{"id":202506,"date":"2025-10-15T19:33:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T19:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/202506\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T19:33:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T19:33:09","slug":"12-books-for-kids-that-celebrate-neurodivergent-brains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/202506\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Books for Kids That Celebrate Neurodivergent Brains"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a neurodivergent parent of a neurodivergent child, I am always on the lookout for age appropriate books<\/a> that feature characters who learn, interact with others, and think in ways that defy expectation, cause challenges, but also make their lives richer, more interesting, and special.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Thankfully, unlike when I was growing up, there are more books being published now that represent diverse perspectives, including disability and neurodivergence. This representation can help children learn more about themselves and how their brains work, ultimately helping them feel less isolated and alone<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Even if your child is neurotypical, they will likely have classmates and friends that are neurodivergent. Narratives about neurodivergence can help all children gain understanding and be more compassionate and accepting of their peers.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

This list includes picture books, chapter books, and middle grade titles, many written by authors that share the diagnoses they write about. These books that educate about different types of neurodivergence<\/a> and normalize difference.\n<\/p>\n

Picture Books
\n ‘I Think I Think A Lot’ by Jessica Whipple, Illustrated by Josee Bisaillon (2023) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Free Spirit Publishing<\/p>\n

I Think I Think a Lot narrates a young girl\u2019s struggles with obsessive thoughts<\/a>. She struggles with self-acceptance and self-compassion. The narrator feels alienated from other kids her own age, who she perceives as more confident and focused than she is. The book illustrates overthinking in a way that might make sense to a kid\u2014a messy swirl of ideas and images that are difficult to piece together.\n<\/p>\n

The last few pages of the book include discussion questions parents or teachers can use to expand on the complex themes presented in the book to young readers, and more information about obsessive compulsive disorder.\n<\/p>\n

‘My Brain Is a Race Car’ Nell Harris (2023) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Nell Harris<\/p>\n

Extended metaphors can be particularly helpful for explaining complex concepts to children, and this picture book delivers a fun one. In My Brain is a Race Car Nell Harris describes the neurodivergent brain as a race car, inspired by her and her daughter\u2019s experience with ADHD and autism.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The book also offers young readers self regulation tools<\/a>, and is written in fun, simple rhyming sentences that explain how the neurodivergent brain processes experiences differently, making it accessible for kids just learning about this topic.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The book\u2019s author, Nell Harris, hopes that the book will be a \u201cconversation opener,\u201d writing on her website that she wants parents and kids to read it together, then \u201c[have] a chat about their individual selves and what can and could be done to manage, assist, and uplift.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

‘Too Much! An Overwhelming Day’ by Jolene Guti\u00e9rrez, Illustrated by Angel Chang (2023) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Abrams<\/p>\n

Many neurodivergent children struggle with sensory sensitivities<\/a>. Too Much!: An Overwhelming Day demonstrates how all the sensory input that a neurodivergent child experiences on a daily basis, including irritating textures, loud sounds, and bright lights, can feel like too much to handle\u2014to that point that they just want to hide away from the world.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

This picture book is immersive, evoking the itch of a sweater or the satisfying softness of a banana (as opposed to other intolerably crunchy snacks). By the end readers understand why all these sensations piling up over the course of the day could lead to a meltdown.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Both the text and an in-depth author\u2019s note at the end offer more insight into sensory processing, as well as tools and accommodations that neurodivergent children can use to help regulate and avoid sensory overload.\n<\/p>\n

‘Aaron Slater, Illustrator’ by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by David Roberts (2021) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Abrams Books<\/p>\n

This title is part of the delightful Questioneers picture book series<\/a> that features children exploring their passions, talents, and hobbies.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The star of this book, Aaron Slater, loves stories and hopes to one day write his own, but feels like his dyslexia will be a barrier to achieving his dream. When he can\u2019t write a story for a school assignment\u2014\u2014letters just look like scribbles on a page to him\u2014he discovers through art that there is more than one way to tell a story.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The colorful illustrations in this book are like a glimpse into a child\u2019s imagination, with fun surprises to be found on every page. Aaron Slater, Illustrator also features a dyslexia friendly font. For older children, Aaron continues his adventures with the other Questioneers in a chapter book series, including Aaron Slater and the Sneaky Snake<\/a>, in which his art saves a snake named Vern from a disgruntled city council.\n<\/p>\n

Chapter Books
\n ‘The Infinity Rainbow Club: Nick and the Brick Builder Challenge’ by Jen Malia, Illustrated by Peter Francis (2023) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

\u200e\u00a0Beaming Books<\/p>\n

The titles in The Infinity Rainbow Club series feature a group of five children with diagnoses like autism, ADHD, and OCD who spend time together in a school club for neurodivergent children.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

In the first book in the series, Nick, who is autistic, wants to take part in a competition that uses bricks to build different types of structures. He\u2019d rather work alone, but when he\u2019s partnered with the new girl in school, he learns how to be part of a team.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Throughout the series the characters navigate challenges like being misunderstood by their neurotypical peers and teachers and finding accommodations and tools that work with their brain differences. The books also illustrate how they are able to find safety and acceptance in a world not built for them.\n<\/p>\n

‘Dinosaur Pie’ by Jen Wallace, Illustrated by Alan O’Rourke <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Little Island Books<\/p>\n

