20+ Middle-Grade Books About Autism and Other Neurodiversity

Maudie is a sweet, autistic girl spending the summer with her dad. When her dad’s home is razed in a California wildfire, they move to the small beach town where her father grew up. Throughout the summer, as Maudie makes new friends, starts learning to surf, and enters a surfing contest, a secret tugs at her–one her mother has asked her to keep from her dad. This is a vivid, triumphant, and authentic coming-of-age story about discovering one’s inner strength. Grades 6+

Selah knows there’s something different about her. She’s uncomfortable with overstimulation and can’t seem to instinctively figure out social cues, so she follows the rules and does what others do/expect her to do in those situations. But when she’s home, she practically crashes, needing to recover from shapeshifting all day. She’s doing okay until one day she hits a fellow student who keeps trying to braid Selah’s hair. This leads to a series of events ending in an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis and the realization that although she’s different, it’s good different. Good Different is a powerful verse exploration of life on the autism spectrum and the illuminating experience of finally understanding oneself. Grades 4+

Vivy Cohen is an autistic, baseball-obsessed girl who really wants to play the sport. Unfortunately, her mom is holding back because she’s a girl and she has autism. But when Vivy writes to a famous Black baseball player as part of her social skills homework, things start to change. For one, VJ Capello writes back, and the two become pen pals. Then, a Little League coach asks Vivy to join his team. As they overcome unique hurdles, Vivy and VJ soon realize that they’ll need to put up a fight for the sport they love. Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! is an endearing middle grade book about the love of baseball, life with autism, and figuring out your strengths. Grades 5+

This is such a sweet, younger middle-grade book about a boy and his pet skunk and features excellently written family dynamics. Loved the author’s note at the end! I would recommend it, especially for animal lovers or anyone looking for chapter books with an autistic protagonist. Grades 3+

This is an utterly moving and heartwarming novel about a twelve-year-old girl whose adopted parents die in a car crash. If your kids like stories about foster care and found family, this is a great one to read. Grades 5+

This is a touching story about 13-year-old Charity, who has nonverbal autism and faces plenty of discrimination from schoolmates and even extended family. When she’s introduced to assisted typing, a new world opens to her, and Charity can now share her thoughts, show off her math skills, and even support other friends who are being bullied. It’s phenomenal on audio and perfect for fans of Draper’s Out of My Mind. Grades 5+

Ginny’s summer is thrown off when her dad gets a surprise redeployment in the middle of their family’s moving to another city. Then, her geography camp gets canceled. Her sister seems to be making new friends, but no one appears to like Ginny–even when she starts her own geography camp. This sweet, unique young middle grade book made my heart grow and ache for Ginny and her family as they navigated a season of change. Features illustrations and a new geography fact in each chapter. Grades 4+

Jessie is a fifteen-year-old Palestinian-Canadian who’s getting into high school soon after an autism diagnosis. She feels “abnormal,” especially as she doesn’t have a cellphone, but is determined to belong to a friend group and fall in love this school year. However, when she finds herself caught between two very different boys, she realizes that things don’t always go to plan. Something More by Jackie Khalilieh is an original, relatable, and funny young YA novel about autism, family, and coming-of-age. Grades 7+

The Unforgettable Logan Foster #1 is a fantasy middle grade debut by author Shawn Peters. Logan is a foster kid at a boys’ foster home. He’s on the autism spectrum, has a photographic memory, and isn’t the best at picking up on social cues. But just when Logan is sure that he’ll never be adopted, a new couple Margie and Gil show up. After a rocky start, Logan is settling in with his new foster parents when he starts noticing some weird things. Gil never seems to eat and are Margie’s tears silver? He’s only processing the fact that his new parents might be superheroes when they get kidnapped by a supervillain, and it’s up to Logan to save them. The Unforgettable Logan Foster #1 is a superb, fast-paced superhero fantasy about identity, self-worth, and finding community. As far as I know, though, this author is not autistic. Grades 5+

In Alyson Gerber’s sophomore novel, we meet highly motivated Clea. She’s constantly making mental to-do lists but can’t seem to stay on top of her schoolwork anymore. Her thoughts are always jumping from one thing to another and she finds it hard to focus when she wants to. The only time she can zone out is when she’s playing chess as a member of her school’s chess team. Clea’s inability to focus starts affecting her grades, which threatens her chess team membership. It also affects her relationships because she finds it harder to control her emotions, blurting out things in the heat of the moment, even after promising she wouldn’t. Other worries in Clea’s life include her little sister, who needs to go to speech therapy — Clea worries for her well-being and happiness — and her best friend, Red, whose family is having issues. This is a moving exploration of a child’s life with ADHD. Grades 6+

Elliot has ADHD and loves to cook. He lives with his mom and spends time with his dad and step-mom regularly. His step-mom is pregnant and Elliot feels a bit threatened since his dad already seems disappointed in his seemingly scatter-brained behavior and the fact that he’s not an A+ student. He also wants to go to cooking camp and his dad refuses to pay for it, insisting that Elliot can go if he himself pays for it. When Elliot gets the chance to execute a food-related pop-up as part of a school-wide entrepreneurial project, he sees it as a chance for redemption. Unfortunately, he’s paired with popular girl Maribel who can’t eat gluten and wants them to make yummy pies without gluten. Can Elliot and Maribel pull this off without butting heads? The two quickly find that they have a lot more in common than they thought. Honestly Elliot is a sweet, heartwarming coming-of-age story featuring a protagonist with ADHD who just loves to cook! Grades 4+

