Autism Acceptance Month 2023

April is Autism Acceptance Month, but autistic stories are worth reading at any time of year.  As the month draws to a close, here are ten media recommendations featuring autistic voices to add to your TBR for this month and beyond.

For Adults

  1. We’re not broken : changing the autism conversation by Eric Garcia (print book | ebook)
    “This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It’s also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language.”
  2. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida (print book | ebook | DVD | Blu-ray)
    “Written by… a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine.”
  3. Neurotribes: the legacy of autism and the future of neurodiversity by Steve Silberman (print book | digital audiobook)
    “This New York Times–bestselling book upends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently.”
  4. A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan (print book)
    “A young woman gets ready to go to a party. She arrives, feels overwhelmed, leaves, and then returns. Minutely attuned to the people who come into her view, and alternating between alienation and profound connection, she is hilarious, self-aware, sometimes acerbic, and always honest.And by the end of the night, she’s shown us something radical about love, loss, and the need to belong.”
  5. An unkindness of ghosts by Rivers Solomon (print book | ebook)
    “In Rivers Solomon’s highly imaginative sci-fi novel An Unkindness of Ghosts, eccentric Aster was born into slavery on–and is trying to escape from–a brutally segregated spaceship that for generations has been trying to escort the last humans from a dying planet to a Promised Land. When she discovers clues about the circumstances of her mother’s death, she also comes closer to disturbing truths about the ship and its journey.” – BuzzFeed

For Teens

  1. Funny, you don’t look autistic: a comedian’s guide to life on the spectrum by Michael McCreary (print book | ebook | digital audiobook)
    “This unique and hilarious #OwnVoices memoir breaks down what it’s like to live with autism for readers on and off the spectrum. Candid scenes from McCreary’s life are broken up with funny visuals and factual asides. Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic is an invaluable and compelling read for young readers with ASD looking for voices to relate to, as well as for readers hoping to broaden their understanding of ASD.”
  2. Invisible differences : a story of Aspergers, adulting, and living a life in full color by Julie Dachez (print book)
    “Marguerite’s a shy twentysomething working hard to keep up appearances in her “normal” adult life. But something’s been off for a while: everyday noise assaults her senses, constant coworker chatter works her nerves, and her clueless boyfriend makes her feel like she’s imagining it all. After a failed road trip ends in disaster… [a] miraculous thing happens: Marguerite is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, embarking her on a three-year journey of acceptance and self-love…”
  3. Wired differently : 30 neurodiverse people who you should know written by Joe Wells and illustrated by Tim Stringer (print book)
    “This collection of illustrated portraits celebrates the lives of influential neurodivergent figures who have achieved amazing things in recent times.Showcasing these 30 incredible people, the extraordinary stories in this book show that the things they’ve achieved, created and inspired they did not despite being different but because they are different. From politicians, activists and journalists to YouTubers, DJs and poets, this book highlights a wide range of exciting career paths for neurodivergent readers.”
  4. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon (print book | ebook | physical audiobook | digital audiobook)
    “This improbable story of Christopher’s quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.”
  5. Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde (print book)
    “Three friends, two love stories, one convention: this fun, feminist love letter to geek culture is all about fandom, friendship, and finding the courage to be yourself.”

All descriptions are from the book’s publisher unless otherwise stated.  All titles are available to borrow through the BCCLS library system.  If you’d like more recommendations, please visit our reference desk to ask a librarian.

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