April is a month full of celebrations, including the celebration of neurodiversity with Autism Awareness Month. In fact, April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day – a day to “Light it Up Blue!” For more information, visit Autism Speaks. I want to share with you a few Autism Spectrum resources; first is a LibGuide I created – “Autism & Asperger’s Syndrome Resources”
Second is a wonderful website I discovered a couple of years ago – Disability is Natural – I highly recommend reading Kathie Snow’s monthly articles which encourage People First Language.
Lastly, I’ve included a list of elementary and middle school books that have a protagonist or secondary characters that are on the Autism Spectrum. I have read and reviewed all of the books on this list, and am happy to share my research paper if you are interested! Click here for a printable list, including some non-fiction resources as well.
Elementary School Fiction:
Hoopman, Kathy. (2001) Of Mice and Aliens: An Asperger Adventure. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Peete, Holly Robinson. (2010). My Brother Charlie. New York: Scholastic Press.
Tourville, Amanda Doering. (2010). My Friend has Autism. North Mankato: Picture Window Books.
Welton, Jude. (2008). Adam’s Alternative Sports Day: An Asperger Story. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Middle School Fiction:
Baskin, Nora Raleigh. (2009). Anything but Typical. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Brenna, Beverley. (2005). Wild Orchid. Calgary: Red Deer Press.
Crowley, Suzanne. (2007). The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Dooley, Sarah. (2010). Livvie Owen Lived Here. New York: Feiwel and Friends Book.
Dowd, Siobhan. (2007). The London Eye Mystery. New York: A Yearling Book.
Ersking, Kathy. (2010). Mockingbird. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated.
Houtman, Jacqueline. (2010). The Reinvention of Edison Thomas. Honesdale: Front Street.
Roy, Jennifer. (2010) . Mindblind. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish
The Creative Librarian 