As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(2)
YA
In an endearingly sarcastic voice, a British teen with Asperger's syndrome tells of her tenth-grade year. Grace faces disruptive changes at home (her parents may be splitting up) and at school, where peer relationships become more nuanced and complex. A sweet sort-of romance with classmate Gabe inspires Grace to take more social risks. This gentle, sensitive slice-of-life story seamlessly weaves Grace's unique neurological worldview with the universal angst of coming-of-age.
293 pp.
| Simon
| April, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4814-1007-6$16.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4814-1009-0
(4)
4-6
Cassie's middle-school softball team has a shot at the championship, but its dynamic is destroyed by the inclusion of a new player with Asperger's syndrome. In befriending Sarah, Cassie jeopardizes her own leadership. Lupica's preachiness interferes with his vivid sports writing in this fourth message-driven Home Team novel.
(3)
YA
Neuro-atypical Alvie Fitz loves routine, hates being touched, and prefers the company of animals. At seventeen she has her own apartment and a full-time job and looks forward to being legally emancipated. Then a romance with Stanley, who has a genetic bone disorder, upends Alvie's world. Steiger's prose is arresting, and the frank depiction of teen sexuality--particularly within a disability framework--is refreshing.
(3)
4-6
The characters from deceased author Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery return to solve a painting theft from NYC's Guggenheim Museum. Twelve-year-old Ted teams up with his sister Kat and cousin Salim after Salim's curator mother is falsely accused. Ted's Asperger's--his need for routine, obsession with patterns, and difficulty interpreting facial expressions and idioms--infuses his narration and informs the mystery's progression.
(3)
YA
Narrator Lily breaks things, fails her classes, and refuses her ADHD medication. Abelard fixes things, aspires to attend an early college program, and struggles with ASD. Creedle sensitively portrays both teenagers' frustrations, intelligence, and empathy as they navigate a fragile romance amid the realities of their respective neurological conditions; Lily's depiction, especially as she contemplates undergoing a complex medical intervention, stands out.
309 pp.
| Scholastic
| June, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-84845-9$16.99
(3)
4-6
Anxious twelve-year-old Wren has never felt brave, and she's never felt less significant than next to her fearless cousin, Silver. After her mother suffers a breakdown, Wren stays with Silver's family, and together the girls discover that Wren is far braver than she thinks. With honest portrayals of mental illness and courage, this is a poignant, intimate story of family and healing.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-8121-0$16.99
(3)
PS
Isaac attributes his differences, such as fidgeting, forgetting to say hello, and telling people miscellaneous facts, to being a superhero. The instructive text about characteristics of children on the autism spectrum is made approachable by friendly, colorful illustrations with pleasing shapes and by the story's fantasy set-up with a turn of honesty (Isaac admits at the end he has Asperger's, not superpowers). Websites.
32 pp.
| Free Spirit
| April, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-1-57542-466-8$15.99
|
PaperISBN 978-1-57542-467-5$9.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-57542-595-5
(4)
K-3
Armond, a boy with Asperger's syndrome, goes to Felicia's birthday party but is nervous about popping balloons, strong smells, and more. When the chaos is too much, Armond takes "a break" in a quiet room and then rejoins the party. Carlson's gentle, if purposeful, approach and childlike storyboard illustrations may help readers empathize with what Armond is experiencing. A note to adults is appended.
230 pp.
| Penguin/Paulsen
| May, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-16225-1$16.99
(2)
YA
Because of her Asperger's syndrome, eighth grader Kiara has difficulty connecting with people and instead identifies with the character Rogue of the X-Men. When Kiara befriends troubled neighbor Chad, she becomes a target for his exploitation. The depth of Kiara's loneliness, her capacity for empathy, and her persistence in her quest for true friendship make the book a substantive addition to literature about Asperger's.
Reviewer: Shara Hardeson
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2013
72 pp.
| Kingsley
| November, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-84905-334-1$14.95
(4)
K-3
First-person sentences describe the sensory overload, difficulties navigating social interactions, and yearning for friends that "Aspies" experience. Stock photos of animals are played for comic effect: the critters hold signs, use speech bubbles, and sport accessories such as eyeglasses. While the design is uninspired, the information is accessible and the animals may be a draw. A useful addition to books about differences.
