Neurodiversity Fiction by

When I See Blue

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 09:45:08 UTC

Sometimes Ben's brain makes him count to 4 to prevent bad things happening. Sometimes it makes him tap or blink in 4s. Mostly it makes the smallest things feel impossible. And with a new school, a moody big brother, an absent dad and a mum battling her own demons, Ben feels more out of control than ever. But then he meets April, and with his new friend, Ben might finally figure out how to stand up to the bully in his brain, once and for all.

The Infinite by Patience Agbabi

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 09:47:26 UTC

Leaplings, children born on the 29th of February, are very rare. Rarer still are Leaplings with The Gift - the ability to leap through time. Elle Bibi-Imbele Ifie has The Gift, but she's never used it. Until now. On her twelfth birthday, Elle and her best friend Big Ben travel to the Time Squad Centre in 2048. Elle has received a mysterious warning from the future. Other Leaplings are disappearing in time - and not everyone at the centre can be trusted. Soon Elle's adventure becomes more than a race through time. It's a race against time. She must fight to save the world as she knows it - before it ceases to exist...

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 09:47:52 UTC

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 make her voice heard?

Explore our non-fiction about neurodiversity

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 09:48:07 UTC

A Flash of Fireflies by Aisha Bushby

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 09:48:28 UTC

Hazel's new life in England should have been the stuff of fairy tales; after all her aunt's cottage looked just like a gingerbread house, with a magical garden and whispering fireflies promising quests and adventures. But as Hazel struggles to deal with the challenges of the everyday world - making friends, missing her family - she also learns that every fairy tale has a dark side. And there are terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows...

The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 09:49:07 UTC

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.

The Boy with the Butterfly Mind by Victoria Williamson

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 09:50:33 UTC

Jamie Lee wants to be normal. But his ADHD makes him feel like his brain is full of butterflies. Elin Watts wants to be perfect. If she can be, surely her dad will come home. When Jamie and Elin's families blend, the polar opposites of chaotic Jamie and ordered Elin collide. As their lives spiral out of control, Jamie and Elin discover that they're actually more alike than they'd admit. Maybe there's no such thing as normal, or perfect. And perhaps, just like families, happy-ever-afters come in all shapes and sizes. Uplifting and moving, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind is an inspiring story of acceptance, blended families, and discovering that in the end, being yourself is more than enough.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:02:21 UTC

11.32am. Ted and his sister Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city. 12.02am. The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim. Has he spontaneously combusted? (Ted's theory.) Has he been kidnapped? (Aunt Gloria's theory.) Is he even still alive? (The family's unspoken fear.) Even the police are baffled - so it's up to Ted, whose brain runs on its own unique operating system, to solve this mystery and find Salim. Teaming up with Kat, Ted follows a trail of clues across London - while time ticks dangerously by...

The Space We're In by Katya Balen

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:03:34 UTC

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? This jaw-dropping, heartbreaking and hopeful novel from debut author Katya Balen will remind you we are all made of stardust.

Can You See Me? by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:04:22 UTC

Tally is eleven years old and she's just like her friends. Well, sometimes she is. If she tries really hard to be. Because there's something that makes Tally not the same as her friends. Something she can't cover up, no matter how hard she tries: Tally is autistic. Tally's autism means there are things that bother her even though she wishes they didn't. It means that some people misunderstand her and feel frustrated by her. People think that because Tally's autistic, she doesn't realise what they're thinking, but Tally sees and hears - and notices - all of it. And, honestly? That's not the easiest thing to live with.

See what's available on the library catalogue!

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:05:03 UTC

Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:05:45 UTC

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 Pomegranate Technologies. 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?

Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley [Graphic Novel]

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:06:34 UTC

How do you fit in and stand out when you feel different to everyone around you? Frankie knows she's not like anyone else in her class: she's different, but she can't quite figure out why. Is it the new freckle on her nose, or the fact she's small for her age? Or that she has to go to the hospital sometimes? Everyone else seems to think she's weird too, and they make fun of her at school. Frankie's dad left when she was a baby - maybe he was different too? It would explain why she always feels like an alien. So she and her best-friend Sam, embark on a mission to track him down. A graphic novel offering a unique perspective on autism, told with humour and heart.

Fish in a Tree by Lunda Mullaly Hunt

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:07:24 UTC

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

Anna by Laura Guthrie

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:07:41 UTC

Every cloud has a silver lining... doesn't it? Anna is thirteen years old, lives in London with her father, and has Asperger's syndrome. When her father dies, she moves to Scotland to live with her estranged, reclusive mother. With little support to help her fit in, she must use every coping strategy her father taught her - especially her 'Happy Game' - as she tries to connect with her mother, discover her past, and deal with the challenges of being thrown into a brand new life along the way.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:08:06 UTC

Half boy, half god, all hero. Look, I never asked to be the son of a Greek god. I was just a normal kid... until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Percy Jackson is having a bad week. His life has gone from totally normal to monsters-from-Greek-mythology-randomly-appearing kind of strange. Worse still, the king of the gods thinks Percy has stolen his all-powerful lightning bolt - and it seems making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to catch the true lightning thief and stop all-out war from erupting on Mount Olympus. What could possible go wrong?

