The best autism books for kids include Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov, Lilly and Myles: The Torch by Jon Roberts, Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley and A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe.

Updated October 2026 by the LoveReading4Kids editorial team. The books in this collection were chosen by our editors and expert reviewers, and include stories with autistic characters, true accounts by autistic writers and guides to neurodiversity.

Our top picks at a glance

  • Best for preschoolers: Pablo: Goodnight Pablo, from the Ladybird Pablo series. Pablo draws his way to feeling calm at bedtime; the publisher says all Pablo books are written by writers on the autistic spectrum (ages 3-6).
  • Best picture book about feeling different: Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov. Leo finds the classroom too loud until he meets Maya, a giant Pacific octopus, and realises he is not alone (ages 5-6).
  • Best with an assistance dog: Lilly and Myles: The Torch by Jon Roberts. Lily, who is autistic, explores a beach and a cave with Myles, her assistance dog (ages 5-8).
  • Best funny diary: Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar by Rashmi Sirdeshpande. Ten-year-old Hari, who is autistic and has ADHD, plans his big break in a school film competition (ages 7-10).
  • Best graphic novel: Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley. Frankie feels like an alien at school and sets out to find her dad; winner of the Week Junior Book Awards 2023 Children's Illustrated Book of the Year (ages 9-12).
  • Best true story for 9-12: A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe. The author's own funny, honest account of growing up autistic without knowing it; our LoveReading4Kids review calls it “an information book one can sit and read like a novel” (ages 9-12).
  • Best about a brother or sister: The Space We're In by Katya Balen. Ten-year-old Frank's little brother Max is autistic, and the story follows the family through a tragedy (ages 9-12).
  • Best for teenagers: Stuck on Hard Mode by Erin Phillips. A guide to everyday life for neurodivergent young people, written like a video game strategy guide; our Book of the Month in July 2026 (ages 13-18).

Books are a great way to raise awareness and increase our understanding of our differences. Here we have collected a selection of children's books that either include an autistic character, or support young people with autistic spectrum conditions within our society. For World Autism Acceptance Month this April we have updated our collection of books with the latest recommended books for very young children up to YA readers.

From our editors: featured books

Children's Fiction Books Featuring Characters With ASD

The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind by Fiona Carswell is a magical story of the bond that blossoms between an autistic boy who doesn’t always speak with words, and his shell-collecting neighbour that radiates empathy and the joy of friendship. Written in a warm, lucid style that’s well suited to sharing and reading aloud, Yu Rong’s compelling, high-contrast illustrations add further depth and emotion — all of which adds up to a book that will speak to all children in beautiful ways. Author Fiona Carwsell is the mother of two boys, one autistic and the other neurotypical, has shared a glimpse into her world in this guest blog.

Presenting a fresh take on Welsh myths of lake monsters, magical swords and dogs named Gelert, and driven by its spirited autistic protagonist, Lizzie Huxley-Jones’ Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend is a fine story for 9+ readers who like adventures with heart. And the new exhilarating sequel sees endearing Vivi embark on a high-stakes adventure, with legends of King Arthur, Avalon and Ceridwen’s cauldron at the fore.

For 11+ readers, Keedie is the newly published prequel to Elle McNicoll’s award-winning A Kind of Spark, now also a successful BBC TV series, and stars its central character Addie’s much-loved big sister who is also autistic. On one level the book is a superb, eye-opening and powerful account of what that means for her. It’s much more than that too however, with a cracking storyline, and themes of family, friendship, and fairness. A Star Book for sure.

Through authentic narratives Anna Zoe Quirke’s Something to be Proud Of teems with real-life struggles, the magic of friendship, and the power of coming together to bring about change to be proud of. Her vision is to create a space where everyone, queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent or otherwise, can come together to celebrate all aspects of their identities at once. Pride, passion, friendship and fighting back delivers a brilliantly assured debut for 13+ readers.

Fact Books to Help Understand Autism / ASD

Wonderfully Wired Brains by Louise Gooding is an informative and inclusive children's guide to neurodiversity for those not in the know and to inspire children who are neurodivergent. It was shortlisted and then Highly Commended in The Week Junior Book Awards 2024 in the Children's STEM Book of the Year category, and is a positive and highly informative book combining science, history and lots of brain-busting facts.

For older children Growing Up Autistic and Happy is a brilliant survival guide based on scientific concepts, written by Dr Camilla Pang who was diagnosed at the age of 8. Through her guide she explores all stages of life, and explains them with science, making sense of things she found difficult growing up and finding the courage to grow up perfectly happy in who you are.

About autism

What is Autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autistic spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. 

Autism is a spectrum condition and affects people in different ways. Like all people, autistic people have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Autistic people may find it challenging to communicate and interact with other people. They may get anxious or upset in unfamiliar situations. They may find it hard to understand how other people feel.

You can find out more about Autism here on the website of the National Autistic Society.

What happens during World Autism Acceptance Month?

'Together we can create a society that works for autistic people.'

The National Autistic Society runs special events and fundraisers throughout April, starting on Wednesday 2nd April which is World Autism Awareness Day. 

Autistic people face discrimination and barriers across all sectors of society – in the health and social care systems, in education, in employment, and everywhere in between. It is crucial that autistic people, and their families and carers, can access tailored information, guidance and support to overcome those barriers, along with opportunities to explore their interests, develop skills and build friendships for fulfilled lives. - The National Autistic Society

  • 8/10 of autistic people experience mental health problems
  • only 26% of autistic pupils feel happy at school
  • only 30% of autistic people are in any type of employment

Visit autism.org.uk to find ways to get involved including a 5k sponsored walk during April. 

Get support, advice and child-centred behavioural services at Child Autism UK. childautism.org.uk.

Follow the National Autistic Society @Autism

#AutismAcceptanceMonth

#ChangeTheConversation

And you find further reading in our collection of books that Celebrate Neurodiversity.

More autism books for kids, by age

Ages 7-12

  • A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey: a picture book told from the perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum who is looking for a friend; a 2020 Schneider Family Honor Book (ages 7-8).
  • Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess: a graphic novel about twelve-year-old Mia, who is autistic and secretly a viral singer, deciding whether to perform live (ages 9-12).

Teenagers

  • Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott: the story of eleven-year-old Tally, with diary entries written by Libby Scott based on her own experiences of autism (ages 11-14).
  • The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida: written when the author was thirteen, it answers questions about autism in his own words (ages 13-18).
  • Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty: a year of nature, school and family through the eyes of an autistic teenage naturalist; winner of the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing 2020 (ages 11-18).

Books by autistic authors

These books in our list are by autistic writers, as their book pages or authors say:

So are the Pablo books, and Dr Camilla Pang's Growing Up Autistic and Happy, featured above.

Questions we get asked

What are good autism books for kids?

For younger children, try Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov or Lilly and Myles: The Torch by Jon Roberts. For ages 9-12, Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley and A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe are both by autistic authors.

What are good autism books for preschoolers?

Pablo: Goodnight Pablo, from the Pablo series, is a bedtime story for ages 3-6, and Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov is a picture book for ages 5-6. Fiona Carswell's The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind, featured above, is well suited to sharing and reading aloud.

Which children's books have autistic characters?

Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley, Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess and Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar by Rashmi Sirdeshpande all have autistic main characters, as do Elle McNicoll's A Kind of Spark and Lizzie Huxley-Jones' Vivi Conway books, featured above.

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