When Rory is stressed, he feels like his ADHD is his \u201cAnnoying Dopey Huge Difference.\u201d Then he eats a dinosaur pie, which transforms him into an actual dinosaur, and suddenly he has way bigger problems.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Dinosaur Pie takes readers on an adventure to turn Rory back to his human form (his friends call it Operation Make Rory Human Again), but the book is at its core a kid-friendly exploration of the realities of living with ADHD<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

This hilarious chapter book is perfect for young independent readers or for parents to read aloud with their kids; the cartoon-style illustrations add even more fun and humor to the reading experience.\n<\/p>\n

‘This Is My Brain! A Book on Neurodiversity’ by Elise Gravel (2024) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Chronicle Books<\/p>\n

While this nonfiction book is the length of a traditional picture book, its content is geared to children in elementary school. This is My Brain is an age-appropriate introduction to how our brains interact with the rest of our bodies and with each other, and how neurodivergent brains process information.\n<\/p>\n

Perfect for children who love graphic novels, Elise Gravel uses humor in both the text and illustrations to break down the complex topics of brain function and neurology\u2014in particular introducing young kids that brains can learn and think in all kinds of different ways.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Gravel\u2019s goal is to teach kids that those differences can be tricky to navigate but that ultimately they make our world richer and a better place.\n<\/p>\n

‘Harriet Hound’ by Kate Foster, Illustrated by Sophie Beer (2024) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Penguin Random House<\/p>\n

Harriet is autistic, loves dogs, and also has a super power: the ability to enlist the dogs living at her parent\u2019s pet shelter and then team up with them to solve mysteries and stop trouble.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The book highlights Harriet\u2019s problem solving skills, but more than that, this book is perfect for young fans of animals. It reminds children that just like Harriet and each of her dogs, each person has their own unique strengths.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Along with the narrative of her adventures, Harriet provides insight into her autism, explaining some of the behaviors autistic people exhibit,\u00a0 like stimming and sensory sensitivities. She also identifies false stereotypes, helping autistic kids who are reading the book feel seen and understood.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Harriet Hound includes four different stories, so it is the length of several standard chapter books, meaning more fun and adventure with Harriet and her dog friends for kids and parents to enjoy together.\n<\/p>\n

Middle Grade
\n ‘Forget Me Not’ by Ellie Terry (2018) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Feiwel & Friends<\/p>\n

Calliope and her mother have moved again and once again Calliope tries (and fails) to hide her Tourette syndrome from her peers at school, though she often doesn\u2019t have control over the noises she makes. Written by an author who has Tourette syndrome, it deftly captures this very misunderstood type of neurodivergence.\n<\/p>\n

Forget Me Not is told from two perspectives: Calliope\u2019s, written in verse, and Jin, a neighbor who originally hides their friendship, written in prose. This novel depicts the difficulties neurodivergent children may have<\/a> finding acceptance and understanding from their peers, even though all Calliope wants is to be seen as an “interesting person and a good friend<\/a>.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

‘Just Roll With It’ by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie (2021) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Random House Graphic<\/p>\n

The transition to middle school is tough, but Maggie\u2019s OCD, which she imagines taking the form of a dragon, is making it even more challenging. Her obsessions and compulsions surrounding rolling the right number on her role playing game dice triggers her anxiety and make it difficult for her to make even the smallest decisions\u2014let alone make friends.\n<\/p>\n

This middle grade graphic novel is an accessible look into how OCD can dominate a kid\u2019s life, but it also covers how to accept support and build up coping skills<\/a>, while also exposing harmful stereotypes about people with OCD that might affect teens.\n<\/p>\n

‘Flipping Forward Twisting Backward’ by Alma Fullerton, Illustrated by Sarah Mensinga (2022) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Peachtree Publishing Company<\/p>\n

Claire\u2019s gymnastic gym is where she excels, unlike at school where she\u2019s been branded as a troublemaker. But when her school\u2019s principal suggests that her acting out might be covering up a learning disability, Claire\u2019s mom is hesitant to have her evaluated.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

This novel in verse follows Claire\u2019s journey from feeling like she isn\u2019t smart to understanding that her dyslexia doesn\u2019t mean she can\u2019t excel at school, just that she needs more support.\n<\/p>\n

Flipping Forward Twisting Backwards features a dyslexia friendly font and both the verse format and length of under 150 pages make it a great choice for more reluctant readers, or those who might find following longer prose books challenging.\n<\/p>\n

‘A Kind of Spark’ by Elle McNicoll (2022) <\/p>\n

Photo: <\/p>\n

Crown Books for Young Readers<\/p>\n

Eleven-year-old Addie is autistic. This means that she feels her emotions more deeply, is more sensitive to sensory input like bright lights and loud sounds, and makes connections that others don\u2019t see\u2014but that doesn\u2019t mean that she lets what challenges her define her whole personality.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

When Addie\u2019s class begins to study the witch trials that occurred in her Scottish town, she realizes that these women were probably different like her, and she advocates for a way to remember them.\n<\/p>\n

McNicoll\u2019s compassionate, immersive writing has wide appeal for preteen and teen readers, both those neurotypical and neurodivergent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As a neurodivergent parent of a neurodivergent child, I am always on the lookout for age appropriate books…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202507,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[457,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-202506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-books","tag-books","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202506"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202506\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}