Books to help young children better understand autism and neurodiversity.
Browse all our recommended parenting books to help you discuss the big issues with your little ones.
Bessie’s Bees
George Kirk
Bessie’s head is buzzing with bees. And that’s just fine. But when she starts nursery, she finds no one else has bees. So she decides to keep hers hidden.
Before long, Bessie’s head is bursting with bees! Can Bessie find a way to share her bees with everyone instead?
This is an empowering story about starting nursery with a bubbly neurodiverse child at its heart.
Minna’s Masks
Luísa Gooding
Meet Minna. When Minna needs to feel brave, she wears a mask, when she meets new people, she wears a mask.
On Minna’s first day at a new school, she realises she’s left her masks at home and starts to feel very nervous indeed. Things are too loud and too noisy – what if she says the wrong thing or does something silly?
But when a classmate shows Minna the mask in his back pocket, she realises she’s not alone. Perhaps it is possible to be accepted – with or without a mask.
Make It All Go Away
Helen Docherty
This is a heartwarming story that follows Melodie as she visits the pungent market, noisy public bathroom, overwhelming restaurant that serves mushy vegetables, too brightly-lit mall and more.
As she gets progressively more overwhelmed and upset, join her as she taps her nose and moves in circles to calm herself down, before returning home and relaxing in her safe space.
Inspired by the author’s daughter’s experiences of sensory overload, this rhyming picture book explores what a child with sensory issues experiences.
Isaac and His Amazing Autism Superpowers!
Melanie Walsh
Meet Isaac. He’s a superhero! He might look like everyone else, but he has autism spectrum disorder.
Inside this book he’ll tell you all about what it’s like to have his autism superpowers, like his superhero brain that remembers lots of facts. Or his super-vision which helps him spot interesting things no one else does.
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The Match
Jon Roberts
Lilly and her dad are big fans of football and love supporting their local team.
One day, Dad surprises Lilly with tickets to watch their team play in a big match and Lilly is over the moon. When they arrive Lilly starts to feel anxious, but Dad has forgotten her headphones.
Luckily they run into a very important person who knows just how to help!
All Brains Are Wonderful
Scott Evans
The brain is the boss of your body. But it’s more than anatomy.
Primary school teacher, neurodivergent spokesperson and reading for pleasure expert Scott Evans, with the help of a neuroscientist, shows how neurodiversity, mental health and training your brain are what makes you you – and you are amazing!
Neurodiverse Planet
Anna Claybourne
Everyone on our planet is unique. Our bodies and faces are all slightly different from one another and so are our minds and personalities. A lot of these differences exist because of how our brains work. People who experience and process the world around them a little differently are known as neurodivergent.
‘Neurodiverse Planet’ offers a positive, accessible look at neurodiversity for readers aged 9 and up by exploring what neurodivergence is and the many different ways in which it can impact people. It looks at some more widely recognised ND conditions, such as autism and ADHD, alongside some lesser known ones, such as synaesthesia and dyscalculia.
It highlights the challenges that neurodiverse people may face, as well as the unique abilities that they can sometimes have, and explores what we can all do to make the world a better, more accepting places for neurodiverse people.
Growing Up Autistic
Niamh Garvey
Being autistic means experiencing the world in your own way. Sometimes the modern world isn’t well designed for autistic people, and how we experience things differently.
This friendly, illustrated book is packed with simple ideas to help with everyday autistic life, like big feelings, busy senses, school days, meltdowns, and changes to your routine.
There’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to be autistic, and this book isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about figuring out what helps you feel calmer, more confident, and more in control.
Oh Brother: A Graphic Memoir
Gina Chadderton
Gina’s little brother Rob is a huge fan of Vegemite and Disney movies, and he hates wearing shoes. He’s also non-verbal with severe autism.
There’s a lot going on with Gina too: she starts high school, gets her first period, and her anxiety is making it tough to find new friends. Most people at school know her as the girl who doesn’t shave, but she strikes up a friendship with Callie, the only one who makes an effort with her.
But when Rob’s meltdowns lead to him destroying Gina and Callie’s school project, Gina is worried that the friendship will never recover.
Fale mais alto!
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.
Together, they’ve taken the internet by storm; little do Mia’s classmates know that she’s the viral singer Elle-Q! But while the chance to perform live for a local talent show has Charlie excited, Mia isn’t so sure.
She’ll have to decide whether she’ll let her worries about what other people think get in the way of not only her friendship with Charlie, but also showing everyone, including the bullies, who she is and what she has to say.
Camille, o Camaleão, sobre Máscaras
Glória Dura-Vila
Um livro ilustrado para crianças autistas, para ajudá-las a entender o uso de máscaras antes que seus efeitos se tornem mais prejudiciais, contado pela adorável e divertida personagem Camille, a Camaleoa.
Um livro infantil sobre autismo
Justin P. Flood
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is something that affects kids and families all over the world. This book can kickstart the journey to a better understanding of autism and those who live with it.
It dives into what it’s like to live with autism while reminding us that at the core, we’re not that different from one another after all.
As Aventuras Extraordinárias de Alice Tonks
Emily Kenny
What if you could talk to animals? Alice Tonks desperately wants to make friends at boarding school but, being autistic, she’s always found it hard to fit in. Then she discovers she is a ‘switcher’ and can talk to animals.
As she starts to explore her newfound abilities, to her horror she learns that creatures are going missing. Only Alice holds the key to solving the mystery and finding the culprit, but she’ll need to harness her full powers first.
