You can lose yourself in repetition--quiet your thoughts; I learned the value of this at a very young age.
Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights, and Finley is left to take care of his disabled grandfather alone. He's always dreamed of getting out someday, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.
Russ has just moved to the neighborhood, and the life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won't pick up a basketball, but answers only to the name Boy21--taken from his former jersey number.
As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, a unique friendship may turn out to be the answer they both need.

LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI CHILDREN'S & YA BOOK PRIZE 'An essential guide' LIZZIE HUXLEY-JONES 'This book is perfect' WENN LAWSON 'One of the most important books in autism literature' CHARLOTTE AMELIA POE 'Wonderfully diverse and vibrant' FOX FISHER In this empowering and honest guide for LGBTQIA+ autistic teens, Erin Ekins gives you all the tools you need to figure out and explore your gender identity and sexuality. From coming out to friends and family, staying safe in relationships and practicing safe sex, through to self-care and coping with bullying, being out and about in the LGBTQIA+ community and undergoing gender transition, this book is filled with essential information, advice, support and resources to help you on your journey, and also works as a primer on all things LGBTQIA+ for non-autistic teens who are just figuring it all out. Written by an inspirational autistic queer woman, this is a must-read for every autistic teen wanting to live their very best queer life.

Toby and Clemmie return in this touching and amusing sequel to "Just Because," proving that even a scary hospital can be a place for fun if you have the right attitude and the support of someone you love
Toby loves his big sister Clemmie. She always looks after him and he looks after her--no matter what. Toby knows his sister is very brave, but when she has to go to the hospital again, they both have to help each other face their fears. Together, they still find ways to have fun and make the hospital a much better place. Their uplifting story will be loved by parents and children alike who find themselves in a similar situation, and will help encourage children to ease their fears and feel better about spending time in intimidating hospitals. Toby and Clemmie first appeared in "Just Because," in which Toby paints us a picture of his super big sister and all the things they do together--just because.

"A joyous ode to inclusion, realised in the most delightful, uplifting way." - Cerrie Burnell YOU CAN...be brave, challenge yourself, overcome your fears, be kind, be brilliant...be YOU! Come on an amazing journey with 14 children as they grow from birth to 18 years old, learning new skills, exploring new worlds, standing up for their own and others' rights - and following their dreams. Created with real children, who sent messages of empathy, reassurance and hope, You Can! will inspire young people of all ages to be empowered and believe in themselves. This is a ground-breaking book from author and co-founder of Inclusive Minds, Alexandra Strick, with an astonishing, visual narrative by international picture book star, Steve Antony.

Dealing with the everyday realities facing teens with Asperger Syndrome, this book presents a toolkit of tried-and-trusted ideas to help them work through difficulties and find the solutions that work best for them. This book covers everything they need to know to thrive in their adolescent years, including how to hack your own internal alarm system to overcome anxiety and other difficult emotions. It also arms teenagers with everything they need to navigate sexuality and relationships, develop a healthy self-image, deal with bullies, be smart with money and stay savvy online... In short, no issue is left unexplored. Fun and informative, this is a must-read for teens with high-functioning autism, and for those who want to understand what adolescence is like on the spectrum.

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.

No matter how hard he tries, Walnut doesn’t see as well as others do. So when he and the other boys of his tribe must prove they’re ready to be adults by the accuracy of their arrow shooting, Walnut’s worried. How can he hit a target that he can’t even see? But at the ceremony, the boys are first asked to listen to the woods and “see” what can’t be seen. With the practiced use of his other senses, Walnut earns the respect of his people, as well as his adult name: Sees Behind Trees. In turns lyrical, wise, and funny, this compelling novel, set in sixteenth-century America, tells the story of how one boy learns to turn a handicap into an advantage as he crosses the often blurred boundaries between being a child and becoming a man.

Michael Dorris is the best-selling author of several acclaimed books for both adults and children, including Morning Girl, winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and Guests, an ALA Notable Children’s Book.

They say I'm wired bad, or wired sad, but there's no doubt about it--I'm wired.
Joey Pigza's got heart, he's got a mom who loves him, and he's got dud meds, which is what he calls the Ritalin pills that are supposed to even out his wild mood swings. Sometimes Joey makes bad choices. He learns the hard way that he shouldn't stick his finger in the pencil sharpener, or swallow his house key, or run with scissors. Joey ends up bouncing around a lot - and eventually he bounces himself all the way downown, into the district special-ed program, which could be the end of the line. As Joey knows, if he keeps making bad choices, he could just fall between the cracks for good. But he is determined not to let that happen.
In this antic yet poignant new novel, Jack Gantos has perfect pitch in capturing the humor, the off-the-wall intensity, and the serious challenges that life presents to a kid dealing with hyper-activity and related disorders. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a 1998 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature.

