Books for 6th-12th Grade

Peers/Friendship

These books explore autistic people and friendships. The books help readers to understand the characteristics of autism and how to be a supportive friend.

Ann Drew Jackson

Author: Joan Clark

Grade Levels: Grades 4-6

Short Summary:

Do your students need to understand their peers with autism a bit better? Joan Clark's sequel to her popular book, Jackson Whole Wyoming, reintroduces us to Jackson Thomas, a fifth-grade boy on the spectrum. This time, we find Jackson in a new school, with new classmates. Hillary Branson, a spunky, independent classmate of Jackson tells the story from her perspective as the classmate assigned to complete a science project with Jackson. Hillary has a serious attitude problem and tends to lie; therefore, it comes as no surprise that when assigned to work with Jackson, she rebels in any way she can. As the story unfolds, the reader begins to understand Hillary's background and delight in how she and Jackson discover they have a lot more in common than they ever realized.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Peers
  • Changing schools

Can You See Me?

Author: Libby Scott (autistic) and Rebecca Westcott

Grade Levels: 3-6 grade

Short Summary:

Things Tally is dreading about sixth grade:

  • Being in classes without her best friends
  • New (scratchy) uniforms
  • Hiding her autism

Tally isn't ashamed of being autistic -- even if it complicates life sometimes, it's part of who she is. But this is her first year at Kingswood Academy, and her best friend, Layla, is the only one who knows. And while a lot of other people are uncomfortable around Tally, Layla has never been one of them'…until now.

Something is different about sixth grade, and Tally now feels like she has to act "normal." But as Tally hides her true self, she starts to wonder what "normal" means after all and whether fitting in is really what matters most.

Inspired by young coauthor Libby Scott's own experiences with autism, this is an honest and moving middle-school story of friends, family, and finding one's place.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Self-awareness
  • Empathy
  • Middle school
  • Masking

Supplemental Resources:

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Author: Mark Haddon

Grade Levels: Grades 6-12

Short Summary:

Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old who describes himself as "a mathematician with some behavioral difficulties,' becomes engaged in a murder mystery as he tries to determine who killed his neighbor's dog. His Asperger's syndrome, which causes him to view and interact with the world in a unique way, both aids and impedes his investigation. As he dives further into the mystery, despite his father's concerned disapproval, Christopher has a revelation about his mother, whom his father had said died two years ago.

Content Warning: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time contains scenes of abuse, discussions of atheism, references to sexuality, and some explicit language.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Understanding Differences
  • Coping mechanisms

Supplemental Resources:

Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes

Author: Jennifer Elder (mother of autistic son)

Grade Levels: Grades 3-7

Short Summary:

Different Like Me introduces children aged 8 to 12 years to famous, inspirational figures from the world of science, art, math, literature, philosophy and comedy.

Eight-year-old Quinn, a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, tells young readers about the achievements and characteristics of his autism heroes, from Albert Einstein, Dian Fossey and Wassily Kandinsky to Lewis Carroll, Benjamin Banneker and Julia Bowman Robinson, among others. All excel in different fields but are united by the fact that they often found it difficult to fit in-just like Quinn.

Fully illustrated in color and written in child-friendly language, this book will be a wonderful resource for children, particularly children with autism, their parents, teachers, carers and siblings.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Diversity
  • Intelligence
  • Peers
  • Friendship

Jackson Whole Wyoming

Author: Joan Clark

Grade Levels: 2-6 grade

Short Summary:

His classmates have identified him as a friend of Jackson's, who has autism, and now Tyler is trying to understand what that means in terms of his own personality. Over the course of this highly readable and swift-moving middle-grade novel (2nd to 6th grade), Tyler realizes that Jackson is a true friend who has enriched his life. Other students get to know Jackson across the school year. The book celebrates individual differences in all people and fosters an environment or acceptance. Written by a speech-language pathologist who works with children with autism spectrum disorder, this novel belongs on the library shelf of any middle-grade classroom.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Social
  • Personal perspective
  • Friendship

