We have curated a collection of recommended reads on Autism and Aspergers, this book list contains fiction, non-fiction and picture books for Kids.
Age ranges are recommendations based on interest and appropriateness, but it will depend on the individual.
Picture Books
Shh! We have a Plan by Chris Haughton
![Shh! We have a Plan by Chris Haughton](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/72-e1718728214927-980x1024.png?resize=980%2C1024&ssl=1)
Four friends, three big and one little, are out for a walk. Suddenly, they spot it – a beautiful bird perched high in a tree! They simply must have it and – shh! – they have a plan.
Through the Eyes of Me by Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding
![Through the Eyes of Me by Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/73-e1718728195492-1024x1021.png?resize=1024%2C1021&ssl=1)
This is a beautiful, colourful picture book for children which gives insight into the world of a child with autism.
Readers will meet 4-year-old Kya who loves to run, read, look at – and rip up – stickers. Through the book, children will learn why Kya does certain things, doesn’t like some things and really loves other things.
Through the Eyes of Us by Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding
![Through the Eyes of Us by Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/74-e1718728178760-1022x1024.png?resize=1022%2C1024&ssl=1)
‘Through the Eyes of Us’ is a beautiful, colourful picture book for children which gives insight into the world of children with autism following the experiences of Kya, who has severe autism.
Isaac and His Amazing Asperger Superpowers! by Melanie Walsh
![Isaac and His Amazing Asperger Superpowers! by Melanie Walsh](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/75-e1718728162777-968x1024.png?resize=968%2C1024&ssl=1)
Meet Isaac. He’s a superhero! He might look like everyone else, but he has a kind of autism called Asperger’s. Inside this book he’ll tell you all about what it’s like to have his Asperger superpowers.
Talking is Not My Thing! by Rose Robbins
![Talking is Not My Thing! by Rose Robbins](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/76-e1718728138848-930x1024.png?resize=930%2C1024&ssl=1)
The autistic sister in this sibling pair is non verbal, but she finds plenty of ways to communicate and have fun with her brother. Although she can’t talk, this little girl understands everything, and has plenty to say, and lots of ideas.
Through body language, drawing pictures, making gestures or using flash cards, she is able to contribute to their life together. Her brother and granny are able to understand her whether she needs help or is helping them!
Pablo and the Noisy Party by Pablo
![Pablo and the Noisy Party by Pablo](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/77-e1718728096121-1022x1024.png?resize=1022%2C1024&ssl=1)
Pablo is the first animated TV series to star an autistic character. Pablo’s mum takes him to his cousin Lorna’s birthday party, but Pablo gets scared of the noisy party!
Pablo hides in the car, and soon his friends come to join him. Pablo’s friends help him realise that it’s OK if he doesn’t want to go to the party. All ‘Pablo’ books are written by writers on the autistic spectrum and are grounded in the real-life experiences of autistic children.
Me and My Sister by Rose Robbins
![Me and My Sister by Rose Robbins](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/78-e1718728072267-926x1024.png?resize=926%2C1024&ssl=1)
This appealing brother and sister duo spend a lot of their day together, eating meals, going to school and playing. But life with an autistic sibling is not always easy.
Through the eyes of the brother, we find out how they are both very different, but also very similar in other ways, and come what may they have lots of fun together and love each other just the same. This is a touching book that will strike a chord with every family with siblings, especially where one is differently abled.
Kid’s Fiction
The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens and Siobhan Dowd
![The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens and Siobhan Dowd](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/VL-Book-cover-Template-89.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 7-11
My name is Ted Spark. I am 12 years and 281 days old. I have seven friends. Three months ago, I solved the mystery of how my cousin Salim disappeared from a pod on the London Eye. This is the story of my second mystery.
This summer, I went on holiday to New York, to visit Aunt Gloria and Salim. While I was there, a painting was stolen from the Guggenheim Museum, where Aunt Gloria works. Everyone was very worried and upset. I did not see what the problem was. I do not see the point of paintings, even if they are worth £9.8 million. Perhaps that’s because of my very unusual brain, which works on a different operating system to everyone else’s. But then Aunt Gloria was blamed for the theft – and Aunt Gloria is family.