Throughout my life I have been told directly and indirectly that dyslexia is found in particular people... [In fact] dyslexia can be found in someone like me. It isn't just 'okay' but something to be proud of. This book has been written because I want people to know that dyslexia can be found in people of every colour, creed, or circumstance. In this book, rising star entrepreneur Onyinye Udokporo shares her story of growing up dyslexic in a society where neurodivergence was always presented as a white male issue. Onyinye discusses her experience of being diagnosed at 11 years old, starting a business the following year, gaining a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school and going on to complete two degrees by the age of 22, while also being honest about the difficulties she faced throughout including with bullying and anxiety. She shares the tips she picked up over the years for thriving with dyslexia and the strategies she used to overcome her difficulties in reading and writing well, staying organised and speaking with confidence. Illuminating wider issues of systemic racism in the educational sector and providing a timely reminder that dyslexia can be found in any community and culture, this is an empowering story of surviving and thriving in the face of adversity.

Competitive eating vies with family expectations in a funny, heartfelt novel for middle-grade readers by National Book Award winner Pete Hautman.

David can eat an entire sixteen-inch pepperoni pizza in four minutes and thirty-six seconds. Not bad. But he knows he can do better. In fact, he'll have to do better: he's going to compete in the Super Pigorino Bowl, the world's greatest pizza-eating contest, and he has to win it, because he borrowed his mom's credit card and accidentally spent $2,000 on it. So he really needs that prize money. Like, yesterday. As if training to be a competitive eater weren't enough, he's also got to keep an eye on his little brother, Mal (who, if the family believed in labels, would be labeled autistic, but they don't, so they just label him Mal). And don't even get started on the new weirdness going on between his two best friends, Cyn and HeyMan. Master talent Pete Hautman has cooked up a rich narrative shot through with equal parts humor and tenderness, and the result is a middle-grade novel too delicious to put down.

Nigel is a hedgehog. He's four years old, likes trains, cookies, and is a lot like other kids in class. Nigel is a little different too. Nigel is autistic. He doesn't talk or say many words. Nigel is not very good at taking turns, or being polite and he really does not like to wait. Nigel thought and thought and came up with the Waiting Song... Now he is able to be polite and wait when he sings his Waiting Song! The Waiting Song is for kids like Nigel. Ages 3-7.

Imagine being able to hear for the first time, or see in full-colour, or take your first steps on Earth. This incredible book celebrates the remarkable achievements made in medical engineering, and offers a glimpse of what the future might hold for humanity. Pioneering technological breakthroughs have truly changed lives. For some people, particularly those with disabilities, recent advances have crossed the realms of the purely imaginable, and reached a place of possibility. People with paraplegia can walk again, those who are hearing impaired can listen to even the faintest sounds, and some people with missing limbs can create beautiful works of art. This phenomenal book is a celebration of all that has been achieved so far, and a look at what might be possible in the near future. Is it inevitable that technology will surpass biology? From cochlear implants and pacemakers, to bionic arms and legs, this empowering book also features spotlights on pioneers including Paralympians Richard Whitehead and Blake Leeper, and the world's first 'cyborg' Neil Harbisson.

College Success for Students With Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.) offers students the knowledge, guidance, and strategies they need to effectively choose a college, prepare for university life, and make the most of their collegiate experience. This revised edition: Outlines the rights and responsibilities of students with learning disabilities Gives advice on talking to professors and peers, getting involved, and asking for and receiving accommodations. Helps students utilize their strengths to meet and exceed academic standards. Provides additional information on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and ADHD. Includes a handy guide to universities with special programs and advice from current college students with disabilities. Planning for college can be one of the biggest moments in any student's life, but for students with disabilities, the experience can be challenging on many different levels. This book will empower future students and provide them with hope for success. Grades 9-12

Echo struggles to share her friends with a new student in this twenty-second Mermaid Tales adventure. Echo has always been fascinated by human inventions, so she's especially interested when her class studies the history of the Titanic and the bacteria discovered there, Halomonas titanicae. When Mrs. Karp announces that the class will be going on an ocean trip to the sunken vessel, Echo is thrilled to have a chance to see it, since the ship is decaying and won't be around much longer. The ocean trip isn't the only big news at school--a new merstudent, Anita, will be joining the class! But Echo and Anita immediately don't get along. Anita is rude to Echo the first time they meet, and all of Echo's friends seem to like Anita better than her. As the trip approaches, the merfriends learn that the Titanic site isn't wheelchair accessible, meaning Anita won't be able to join the class. Her friends decide to boycott the trip, but Echo has been looking forward to it for weeks. Is Echo willing to look past her jealousy and give up the trip? Or can she find way for everyone to be included in both the ocean trip and her friend group?