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Kiara has Asperger’s syndrome, and it’s hard for her to make friends. She wishes she could be like her hero Rogue — a misunderstood X-Men mutant who used to hurt anyone she touched until she learned how to control her special power. When Chad moves in across the street, Kiara hopes that, for once, she’ll be able to make friendship stick. When she learns his secret, she’s so determined to keep Chad as a friend that she agrees not to tell. But being a true friend is complicated and it might be just the thing that leads Kiara to find her own special power. The story celebrates everyone’s ability to discover and use whatever it is that makes them different.

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, 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? (2007 Newbery Honor Book)

Willow Chance is a 12-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. Willow is also an outsider, a girl possibly somewhere on the autism/Asperger’s spectrum (although that is never stated). Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. This story is about her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family.

Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim board the London Eye, but after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off — except Salim. Ted and his older sister, Kat, become sleuthing partners and follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. Ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery.

A story told entirely from the point of view of Jason, an autistic boy who is a creative-writing whiz and deft explainer of literary devices, but markedly at a loss in social interactions with “neurotypicals” both at school and at home. He is most comfortable in an online writing forum called Storyboard, where his stories kindle an e-mail-based friendship with a girl. The author describes Jason’s attempts to interpret body language and social expectations, and ultimately how Jason moves through his failures and triumphs with the same depth of courage and confusion of any boy his age.

From inside Caitlin’s head, readers see the very personal aftermath of a middle school shooting that took the life of the older brother she adored. Caitlin is a bright fifth grader and a gifted artist. She also has Asperger Syndrome, and her brother, Devon, was the one who helped her interpret the world. A compassionate school counselor works with her, trying to teach her the social skills that are so difficult for her. Through her own efforts and her therapy sessions, she begins to come to terms with her loss and makes her first, tentative steps toward friendship. (Winner of the National Book Award)

The year is 1862, and 12-year-old P.K. “Pinky” Pinkerton is on the run from Whittlin’ Walt and his gang of ruthless desperados. P.K. is determined to hold on to Ma’s last priceless possession: the deed to a large amount of land and silver mines in the Nevada Mountains. P.K. will have to be both clever and cunning to evade the band of outlaws. All this is seen through the eyes of P.K., a half-Lakota kid with Asperger Syndrome, which makes him chronically unable to interpret the intentions of people around him.

Fourth grade is not going at all how Benny Barrows hoped. He hasn’t found a new best friend at school. He’s still not a great bike rider — even though his brother George, who’s autistic, can do tricks. And worst of all, he worries his dad’s recent accident might be all his fault. Benny tries to take his mom’s advice and focus on helping others, and to take things one step at a time, but Benny doesn’t know how he and his family will overcome all the bad luck that life seems to have thrown their way.

Charlie’s perfectly ordinary life has been unraveling ever since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. When his father heads from California to Virginia for medical treatment, Charlie reluctantly travels cross-country with his boy-crazy sister, unruly brothers, and a mysterious new family friend. This story is equal parts madcap road trip, coming-of-age story for an autistic boy who feels he doesn’t understand the world, and an uplifting portrait of a family overcoming a crisis. See our interview with the author, Sally J. Pla ›

This uplifting story follows space-obsessed Lester Musselbaum as he experiences the challenges of his first days of public school: making friends, facing bullies, finding his “thing,” and accidentally learning of his autism-spectrum diagnosis. A touching peek into the life of a sensitive autism-spectrum boy facing the everydayness of elementary school.

When their grandmother falls ill, Ivy Sparrow and her older brother, Seb, discover an entirely different London and the truth about their grandmother. Fast-paced and well-written, this magical adventure features a unique look to make the common rather uncommon. 

Fifth-grade Maria and her younger brother live with their parents on a farm in Yuba City, California near the end of World War II. Their father is from India, their mother from Mexico. Maria loves to play baseball and is encouraged by her teacher but confronts other problems. Will their field be destroyed? Will the family lose their home? Both humorous and poignant, readers will gain a sense of the period and many of the issues that feel very contemporary. 

Anais speaks French in her native African country but must use English in her new home in Maine. It’s difficult to learn English, make new friends and adjust. When her grandmother insists that Anais corresponds with her in English, not French, she asks her granddaughter to note one good thing about America each time. Though sometimes difficult, Anais does which ultimately helps things improve in this sweet, hopeful story of immigration.

It’s hard to make lemonade out of lemons when your mother has died and you’re stuck living far away from everything familiar. But that’s just what Lemonade Liberty Witt must do when she goes to live with her grandfather in Willow Creek, California, the Bigfoot Capital of the World. There she meets Tobin Sky, an odd boy who is the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives, Inc. Together, they solve a mystery, perhaps even meet a Bigfoot, and find that making lemonade can sometimes occur unexpectedly.   

Four very different kids each with unique problems and personalities, come together over a short period to find a lost boy, come to appreciate each other, and discover new friendships. Each character is recognizable, likeable, and when they come together create a fast-paced story sure to engage young readers.

After the mother skunk is killed, Bixby “Bat” Alexander Tam’s veterinarian mother brings home its kit to be kept only until its old enough to be released. Who would have thought Bat would want to keep the baby skunk, named Thor? Is it really okay for a skunk to become a pet? Bat is a unique character and the story offers a deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum, presented realistically in this touching (and surprisingly informative) novel.

Barker and Purdy are best friends but very different. Not only is Barker a dog and Purdy a cat, but their personalities are quite dissimilar: one is hardworking, the other rather lazy. But differences are made to be appreciated as Barker and Purdy come to appreciate in this illustrated, episodic and charming book first published in Finland.

Four young people come together at the Metropolitan in New York City on the very day that Pearl Harbor is bombed. Their quest involves Arthurian legend, creepy villains, and a bit of magic in this well-paced, riveting narration will be enjoyed by sophisticated listeners.

The entire family will enjoy how Precious solves her first mystery — a thief in school! Written by the author of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency adult books, the narrator brings the book to life with a lyrical voice ideally bringing the characters to life. This is sure to please the entire family.

Amber Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto is getting ready to start middle school and she’s worried. Imaginative and real, Amber — half Japanese, half Italian — is read with authenticity to punctuate her mixed heritage and family concerns shared by many 9 to 12 year olds.

Darkus finds friends, adventure, and surprises once his widowed father disappears from a closed museum room filled with beetles. The author delightfully narrates the engaging science fiction/fantasy/realistic tale just right for slightly older listeners.

Don t miss the adventures of Chuck and David, two boys who travel to the alien planet Basidium in their homemade spaceship. This timeless series (in print since the 1950s) is a classic that is sure to be read over and over again.

An young girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, must unlock the powerful magic buried deep inside her. Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. The swiftly paced plot draws many threads together to form a web of characters, magic, and interwoven lives. (Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal)

When he was born, he had a face that even his mother had trouble loving. But Hoge eventually came home, survived multiple operations, and gained a strong sense of self.  This is a touching, true story told by the Australian who has gone on to lead a successful and full life. It is told with humor, pathos, and an appreciation of what is truly important.