And to do that she’ll need a bit of help from her new friends – both human and animal.
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Patas
Kate Foster
Alex’s best friend is Kevin the cockapoo, although what he wants most of all is a friend at school. Everything is changing for 11-year-old Alex and, as an autistic person, change can be terrifying.
With the first day of high school only a couple of months away, Alex is sure that having a friend by his side will help. So, he’s devised a plan – impress the kids at school by winning a trophy at the PAWS Dog Show with his trusty sidekick, Kevin.
This should be a walk in the park, right?
Garoto Subterrâneo
Isabelle Marinov
‘Boy Underground’ is a powerful adventure story of Hugo, an autistic boy who decides to go all the way into the Paris underground to find a place where he belongs.
For Hugo, the world can be too loud and bright. He likes the quiet. He likes the dark. And he loves maps. When Hugo learns that there’s a whole other world under Paris, a network of tunnels, quarries and catacombs mapped beneath his feet, he sets off on an adventure.
Navigating secret passages, narrowly escaping robbers and returning to old friends, Hugo discovers more than just buried treasure.
O Guia Autista para a Aventura
Allie Mason e Ella Willis
An A-Z guide for children 8+ in how to navigate the world of sports and adventure as an autistic person. Learn how active hobbies can develop your strengths and skills, as well as understanding how to how to accomodate your sensory needs.
The book shows readers how to get started in a new hobby and be inspired by some amazing autistic athletes along the way.
Encontrando minha voz
Aoife Dooley
Frankie is different, and so is her best friend, Sam. So when they both start secondary school, it’s tough. Particularly when there are so many rules to follow, like: No talking in class! Be quiet in the hallways! Silence for assembly!
Frankie doesn’t know how she’ll manage, because constantly talking is how she copes. So when she gets the chance to compete in a Battle of the Bands contest, Frankie couldn’t be more excited. Except, to have a band, you need to have band members.
And to have band members, you need to be good at making friends. Can Frankie learn to find her voice and stand out?
Autismo, Bullying e Eu
Emily Lovegrove
This accessible guide for autistic children and teens is full of advice for coping successfully with bullying. It helps the reader understand what bullying is and debunks myths such as ‘bullying makes you stronger’.
It also lays out self-empowering strategies and practical tips on how to deal with situations where they are being bullied.
Eu sou uma garota autista
Danuta Bulhak-Paterson e Teresa Ferguson
Lizzie is an autistic girl, which means that her brain works differently to her friends, and even to autistic boys!
In this book, Lizzie explains what it’s like to be an autistic girl, including how she has a special talent for blending in with her friends, how she can get really tired after being at school all day, how she worries about making mistakes, and how she finds it hard to understand how she is feeling.
O menino que adora lamber o vento
Fiona Carswell e Yu Rong
The boy next door loves to lick the wind. ‘You should try it’, says his mum. ‘All the best winds are at the beach’. And so begins an amazing afternoon by the sea for two boys.
One doesn’t always speak with words and likes throwing stones – the other likes to collect shells and make sandcastles. But the sea works its magic and by the end of the day the boys discover they both love to lick the wind – together.
Gina Kaminski salva o lobo
Craig Green e Francis Martin
Gina Kaminski está aqui para lhe contar três fatos.
1. Little Red Riding Hood is full of big mistakes.
2. She is off to fairy tale land to fix them.
3. She will save the wolf.
Junte-se a Gina, nossa heroína autista, enquanto ela reescreve um conto de fadas à sua maneira brilhante e ousada.
Ser autista (e o que isso realmente significa)
Niamh Garvey
You’re autistic – but what does that really mean? Welcome to the ultimate guide to understanding who you are and what it means to be autistic!
In this fully illustrated graphic guide to what it means to be autistic and discover the differences between sensory seekers and avoiders, why you might find some things super easy and other things extra challenging and even begin to understand and navigate all of your big (and small) feelings.
Best of all, learn what makes you totally unique. You might just come away with some cool facts to share with your friends and family!
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Leo e o Polvo
Isabelle Marinov
The world was too bright for Leo. And too loud. ‘I must be living on the wrong planet,’ Leo thought.
Leo struggles to make sense of the world. He doesn’t understand the other children in his class, and they don’t seem to understand him.
But then one day, Leo meets Maya. Maya is an octopus, and the more Leo learns about her, the more he thinks that perhaps he isn’t alone in this world, after all.
Um tipo diferente de normal
Abigail Balfe
Hi! My name is Abigail, and I’m autistic. But I didn’t know I was autistic until I was an adult-sort-of-person. This is my true story of growing up in the confusing ‘normal’ world, all the while missing some very important information about myself.
There’ll be scary moments involving toilets and crowded trains, heart-warming tales of cats and pianos, and funny memories including my dad and a mysterious tub of ice cream. Along the way you’ll also find some very crucial information about autism.
If you’ve ever felt different, out of place, like you don’t fit in – this book is for you.
O mundo de Frankie
Aoife Dooley
How do you fit in and stand out when you feel different to everyone around you?
12-year-old Frankie knows she’s not like anyone else in her class: she’s different, but she can’t quite figure out why. Is it the new freckle on her nose, or the fact she’s small for her age? Or that she has to go to the hospital sometimes? Everyone else seems to think she’s weird too, and they make fun of her at school. Frankie’s dad left when she was a baby – maybe he was different too?
It would explain why she always feels like an alien. So she and her best-friend Sam, embark on a mission to track him down.
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