Supplemental Resources:

Jay Grows an Alien

Author: Caroline Anne Levine

Grade Levels: 6th-12th grade

Short Summary:

Jay, a young boy with Asperger Syndrome, often feels out of place in the world around him but doesn't know why. He doesn't understand why people call him names like space cadet and asp-booger. He has looked up asp in the dictionary to help find the answer to his wonderings, but knows he is not a small poisonous snake from Egypt. But what is he then? Caroline Levine s short novel follows Jay at school and home as he ponders these and other questions. In addition to independent reading, the book is great for use by teachers to promote an understanding of differences.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Differences

Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About - A Teenage Girl with ASD Shares Her Experiences First

Author: Haley Moss (a female with ASD)

Grade Levels: Middle/High School grades

Short Summary:

Middle school is an intimidating time for most students, but for students with autism spectrum disorder, it can be a veritable minefield of hidden curriculum rules, social misunderstandings and cliques - and that's before they even get to the academics! In Middle School - The Stuff Nobody Tells You About: A Teenage Girl with High-Functioning Autism Shares Her Experiences, a teenager with high-functioning autism relates her own experiences in middle school. Aimed at young teens, this resource tackles the issues that girls this age care about: fitting in, making friends, wearing the right clothes, succeeding academically and more. The book for teens, by teens approach makes it an easy, fun read while giving readers practical tips that they can use in their everyday lives. The author - already an accomplished artist - also illustrated the book.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Hidden Curriculum
  • Social rules
  • Making friends
  • Academics

Mockingbird

Author: Kathryn Erskine

Grade Levels: 6-8 grades

Short Summary:

Caitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is black and white; anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon was killed in a school shooting, and Caitlin's dad is so distraught that he is just not helpful. Caitlin wants everything to go back to the way things were, but she doesn't know how to do that. Then she comes across the word closure--and she realizes this is what she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that the world may not be so black and white after all - the world is full of colors - messy and beautiful.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Closure
  • Autism
  • Social emotional reactions
  • Loss of a sibling
  • Friendship
  • Growing up/resilience
  • Challenges of childhood

Supplemental Resources:

New My Friend's Autism: Advice From Someone Who Is Autistic, His Friends, Classmates, Teammates, Mentors, and Family from Elementary School Through the College Years

Author: Pauly Montgomery and Cindy Montgomery

Grade Levels: 12-18 years

Short Summary:

One day you will meet someone with autism, and you will, whether you are aware of it or not. This book, written by the mother/son team of Pauly and Cindy Montgomery, and 23 of Pauly's friends, will help you to communicate when it happens. If you're well-intentioned but afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing when you first meet someone with autism, or any disability, then this book is for you. Pauly's story of mastering social behaviors, forming meaningful connections, and facing bullies, chronicles an engaging journey that led to a book offering support to those who have no knowledge of autism.

Take the awkwardness out of any encounter with an autistic person.

A 25-year-old autistic "in-betweener", Pauly gets candid about being caught between two worlds: neurotypical and neurodivergent. His new book, "My Friend's Autism" details his journey through the eyes of friends, teachers, and family. He stresses that patience is key. Pauly's efforts to advocate nationally include being selected by the Department of Labor to speak with state senators and national education leaders.

