Everyone should feel represented in literature in some way, regardless of race, religion, background, family composition, disability, neurotype, gender, age...you name it.
However, it's a big challenge trying to find good quality books with authentic representations. And I find this especially so for fiction books about autism.
I mean there are so many duds out there when it comes to autism books, both fiction and non-fiction alike.
And, too often, most book lists showcasing novels with autistic main characters miss the mark in big ways, including titles that are problematic and/or have not-so-great or down-right awful descriptions of autistic traits. That's why I screen a lot of these novels and chapter books myself before offering them to my kids.
See, my hope is to compile an amazing list of books with autistic characters for kids and teens. Autism fiction books that feel authentic and realistic. Books that really capture a variety of autistic traits and perspectives and show what it's really like to be autistic and to grow up autistic.
And that's what you'll find below.
This book list was updated on September 26, 2024 to include new book suggestions and reviews. I constantly share and review books in my Instagram stories so be sure to follow along there for even more book suggestions.
The Best Autism Fiction Books with Autistic Characters for Kids & Teens
Below you will find a variety of chapter books and novels that feature an autistic or neurodivergent main character, are written by autistic and neurodivergent authors, and/or sometimes even both!
The focus here is on autism novels and chapter books that have strong authentic and realistic representations, as well as positive narratives about autism. If you were hoping for picture book recommendations, you'll find that list of books here instead.
Please note that I have personally read and reviewed all of the following books unless otherwise stated. The list will also be updated as I find new titles to share.
1. A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
This book features an 11 year old autistic girl who loves sharks and witches. It is so positive and neurodiversity-affirming. It's also probably one of the best autism novels I've ever read! Recently, I excitedly picked up a copy of this book for $1 from my local library from its section of withdrawn items.
2. Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess
This graphic novel features an autistic girl as the main character. The story is great and the illustrations are lovely. It touches on topics like bullying as well. It's a really great book!
3. Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt
I loved this middle grade novel. It is written in verse and is so authentic and realistic in terms of autistic representation. I honestly feel like so many autistic teens and tweens would be able to relate to the character in this book.
4. Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
I may or may not have binge read this book in a day...It features a nonspeaking autistic girl named Nova who's passionate about outer space. It's so good, but the ending just gutted me. Ugh...So. Many. Emotions. Anyway, I highly recommend this book! I also managed to pick up a copy of this book for $1 from my local library from its section of withdrawn items (scored it on the same day as A Kind of Spark).
5. Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
The main message of this novel is beautiful! I quite enjoyed the story and the friendship between the two characters (one is autistic and the other is an ADHDer). I also loved one part where the main character said, "You're not a ridiculous person. You're just a person with...ridiculousness." I laughed so hard at that.
6. Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll
I really enjoyed this fantasy novel. It features a character who has dyspraxia and the story is quite lovely, especially if you like books with magic. Honestly, every book I've read by Elle McNicoll is great. There is a sequel coming out soon called Like a Curse.
7. Real by Carol Cujec & Peyton Goddard
This book is based on Peyton's own experiences and features a 13 year old non-speaking autistic girl named Charity who learns how to type to communicate. I was instantly hooked right from the first sentence and couldn't put it down so I ended up binge reading it in a day. And, goodness, this book had me feeling all the feels. It is fantastic and I can't recommend it enough. It's easily one of the best autism books I've read.
8. The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews
Here's another book that I couldn't put down and ended up reading in a day. It features two brothers, one of which is autistic. The book is fantastic and has such a positive portrayal of autism in it. I seriously loved this book so much, even if the ending absolutely gutted me.
9. Can You See Me? by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott
This book is excellent for so many reasons. First things first, it is co-written by an autistic kid (she was probably 10 or 11 at the time of publishing, not sure) based on her own experiences. That means you end up with a pretty authentic portrayal of an autistic experience.
But what I love the most about this book are the diary entries that are spread throughout the book. Most of the diary entries discuss topics such as demand avoidance, masking, anxiety, and so much more. What an awesome way to educate people on autism while tying it into a story!
There are additional books in this series, but I've only personally read this one and the second one, which is the next one on this list.
10. Do You Know Me? by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott
A sequel to Can You See Me?, this book follows Tally as goes on a week-long school camping trip. The story is really good, but the book as a whole doesn't quite have the same power as the original book that had journal entries to explain various autistic traits. It is worth noting that this book features two solid autistic characters.
