This edition of our Bookshelf series contains 5 books written by authors with autism. These books are for readers who:
- live with autism
- love & care for someone with autism
- are friends, neighbors, or classmates with someone who has autism
- want to stay informed and well-read
We have tried to include something on our list for everyone: from genre to character gender to perspective. We hope this list encourages you to check out more books written by authors with different life experiences than your own!
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida stands out in a unique way from other books about autism: it’s a memoir written by a brilliant (then) thirteen-year-old boy about his experiences living with autism. He began writing by using a homemade alphabet grid and continued on to become a widely-loved and much-appreciated author, poet, and essayist. Read this book to see into the mind of a teenager with autism: the intricacies, the necessary cues and missed boundaries, and more. This book is a treasure!
Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism by Dawn Prince-Hughes
Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism is written by Dawn Prince-Hughes about her life as she learned to emerge from the difficulties of her autism diagnosis into the ability to appreciate her different perspectives and experiences. She writes about being undiagnosed, to the turning point when she became fascinated by—and able to finally experience connection with—the gorillas at the zoo, to eventually working with said gorillas. With all its twists and turns, this memoir takes its readers on a fascinating, thought-provoking, beautifully emotional journey through the life of Prince-Hughes.
The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas
The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas can be thought of as an answer to Toni Morrison’s words: “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” Lucas didn’t see herself or her daughter represented in any Young Adult (YA) books they read together, so she wrote their stories into reality. This refreshingly hilarious, and brutally true story is about Grace, a girl with Asperger’s, and it’s told with love, and with hope, and with adventure running rampant in her soul. The State of Grace is a must-read story and a must-use resource, representing many undertold stories in a refreshing, creative way.
Typed Words, Loud Voices by various writers
Typed Words, Loud Voices is an anthology of experiences told by various writers with autism who are either partially or fully nonverbal. Intended to shine a light on the beautiful thoughts, words, and views of those who are all too often overlooked or misjudged, this book had 55 unique contributors proclaiming their stories to the world. The way the contributors use their voices here is unlike anything else you’ve ever read. Everyone can gain something valuable from reading this book.
Hoshi and the Red City Circuit by Dora M. Raymaker
Hoshi and the Red City Circuit by Dora M. Raymaker is an edge-of-your-seat science-fiction mystery. In the book, Raymaker imagines how the protagonist—private investigator Hoshi Archer—will help solve a complicated case in a future society using her strengths and struggles as a person living with autism. Hoshi is determined: she is hardcore, she is strong and able, and she is an incredibly believable, inspirational character who deserves a place among “The Greats” of science-fiction.
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