Dandelion Clocks by Rebecca Westcott
![Dandelion Clocks by Rebecca Westcott](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/56-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 9+
Liv takes us on a journey through her life from “Thirteen Weeks Before” to “Six Months After”. We discover Liv’s passion for photography, her brother’s obsession with sticking to the rules, the stupidity of Moronic Louise at school, and how the family copes as Mum’s terminal illness takes hold…
Liv takes us on a journey through her life from ‘thirteen weeks before’ to ‘six months after’. We discover Liv’s passion for photography, her brother’s obsession with sticking to the rules, the stupidity of Moronic Louise at school, and how the family copes as Mum’s terminal illness takes hold. Guided by Mum’s own childhood diaries, Liv finds a new way to live.
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
![The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/57-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 9+
When Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye, he turned and waved before getting on. But after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off – but no Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air?
The Space We’re In by Katya Balen and Laura Carlin
![The Space We’re In by Katya Balen and Laura Carlin](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/58-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 9-11
We are her world and her universe and her space and her stars and her sky and her galaxy and her cosmos too
Frank is ten. He likes cottage pie and football and cracking codes. Max is five. He eats only Quavers and some colours are too bright for him and if he has to wear a new T-shirt he melts down down down.
Sometimes Frank wishes Mum could still do huge paintings of stars and asteroids like she used to, but since Max was born she just doesn’t have time.
When tragedy hits Frank and Max’s lives like a comet, can Frank piece together a universe in which he and Max aren’t light years apart?
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
![Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/61-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 11+
11-year-old Caitlin has Asperger’s syndrome, and has always had her older brother, Devon, to explain the confusing things around her. But when Devon is killed in a tragic school shooting, Caitlin has to try and make sense of the world without him.
An 11-year-old girl with Asperger’s syndrome tries to make sense of her older brother’s death and to try and heal the hurt within her family.
Eleven year old Caitlin has lost her big brother in a school shooting. She has Asperger’s, which complicates the slow process of rebuilding her life. Then Caitlin has an idea: perhaps she could complete her brother’s Eagle Scout project as a way of finding closure?
Paws by Kate Foster
![Paws by Kate Foster](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/62-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 6+
Alex’s best friend is Kevin the cockapoo, although what he wants most of all is a friend at school. Everything is changing for 11-year-old Alex and, as an autistic person, change can be terrifying.
With the first day of high school only a couple of months away, Alex is sure that having a friend by his side will help. So, he’s devised a plan – impress the kids at school by winning a trophy at the PAWS Dog Show with his trusty sidekick, Kevin. This should be a walk in the park, right?
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
![A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/63-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 10+
‘A Kind of Spark’ tells the story of 11-year-old Addie as she campaigns for a memorial in memory of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there’s more to the story of these ‘witches’, just like there is more to hers. Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and her autism, and make her voice heard?
Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
![Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/64-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 10+
When Cora’s brother drags her along to his boss’s house, she doesn’t expect to strike up a friendship with Adrien, son of the intimidating CEO of the Pomegranate Institute.
As she becomes part of Adrien’s life, she is also drawn into the mysterious projects at Pomegranate. At first, she’s intrigued by them – Pomegranate is using AI to recreate real people in hologram form. As she digs deeper, however, she uncovers darker secrets. Cora knows she must unravel their plans, but can she fight to make her voice heard, whilst never losing sight of herself?
Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll
![Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/65-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 10+
Set in Edinburgh, Ramya discovers she can see through magical disguises, and has her eyes opened to an underground world of magical creatures. Armed with her late grandfather’s notebooks, she sets out to discover more and comes up against the mysterious and deadly Sirens.
The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
![The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/66-1.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 9-12
12-year-old Matthew is trapped in his bedroom by crippling OCD, spending most of his time staring out of his window as the inhabitants of Chestnut Close go about their business.