235 pp.
| Penguin/Razorbill
| November, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59514-578-9$17.99
(2)
YA
After a gun goes off in the cafeteria, fourteen-year-old Colin Fischer is determined to figure out who brought the gun to school; having Asperger's proves both help and hindrance to the young detective. Readers will appreciate the snappy dialogue, Colin's notebook entries, and the footnotes describing the kind of details that fascinate him in this engaging and humorous mystery.
232 pp.
| Random
| July, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-85825-3$15.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-95855-7$18.99
(2)
4-6
In this modern-day Midsummer Night's Dream–inspired novel, foster child Salman Page befriends his "designated buddy," Lu-Ellen Zimmer, and a boy named Blos Pease who appears to have Asperger's syndrome. Meanwhile, fairy Puck (who narrates his own chapters) causes problems. The interweaving of magical and realistic elements works smoothly in this very accessible story about friendship and trust.
235 pp.
| Philomel
| April, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-25264-8$15.99
(2)
4-6
Caitlin's older brother Devon is killed in a school shooting, and she and her father are left to "Deal With It." But Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome and has to "Deal With" emotions, which are not one of her strengths. A tidy resolution weakens what is otherwise a strong and complex character study.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2010
221 pp.
| Hyperion
| June, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4231-2111-2$16.99
(3)
YA
Vivacious Liana escapes the world by studying science and kissing too many boys. Hank, who has Asperger's syndrome, is introspective and awkward. Their worlds converge during one overwhelming and confusing, romantically entangled summer. Through alternating chapters, the authors create distinctive and believable voices for their protagonists.
280 pp.
| Holt
| May, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-9010-9$16.99
(4)
YA
Drea, a "world-class dork" with a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome, has difficulty with social cues and interactions. Then she meets Justin and Naomi, and to Drea's surprise, they befriend her and accept her strangeness. The story elements vary in quality; the sweet romance between Drea and Justin, for example, is more compelling than the overdone portrayal of the out-of-control, tragic Naomi.
253 pp.
| Cavendish
| October, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7614-5716-9$15.99
(2)
YA
Fourteen-year-old "genius" Nathaniel, who has Asperger's syndrome, is taking a gap year between college and graduate school. His life mostly works well for him--until a teen party triggers a breakdown, marking the novel's turning point. Roy succeeds in presenting a unique and human perspective that allows readers to laugh at her character's quirks while engaging with him wholeheartedly.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2010
270 pp.
| Atheneum
| April, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4169-4901-5$16.99
(3)
4-6
Junebug, nearly thirteen, has spent her whole life in the theater. Her parents own a summer-stock playhouse and, though currently a gofer and stagehand, she dreams of being on Broadway. When her predictable summer routine alters, Junebug can't stay behind the scenes anymore--and she acts out. Theater fans will savor this front-row access to the summer-stock world.
316 pp.
| Scholastic/Levine
| March, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-05474-4$17.99
(1)
YA
Seventeen-year-old Marcelo is at the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. A summer job in the mailroom at his father's law firm tests Marcelo's coping and social skills, moral compass, and loyalty. His brave journey into "the real world" will engender a protective instinct in readers, ratcheting up the tension as the plot winds to its satisfying denouement.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2009
(1)
4-6
When twelve-year-old narrator Ted's cousin disappears, he and his sister join forces to solve the conundrum. Ted has Asperger's syndrome, and his hard-wired honesty and never-ending struggle to make sense of the world make him an especially sympathetic character. The mystery itself includes well-embedded clues readers can follow; Ted's literal, logical brain lets him step back to see the solution.
(3)
4-6
Thirteen-year-old Merilee's highly structured life in Jumbo, Texas (home to colorful characters galore), is disrupted as she slowly opens her heart to a plucky little boy disabled as a result of fetal alcohol syndrome. Merilee, whose brain is "wired differently," has Asperger's syndrome, and her first-person narrative voice is memorable. The story's leisurely pace suits its small-town setting.