Helpful hints from the book include:

  • It's okay to feel uncomfortable when you first meet someone.
  • Avoiding them is the worst thing you can do.
  • Have a calm demeanor. Talk slowly and have patience and give them time to respond.
  • In advance and together, decide on a word or phrase to be used if they need a break in the conversation.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Communication
  • Sensory
  • Bullying

My Strange and Terrible Malady

Author: Catherine Bristow

Grade Levels: 3-7 grade

Short Summary:

Ronita Ronnie Baker, 11th-grade individualist, is not happy. School is a struggle, and now doctors just diagnosed her with Asperger Syndrome. It s hard enough being the misfit daughter of a perfect mother, let alone being diagnosed with a disorder no one understands. My Strange and Terrible Malady takes a look at Asperger Syndrome from Ronnie s point of view. While she is clearly not socially savvy, things begin to change when she meets Hannah, a fellow student who takes the time to explain the mysteries of social interaction and other conundrums of daily life to Ronnie. With the help of Hannah and her new life coach, Ronnie shows readers that successful social and emotional interaction can be learned.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Social relationships
  • Emotional

Piggy

Author: Mireille Geus

Grade Levels: 5-8 grade

Short Summary:

The story of a young girl's struggle and ultimate victory over disability. Piggy (Big in the original Dutch), like Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is told in the first person by an autistic child. Twelve-year-old Lizzy Bekell lives with her mother and attends a special school. Her nickname is Dizzy, which aptly describes the dreamy abstraction that overcomes her when she is faced with things she finds unpleasant or uncomfortable. She spends her free time waiting at the bus stop (without ever getting on a bus) or standing against a streetlamp and watching other children play. She is often teased and bullied. Lizzy's behavior feels familiar, like an exaggerated version of our own fears, and even her strangeness seems like a reasonable response to a threatening world. Everything changes, however, when she meets Abigail, a girl perfectly capable of standing up to other kids. Abigail sees in Lizzy an easy mark, someone so trusting that she can be easily manipulated. At the same time, Abigail, herself a lonely girl, hopes that Lizzy will be her friend. When Abigail comes up with a plan to wreak vengeance on the boys who've been teasing them, she finds it easy to make Lizzy an accomplice. Lizzy is soon faced with events that challenge her to overcome the closed, internal world of autism. How far can Lizzy allow herself to be manipulated before she stands up to Abigail?

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Bullying
  • Friendship

New Planet Earth is Blue

Author: Nicole Pantelekos

Grade Levels: 3rd-7th grade

Short Summary:

Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger--it's the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget, share a love of astronomy and the space program. They planned to watch the launch together. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home.

While foster families and teachers dismiss Nova as severely autistic and nonverbal, Bridget understands how intelligent and special Nova is, and all that she can't express. As the liftoff draws closer, Nova's new foster family and teachers begin to see her potential, and for the first time, she is making friends without Bridget. But every day, she's counting down to the launch, and to the moment when she'll see Bridget again. Because Bridget said, "No matter what, I'll be there. I promise."

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Family
  • Autism
  • Nonverbal Communication

Supplemental Resources:

New Real

Author: Carol Cujec

Grade Levels: 11-13 years

Short Summary:

Inspired by a true story, Real speaks to all those who've ever felt they didn't belong and reminds readers that all people are worthy of being included.

My name is Charity. I am thirteen years old. Actually, thirteen years plus eighty-seven days. I love sour gummies and pepperoni pizza. That last part no one knows because I have not spoken a sentence since I was born. Each dawning day, I live in terror of my unpredictable body that no one understands.

Charity may have mad math skills and a near-perfect memory, but with a mouth that can't speak and a body that jumps, rocks, and howls unpredictably, most people incorrectly assume she cannot learn. Charity's brain works differently from most people's because of her autism, but she's still funny, determined, and kind. So why do people treat her like a disease or ignore her like she's invisible?