Until the day he is the last person to see his next door neighbour’s toddler, Teddy, before he goes missing. Matthew must turn detective and unravel the mystery of Teddy’s disappearance – with the help of a brilliant cast of supporting characters.
A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews
![A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/67-1.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 10+
Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music – because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence.
When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it?
The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews
![The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/68-1.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Age 10+
Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he’s ever known. Now Sam’s trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he’s caught out when a family returns home.
To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing – each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie. But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.
Non-Fiction
Red Beast: Controlling Anger in Children by K.I. Al-Ghani
![Red Beast: Controlling Anger in Children by K.I. Al-Ghani](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/7-7-e1718727383644-1024x797.png?resize=1024%2C797&ssl=1)
Red Beast: Controlling Anger in Children by K.I. Al-Ghani
An illustrated children’s storybook written for children aged 5+. It presents an accessible, fun way to talk about anger, with useful tips about how to ‘tame the red beast’ and guidance for parents on how anger affects children with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Autism by Louise Spilsbury
![Autism by Louise Spilsbury](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/12-6-e1718728113288-933x1024.png?resize=933%2C1024&ssl=1)
This book explores the many aspects of autism in a child-friendly way. It is part of a hands-on series of picture books designed to help children with their questions and feelings about tricky topics that can be hard to talk about.
This book offers practical help, tips and advice an well as exploring everyday situations, supported by, exquisite and approachable illustrations to give a comforting story book feel, particularly suited to 5-7 year olds, but with scope to appeal to both younger and older children.
The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How to Grow-Up Awesome by Siena Castellon
![The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide: How to grow-up awesome by Siena Castellon](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/69.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
‘Never be ashamed of being different: it is this difference that makes you extraordinary and unique’. This essential go-to guide gives you all the advice and tools you’ll need to help you flourish and achieve what you want in life.
From the answers to everyday questions such as ‘Am I using appropriate body language?’ and ‘Did I say the wrong thing?’, through to discussing the importance of understanding your emotions, looking after your physical and mental health and coping with anxiety and sensory overloads, award-winning neurodiversity campaigner Siena Castellon uses her own experiences to provide you with the skills to overcome any challenge.
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
![Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/70.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
‘Diary of a Young Naturalist’ chronicles the turning of 15-year-old Dara McAnulty’s world. From spring and through a year in his home patch in Northern Ireland, Dara spent the seasons writing. These vivid, evocative and moving diary entries about his connection to wildlife and the way he sees the world are raw in their telling.
A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe
![A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/71.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
Hi! My name is Abigail, and I’m autistic. But I didn’t know I was autistic until I was an adult-sort-of-person. This is my true story of growing up in the confusing ‘normal’ world, all the while missing some very important information about myself.
There’ll be scary moments involving toilets and crowded trains, heart-warming tales of cats and pianos, and funny memories including my dad and a mysterious tub of ice cream. Along the way you’ll also find some very crucial information about autism. If you’ve ever felt different, out of place, like you don’t fit in – this book is for you.
Maria and Me: A Father, a Daughter (and Autism) by Maria Gallardo and Miguel Gallardo
![Maria and Me: A father, a daughter (and Autism) by Maria Gallardo and Miguel Gallardo](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/59-2.png?resize=642%2C1024&ssl=1)
A father’s first-hand account of what life is like with his daughter María who has autism. On a trip to the Canary Islands in Spain, some challenges arise as a result. This book shows how the two work around these issues, and gives insight into how María sees and experiences the world.
Online Resources
Autistic and Unapologetic – Blog
WNDB – Diverse Books.Org – Blog
National Autistic Society – Charity Website
B&NES Rainbow Resource – Local Council Support
Sendias Bathnes – Local Council Support
Project Search – Local Support/Work Placement
Bath College – Independent Living Courses
Good Reads – Book List with ASD rep
Faces Autism Support – Family support in Bath
Adult Social Care for Adults with Autism – Local Council Support
BASS Autism Services for Adults – NHS Local Support
Specialist Autism Support Service – Local support