Neurodiverse Middle Grade Book Recommendations
A set of fun and inspiring children's books with neurodivergent characters
As it has now been four months since my last book recommendation post was published, I figured it was time to put out another one. All of the books on this list are written for the middle-grade age range and include at least one canonically neurodivergent character who is either a protagonist or a central character. As a neurodivergent person myself, I love being able to read stories with neurodivergent characters and am so glad that representation of various conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others are becoming more and more common in fiction.
Most of these are contemporary stories but I also wanted to mention some books from a few other genres. This list includes a mix of books by neurodivergent and neurotypical authors but all of them are written in a way that is respectful and affirming of various neurotypes. With all that said, here are the books I recommend on this topic!
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
I know I have written about this series a few times before, but it truly means a lot to me. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an amazing and highly entertaining fantasy series inspired by Greek mythology that follows the adventures of Percy Jackson, a demigod with ADHD and dyslexia. Several of the other demigod characters are neurodivergent as well and I love the message it shares that there is nothing wrong with being different and such people can still be heroes. There are a few sequel series, short stories, and other content set in the same universe that I also recommend, but these five books are definitely the place to start.
House of Secrets by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini
House of Secrets is a pretty crazy fantasy trilogy with a bit of time travel, a bit of mystery, and a whole lot of wacky adventures. It begins when a family with three children, Cordelia, Brendan, and Eleanor, move into a strange old house only to discover that it contains many secrets. The books are very action-packed and suspenseful, and the youngest protagonist, Eleanor, is dyslexic.
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Daughter of the Deep is a standalone science fiction novel, featuring protagonist Ana Dakkar, a student at a school for teenagers studying marine exploration. It is a quick and easy read that also manages to be an exhilarating story with a loveable and diverse cast of characters. One of Ana’s friends, Ester, is autistic, and though none of the book is told from her perspective, she is one of the most important characters. I had no idea that there would be an autistic character in this book when I started reading it so that was such a pleasant surprise and it literally had me crying tears of joy when I found out. The autistic representation is so well done!
Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
This is another science fiction standalone, told from the perspective of an autistic girl, Cora. Struggling with the passing of her mother, Cora’s older brother Gregor takes her to Pomegranate, the fancy company where he works to show her around. There, they use advanced technology to make holograms or “Grams" of people so that their family members can continue to see and speak to them after they have died. Around the same time, Cora encounters Adrian, a boy her age who has ADHD and is the son of the owner of Pomegranate. They become fast friends but tragedy strikes when Adrian is hit by a car and goes into a coma. Desperate to see her friend, Cora agrees to be interviewed by Pomegranate so they can better understand autistic people in order to interact with Adrian’s Gram. The book is an interesting one as it looks at issues of ethical problems and eugenics in terms of technology.
Contemporary
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit
I am starting off this section of the post with three books by the same author because I completely adore each of them, and the first of these is Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! This one is an epistolary novel in which a young autistic Jewish girl joins a baseball team and begins writing to a major league baseball star, VJ Capello, about her baseball adventures, and he writes back. It details Vivy’s baseball games and her relationship with her family, especially her mother who is not the most understanding and supportive of her neurodivergent daughter’s needs. It is a really sweet story that even people who know nothing about baseball (like myself) can enjoy.
The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit
Told from the perspectives of two sisters, The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family is another great book with neurodivergent characters. Not only are the protagonists autistic but both their father and younger brother have ADHD. The story is such a wholesome one and takes place when Lara, the older sister, and Caroline, the younger sister who is nonspeaking, have a disagreement. Caroline is busy spending time with new friend at school and doing art whereas Lara develops a new obsession with solving mysteries. One of my favourite aspects of the book is the mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish family with their religious traditions, food culture, and spunky personalities.
Second Chance Summer by Sarah Kapit
The third book by Sarah Kapit also has two protagonists, Maddie and Chole. Maddie, a Jewish girl with dyspraxia and Chloe, an actress, were once close friends until something happened that drove them apart. This summer, however, they will be attending the same theatre camp and will need to learn to get along with each other again. Told partly in the present at the summer camp and partly in the past to cover the history of their relationship, Second Chance Summer is an immersive story about friendship and growing up with a large focus on musical theatre and disability.
The View from the Very Best House in Town by Meera Trehan
Similar to the previous book, The View from the Very Best House in Town is a book about two friends who go through a rough patch in their relationship. The two protagonists, Sam and Asha, are both autistic and have always been close until Sam goes to an elite school while Asha remains in public school. Then Sam starts spending time with Prestyn, Asha’s rival and the daughter of the family who resides in Donnybrooke house which is Asha’s dream home. The mansion, Donnybrooke plays a large role in the story, even having chapters told from its perspective which was a delight to read for someone like myself who will probably never get enough of the “personified buildings” trope. I loved every bit of it and the book’s explorations of topics like bullying and changing relationships are really well done.
Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner
Tune It Out is a contemporary novel about a girl named Lou who loves to sing but experiences strong sensitivities to loud noises. After being taken away from her neglectful mother, she goes to live with her aunt and uncle where she attends a fancy private school. There, she learns that she has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and learns how to manage it. It is a quick and delightful read that anyone with sensory issues will resonate with due to its accurate portrayal.
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Although I prefer the TV show adaptation to the book, A Kind of Spark is still well-worth a read. Set in Scotland, it follows an autistic girl named Addie who develops an interest in the women her village executed for witchcraft and begins campaigning for a memorial to be made commemorating their tragic lives. It has an interesting and very supportive family dynamic with two older sisters, one of whom is autistic and is all-around a sweet story about preventing discrimination against those who are different. Additionally, it addresses things like friendship, bullying, and autistic masking.
Keedie is the prequel story to this book, though I recommend reading it after. It features Addie’s autistic older sister, Keedie, as she navigates school and her relationship with her twin, Nina. Keedie also begins to realize that young Addie, who is not yet diagnosed, is autistic as well and becomes such a protective older sister. Complete with small-town vibes, neurodivergent representation, and feel-good moments, this series is definitely one to look out for!
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl tells the story of Lucy, a girl struck by lightning in second grade, giving her genius math abilities, a condition known as acquired savant syndrome. She also has OCD which requires her to do things like sit and stand multiple times before taking a seat and count all the words on a page before reading them. In the story, she goes to a public middle school for seventh grade where she immediately stands out as being different from the other students. The book tells the story of how she navigates school, the complex relationships that come along with it, and her mission to help dogs find homes at the local animal shelter. It is a well-written book full of fun math references that readers of any age can enjoy.
I hope you discovered some new books to read, and if you would like to view my other book recommendation posts, click here to check them out. As always, if you have any recommendations for neurodiverse middle-grade fiction that were not included here, put them in the comments below!