When Charity's parents enroll her in a public junior high school, she faces her greatest fears. Will kids make fun of her? Will her behavior get her kicked out? Will her million thoughts stay locked in her head forever? With the support of teachers and newfound friends, Charity will have to fight to be treated like a real student.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Non-speaking

New Reverie: My Endless Thoughts

Author: Vinay Lingampalli (non-verbal autistic author)

Grade Levels: 7th-12th grade

Short Summary:

A collection of heartfelt poems accompanied by charming illustrations, Reverie is an earnest exploration of the world’s enchanting beauty and the human experience through the lens of non-verbal autism. Vinay Lingampalli’s sincere poetry shares themes of perseverance, love, appreciation, and more, with a profound focus on the positive side of life.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Non-verbal
  • Autism

Rules

Author: Cynthia Lord (she has a son with autism)

Grade Levels: Grades 3-8

Short Summary:

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is nearly impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules, from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public," in order to stop his embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic boy, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Friendship
  • Honesty
  • Acceptance
  • Diversity

Supplemental Resources:

Running on Dreams

Author: Herb Heiman

Grade Levels: 6-12 grade

Short Summary:

Put yourself in Brad's shoes. You're the school track star and all-around cool guy, and you get assigned to be the buddy of Justin, a 15-year-old boy with autism who is starting his first semester in a mainstream school. Thrown together in a story of teenage angst, confusion and friendship, Justin and Brad share their individual perspectives as an adolescent with autism and of a neurotypical teen struggling to understand each other and themselves. The book captures many bittersweet and humorous moments that bring new insight to a familiar world, the world of heartbreak for two boys whose relationship starts out quite turbulent but evolves into an enduring friendship of loyalty and trust.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Friendship
  • Adolescence

New The Horse and the Dragon: Trials of Friendship

Author: Marcus-Mason Williams

Grade Levels: 8-12 years

Short Summary:

The lives of Richard Rosemary, the son of a farmer, and Maranda, the daughter of a king, are touched by Chester, a very special horse, and Wisdom, a magical whistle-breath dragon.

Will our young heroes find a way to right the wrong of a dragon’s capture and prevent a war between the Kingdom of Bear and the Kingdom of Dragon? Discover how Richard and Maranda harness their amazing autistic strengths and overcome life’s challenges with character and courage.

Magical powers, friendship and the realisation that autism is a strength, not a weakness, inspires our human and animal heroes to achieve the impossible.

Get ready for a fantasy adventure!

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Autism
  • Special interest

The Independent Woman's Handbook for Super Safe Living on the Autistic Spectrum

Author: Robin Steward

Grade Levels: Ages 16 and up

Short Summary:

In the same way that seatbelts give added protection to drivers, allowing them to travel safely wherever they choose to go, this practical book will help protect women on the autistic spectrum to negotiate risks and dangers as they live independent lives. Certain traits common to autism such as difficulty interpreting social cues can leave women susceptible to compromising their personal safety. Advocating that no woman on the autistic spectrum should be scared to enjoy independence provided she has the right knowledge and coping strategies in place, this book is filled with practical advice (for ages 16 plus) on how to stay safe while living life to the full. Informed by a survey of women on and off the autistic spectrum, it gets to the heart of the specific safety challenges faced by women, and offers numerous easy-to-use strategies to help avoid and overcome them. Topics covered include friendships, relationships and sex, alcohol and drugs, money and employment, and staying safe outside of the home and online. This will be a trusted and empowering companion for women on the spectrum and will also be valuable and insightful reading for anyone who cares for a woman on the spectrum, including their families, friends and teachers.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Friendship
  • Autism
  • Adolescent
  • Relationships
  • Social

New Timothy Blossom: The Champ!

Author: Steve Slavin

Grade Levels: 3rd grade and up

Short Summary:

Timothy Blossom is an autistic thirteen-year-old with a passion for astronomy. His parents, Bert and Barbara, and best friend, Schrodinger the goldfish, do their best to guide Timothy through his challenges with social interaction and interpreting verbal cues.

But when Timothy's beloved AstroWorld, The Store With a Universe of Galactic Gifts, shuts down, his world is turned upside down. How will he cope with the earth- shattering news?

Find out in Timothy Blossom - The Champ! A wonderful, heart-warming tale to inspire and inform autistic children, their parents, and carers.

Themes/Topics Covered:

  • Families
  • Autism
  • Social interaction