April is Autism Acceptance Month, and a great way to learn more about autism is through reading about the experiences of others.
This list from Read it Forward features six titles with a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. Some of the titles include:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
“This bestselling-novel has seen great success on Broadway after it was adapted for the stage in 2014. Haddon’s fifteen-year-old main character Christopher John Francis Boone knows all of the world’s capitals and prime numbers up to 7,057 but can’t stand to be touched and hates the color yellow. His well-ordered life goes off the rails when his neighbor’s dog is murdered, but Christopher sets off to solve the mystery, using—of course—logic.”
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
“His unique book truly shines a light on what goes on inside an autistic brain; author Naoki Higashida was thirteen when he painstakingly penned this book—a collection of answers to frequently asked questions about autism, like “Why do people with Autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” and “Why don’t you make eye contact when you speak?” Brought to English translation by David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas, The Bone Clocks) and his wife, this disarmingly honest read is illuminating and beautifully written.”
Make sure to check out this list of picture books compiled and reviewed by a school librarian! Some of her picks include:
Andy and his Yellow Frisbee by Mary Thompson
“I loved this subtle story of acceptance, probably because Sarah reminds me of my daughter. Between Sarah’s effort and Rose’s calm but protective wait-and-see, this story gently conveys to typical children that there is no magic formula for interacting with someone who is autistic.”
Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism by Laurie Lears, illustrated by Karen Ritz
“Ian’s Walk is a beautiful story with a simple plot, but one that conveys the complex sibling relationships inherent in special needs families. It’s an obvious story to share with siblings of autistic and special needs children (or even in support groups for such)”
National Autism Resources has several lists of children’s books to choose from, or check out this one from the nonprofit literacy group Books for Bay.
Find more suggestions for books and other publications from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network here.