This is a FANTASTIC graphic memoir about Tyler Page’s life with ADHD. Early on, his parents realized that Tyler couldn’t seem to stay focused. He acts out in class, is impulsive, and often distracts his classmates. He can’t finish his work in time, even though he’s smart and creative. Most intriguing, he doesn’t actually want to cause trouble but can’t stop himself. Tyler is eventually diagnosed with ADHD and gets on medication for it. I loved seeing his depiction of the way ADHD affects his life and how the medication changes it. We also learn a lot about his family and how life as a teenager changes his relationship with his ADHD meds. The book also includes back matter at the end of every chapter, providing more information (in graphics still) about ADHD. Grades 7+

Max and his community are reeling from a night out gone wrong. Max and his friends Joey and Will went out with two older boys, but Will ended up unconscious and in a coma, and Joey won’t speak to Max anymore. Max also has ADHD and is over six feet tall at 11, which means he stands out in his class. Frustrated that he can’t figure out what happened to Will, Max teams up with an inquisitive classmate, but the truths he unravels aren’t pretty. Can Max get to the bottom of this mystery? A Perfect Mistake is a pitch-perfect middle grade mystery about honesty, peer pressure, and standing up for what’s right. Grades 6+

Jake is spending time with his great-aunt Hettle in a rainy Oregon town while his parents are off on a retreat. Soon after he arrives, he finds himself caught up in the mystery of a famed ruby-backed turtle first and only written about by Hettle’s great-grandfather. Thanks to a viral article by a nosy reptile fan, several dangerous people — including a tall pair of Scandinavian twins, a maybe-hitman, and that presumptuous reptile fan — are in town for the festival (but mostly to look for the turtle). It’s up to Jake and his friend Mia to help Hettle keep the turtle safe. This is a fast-paced, engaging adventure, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages — I kept thinking of what would happen next. It also features a protagonist with ADHD and has a strong environmentalist theme that will educate kids about looking out for the planet. Great for kids ages 9+ (mostly because of the length and the shady characters).

One of the most moving books I’ve read in a long time. This book addresses the issues of a young girl with dyslexia, and highlights the importance of teachers who truly care. Excellent writing and characterization + great audiobook narration. Would recommend for grades 5+.

Maple’s dreams of going to middle school with her best friends come crashing down when she’s held back in the fifth grade because she can’t read. Maple is Indian and Jewish (Hin-Jew as she calls herself) and constantly feels caught in between — never fully belonging on one side. On top of that, Maple gets caught in a web of lies when she tells a new fifth grader that she’s only in the class to support the new kids — and not because she’s a repeater. is a realistic middle grade book about dealing with the social and emotional impact of learning difficulties like dyslexia. This book also tackles the cultural straddling of being biracial, as well as coping with friendship evolution, bullying, and being held back in school. Grades 5+

Henrietta Weldon feels out of place in her family. Her brother is always off doing his own thing, and her sister, Kat, seems to always be frustrated with her inability to figure certain things out on her own or keep their room clean. Henri’s mom is studying for her PhD and she and her dad want Henri to do well at school, especially now that they’re mainstreaming her out of her special school to public school. Henri has dyscalculia and struggles with processing math problems. As she settles into her new school, she befriends a group of foster kids whom her sister can’t stand. Then she decides to join the soccer team (which her parents are super uncomfortable with — studies are the priority) and she’s writing a poem to submit to the school’s magazine. On top of all her commitments, she has to keep her room clean (to prevent Kat from killing her) and keep her grades up since they don’t have the funds to send her back to a special school. This is a super slice-of-life book featuring a highly relatable protagonist with dyscalculia.

This middle-grade novel about a girl with sensory processing disorder is captivating and very realistic. Willa has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) which means among other things that she’s extra sensitive to certain normal sounds and textures. She’s also very clumsy and does not handle change well. Her parents are divorced and her mom is already remarried. She and brother spend weekends with her mother and weekdays with their dad. Things are going fairly smoothly for Willa as she’s getting better at managing her SPD with her therapist’s help. Willa is also happy to have a best friend she gets along with — Ruby — and is looking forward to moving on to middle school. However, when her father announces to her and Ruby that he and Ruby’s mother have been dating for over a year, Willa is distraught.

Lou and her mother live in their truck. Her mom believes Lou has a gift (her voice) and is determined to make it big with her. So she makes Lou sing everywhere, from cafes to karaoke bars to street corners. This is extra challenging for Lou because she hates the bright lights and the sound of applause is physically painful. She also hates physical contact and is bothered by the texture of certain clothes on her skin. Lou gets some respite from the malnutrition and homelessness when an accident leads to her being taken in by Child Protective Services. Fortunately, she is sent off to live with her aunt and her husband in Nashville, Tennessee where she begins a new life until her mother can get her back. From private school, to new friends, and an assistant director role in the school’s musical, Lou begins to experience what it means to be a child again. But will her responses to sensory stimuli get in the way of her shot at “normal” life? I’m a huge fan of Sumner’s storytelling prowess and essentially read this book in one sitting.

This novel is about a violin prodigy on a self-imposed hiatus who encounters the 12-year-old version of her mother during a visit to her grandparents. It is so well-written and includes many interesting elements, such as Jewish culture, improv, time travel, and mother-daughter relationships. Fans of books about music and time travel will enjoy this story.