. 

Comment below to share any book recommendations you have, as well as advice for having thoughtful conversations about neurodiversity in the classroom. We'd love to hear from you!