11. Not if I Can Help it by Carolyn Mackler
While the main character isn't directly mentioned as being autistic, she does have sensory processing disorder so I think it's still worth including this particular book on this book list. After all, I think the author does a great job of providing a realistic and accurate presentation of what it's like to deal with sensory issues on a daily basis.
12. On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis
Okay, I couldn't put this book down. It was SO good! It's set in the future and features a lot of diverse characters, from the autistic protagonist Denise to a transgender character and everything in between. Denise's character was so authentic and realistic, yet well-developed and likeable. I really loved this book.
13. The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas
This novel is about an autistic teenager named Grace and it features a male character diagnosed with ADHD too. It felt incredibly authentic in terms of representation. I thought it was a really great book, which is perhaps why I binge read it.
14. Underdogs by Chris Bonnello
This book features a whole group of neurodivergent characters from Kate who's autistic and has severe anxiety to Ewan who has PDA. This group of kids and teens are fighting to save Britain from millions of cloned soldiers. I could not put this book down. It was so so good that I binge read it. It's well-written and fast-paced.
There are four books in this series, but I've only read the first book so far. I'm hoping my library will eventually get the rest of the books in the series!
15. Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
I stumbled upon this book when I was placing a Scholastic book order and decided to give it a read. It was a really sweet book. This book is about a girl named Cat and her younger brother Chicken, who is presumably autistic. He's also passionate about sharks. I instantly fell in love with both Cat and Chicken. And, honestly, it's so nice to see an autistic person of color represented for a change too. I also thought the portrayal of autistic traits was well done.
16. A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
I cannot say enough positive things about this book. I personally loved seeing Bat's insights into how he interpreted the world around him. I also appreciate the portrayal of Bat's divorced parents in a positive light, making this book a great read for kids who have divorced parents. I also enjoyed how Bat's relationship with his sister was pretty realistic with its ups and downs.
There are three books in this series. I've read the first two, but not the last one.
17. Bat and the Waiting Game by Elana K. Arnold
I think I enjoyed this book even more so than the first book in the series. It really focuses on Bat's developing friendship with a classmate named Israel. Just an overall great book!
18. Bat and the End of Everything by Elana K. Arnold
Okay, I haven't had a chance to read this book quite yet, but if it's anything like the first two, it will be just as good. The reviews are really great for it too so I suspect it might be the best book in the series.
19. The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit
This book features two sisters, who are both autistic and Jewish, as they start a detective agency. One of the girls is non-speaking and uses a tablet to communicate with. Overall, the book was fine and the representation of autistic traits was quite good.
20. Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught
This one is about an autistic girl and her friend trying to solve a theft that her dad has been charged with. I found the beginning kind of slow and scattered. I don't know if it was her writing style or if it was the way the story jumps back and forth between two different weeks that made it kind of hard to get into. However, what I really liked about this book was the friendship between the main character Jesse and her friend Springer.
I also thought that the portrayal of autism in this book was really quite good. I even kind of wondered if Jesse might have been hyperlexic or hypernumeric as well. There was something at the beginning of the book that mentioned reading early and she was gifted with math, much like my own son, so I did wonder if she might be.
21. Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit
This novel is about an 11 year old autistic girl who wants to play baseball. It is written as a series of letters and emails between Vivy and a major league pitcher. Overall, the book was fine, nothing too exciting or memorable, to be honest. I also didn't like Vivy's mom at all. She was just an awful/frustrating character.
22. The Real Boy by Anne Ursu
I loved the main character Oscar, who is clearly autistic, even if it's not labelled as such in the text. And I thought that the author did a great job at capturing and describing autistic traits. It seemed like a pretty authentic account of autism, in my opinion.
The book was good, especially if you are into fantasy or fairy tale style books, but I must admit, the genre really wasn't my cup of tea. Midway though I got mad at the plot (I won't give spoilers!), but then it resolved itself, thank goodness! So, overall, it's a good book if you like this type of genre.
23. The Space We're In by Katya Balen
This book was pretty good. It's about 10 year old Frank and his relationship with his non-speaking brother Max who communicates by flapping hands, using some sign language, and pictures. I thought the book did a decent job of capturing Max's autistic traits.
More Autism Book Recommendations...
While there are certainly some great books with autistic characters for kids and teens on the above list, that's not all you'll find around here. For instance, you might also be interested in these other book lists:
