April is (Also!) Autism Acceptance Month

Happy Autism Acceptance Month! Below are ten novels and non-fiction books on autism and/or with autistic main characters. 

FICTION:

1. Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos: Photographer and film buff Daniel Sanchez learned a long time ago that the only way to get by in an allistic world is to mask his autism and follow the script. Which means he knows that boisterous, buff, and beautiful soccer superstars like his best friend, Mona Sinclair, shouldn't be wasting time hanging out with introverts...But when Daniel meets a new classmate, Gabe Mendes, who is tall, mysterious, nonbinary, and--somehow--as cool as Mona, Daniel knows exactly how this is going to play out...But matchmaking means stepping into the mystifying and illogical world of love, dating, and relationships, where nothing is as it seems and no one knows their lines.
2. Everything I Know by Claudia Recinos Seldeen: Mia's world crumbles when she finds out she has to move across the country. Mia's autism makes it hard to handle new situations. She struggles to relate to strangers and to make new friends. Everyone at Mia's old school was familiar with her autism. But life at her new school is different. Kids don't understand Mia's behaviors and needs. All her life, Mia has coped by relying on the familiar. She's made routines that get her through each day. But in this new city, her routines fall apart. How can Mia survive when she's so far away from everything she knows?
3. The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes: Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers--despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen. Luis's attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party--while Ari didn't say no, she definitely didn't say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning--thanks, she's sure, to Luis's ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won't say no. Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she'll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night--and risk everything to see justice done.
4. The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor: Autistic nonbinary eighteen-year-old Sam moves to a new town and school with the support of their loving father and finds friends in an LGBTQ-plus club, but they all must come together to solve the decades-old murder of a teenage boy and confront the demons lurking in Sam's past.
5. The Spirit Bares its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White: Set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, sixteen-year-old autistic transgender boy Silas must expose a power-hungry secret society while confined to a cruel finishing school designed to turn him into the perfect wife.

NON-FICTION:

1. Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty: From sixteen-year-old Dara McAnulty, a globally renowned figure in the youth climate activist movement, comes a memoir about loving the natural world and fighting to save it.
2. Funny, You Don't Look Autistic : a comedian's guide to life on the spectrum by Michael McCreary: Stand-up comic and activist Michael McCreary describes how he was diagnosed with ASD in early childhood and found healing and empowerment through journaling, as a comedian and in dispelling misconceptions about autism.
3. Queerly Autistic : the ultimate guide for LGBTQIA+ teens on the spectrum by Erin Ekins: An inspiring survival guide for autistic LGBTQIA+ teens, sharing experience and advice oncoming out, consent, staying safe in relationships, communicating with family members, finding a community and practicing self-care.
4. The Awesome Autistic Guide for Trans Teens by Yenn Purkis: In this empowering guide, Yenn Purkis and Sam Rose set out honest advice and strategies to help autistic trans and/or gender divergent teens to thrive exactly as they are. Covering a huge range of topics including coming out, masking, building a sense of pride and much more, it is an essential resource for living happily and authentically.
5. The Social Survival Guide for Teens on the Autism Spectrum: how to make friends and navigate your emotions by Lindsey Sterling: Social situations can feel mysterious or tricky to navigate—and if you are on the autism spectrum, they can feel overwhelming. This book unlocks socialization secrets and helps you understand your feelings.