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Diverse Children's Literature: Neurodiversity

Topic information

Be careful not to box yourself into a concrete search term for your topic. Think of synonyms for your subject - broader terms, related terms, and narrower terms. Using this strategy will guarantee a wider selection of materials. Be aware, too, that some search terms may be uncomfortable to think or say out loud - but could yield possible results.

Neurodiversity is a fairly recent term that encompasses a variety of differences in brain functioning. There is, however, a difference between mental disorders (e.g., bipolar) and diversity of ability/disability. Ergo, this page does not feature titles that deal with depression and anxiety. For an adequate framework, reference this article from Psychology Today. It can provide some ideas for other keywords!

Possible search terms: ADHD, synesthesia, autism, dyspraxia, asperger's, learning disability

Picture Books and Early Readers

The Alphabet War
Benji, the Bad Day, and Me
Back to Front and Upside Down
Every Turtle Counts
A Friend for Henry
The Heart's Language
How I Learn
Looking after Louis
Me and My Sister
My Brother Charlie
My Friend Has Autism
The Noisy Paint Box: the Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art
Russell's World
Silent Days, Silent Dreams
Waiting for Benjamin

Middle Grade

Each Tiny Spark
Fish in a Tree
Focused
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
A Mango-Shaped Space
Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse
Mockingbird
Planet Earth Is Blue
Rain Reign
The Space We're In
Stuck in the Middle (of Middle School)
Up for Air
When Stars Are Scattered
The World from up Here

Young Adult

Apart
A Certain October
A Cloud of Outrageous Blue
Episodes
Finding Grace
Funny, You Don't Look Autistic
Harmonic Feedback
The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily
Marcelo in the Real World
On the Edge of Gone
Pinned
Same but Different
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am
When My Heart Joins the Thousand
The White Bicycle