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:08:36 UTC

Counting by 7s tells the story of Willow Chance, a twelve-year-old genius who is obsessed with diagnosing medical conditions and finds comfort in counting by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn't kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now. Suddenly Willow's world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:08:46 UTC

Meet Aza Holmes. She’s a teenager, bright but hemmed in by troubles: introverted, obsessed by bacteria and the transmission of disease, her every thought is edged by doubt and reflection. Daisy, however, is her Best and Most Fearless Friend, and Daisy has a plan. A plan involving a missing billionaire and the promise of a hundred thousand dollar reward, money that could be theirs if only they could figure out where he has gone. That’s where Russell comes in, and that’s where things start to get really interesting.

Check Mates by Stewart Foster

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:08:53 UTC

Some people think that I’m a problem child, that I’m lazy and never pay attention in lessons. But the thing is, I’m not a problem child at all. I’m just a child with a problem. Felix is struggling at school. His ADHD makes it hard for him to concentrate and his grades are slipping. Everyone keeps telling him to try harder, but no one seems to understand just how hard he finds it. When Mum suggests Felix spends time with his grandfather, Felix can’t think of anything worse. Granddad hasn’t been the same since Grandma died. Plus he’s always trying to teach Felix boring chess. But sometimes the best lessons come in the most unexpected of places, and Granddad soon shows Felix that there’s everything to play for.

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:09:06 UTC

In Nova City, there are extraordinary people, capable of feats that defy the imagination. Shadow Star protects the city and manipulates darkness, and Pyro Storm is determined to bring the city to its knees using his power over fire. And then there's Nick who . . . well, being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right? Instead of fighting crime, Nick contends with a new year at school, a father who doesn't trust him, and a best friend named Seth, who may or may not be the love of Nick's short, uneventful life. It should be enough. But after a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City's mightiest hero (and Nick's biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he'll do it with or without Seth's reluctant help...

Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:09:27 UTC

Edinburgh is a city filled with magical creatures. No one can see them... until Ramya Knox. As she is pulled into her family's world of secrets and spells, Ramya sets out to discover the truth behind the Hidden Folk with only three words of warning from her grandfather: Beware the Sirens. Plunged into an adventure that will change everything, Ramya is about to learn that there is more to her powers than she ever imagined.

Lark and Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:11:20 UTC

Lark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting anything and everything on their social media accounts - just to build their platform. When former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread on Lark's Twitter declaring his love for a secret, unrequited crush, Lark's tweets are suddenly the talk of the school. To protect Kasim, Lark decides to take the fall, pretending they accidentally posted the thread in reference to another classmate. It seems like a great idea: Lark finally gets the courage to ask out their crush, Kasim keeps his privacy and Lark's social media stats explode. But living a lie takes a toll - as does the judgement of thousands of Internet strangers. Lark tries their best to be perfect at all costs, but nothing seems good enough for the anonymous hordes - or for Kasim, who is growing closer to Lark, just like it used to be between them... In the end, Lark must embrace their right to their messy emotions and learn how to be in love.

Who Haunts You by Mark Wheaton

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:14:37 UTC

High school senior Rebecca "Bex" Koeltl is just trying to make it to graduation. But when her fellow seniors begin dying in seemingly unrelated incidents, Bex uncovers disturbing connections between their deaths, including that the teens believed they were haunted by long-dead relatives their own family members swear never existed. After Bex is visited by a malevolent specter of her own, she realizes she has to get the bottom of this horror before she's its next victim...

Even if We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:51:10 UTC

Five friends take a trip to a cabin. It's supposed to be one last getaway before going their separate ways-a chance to say goodbye to each other, and to the game they've been playing for the past three years. But they're all dealing with their own demons, and they're all hiding secrets. And as they start to play the murder mystery game that brought them together in the first place, the lines between the game and reality blend, with deadly consequences. Someone

knows their secrets. Someone wants to make them pay. Soon, it's a race against time before it's game over-forever. Are you ready to play?

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:51:26 UTC

Griffin has lost his first love in a drowning accident. Theo was his best friend, his ex-boyfriend and the one he believed he would end up with. Now, reeling from grief and worsening OCD, Griffin turns to an unexpected person for help. Theo's new boyfriend. But as their relationship becomes increasingly complicated, dangerous truths begin to surface. Griffin must make a choice: confront the past, or miss out on the future...

Read Between the Lies by Malcolm Duffy

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 10:52:57 UTC

Two very different boys, one new family, a shared struggle and a big secret. Tommy is talented, cool, a young offender, and dyslexic. Ryan is smart, uncool, well-behaved, and dyslexic. The two develop an unlikely friendship. As Ryan helps Tommy to read, a secret is revealed that will change their lives forever. Prize-winning Malcolm Duffy's third novel explores the joys and challenges of dyslexia in a story full of his hallmark heart and humour.

What the World Doesn't See by Mel Darbon

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 11:51:07 UTC

Maudie and Jake's family is falling to pieces - their mum's been struggling with her grief since they lost Dad and one night she vanishes. When Jake is put into care, Maudie can't take it any more. She comes up with a wild plan to pull their family back together - by kidnapping Jake. On the run in Cornwall, Jake and Maudie each find something they hadn't expected - freedom and love. But can they find Mum and a way to heal together? A powerful and insightful novel about grief, disability and first love; a story about getting lost and finding yourself.

Dyslexia-Friendly Quick Reads

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 12:00:10 UTC

Browse the Quick Reads section of the library (above the yellow alcove, with the gold labels!) to explore the Barrington Stoke books, which are books written for teens by popular authors in a dyslexia-friendly format and font. Digital reading list coming soon...

When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 12:03:28 UTC

Inspired by a true story. It's 1940, and Joseph has been packed off to stay with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no great fondness for children. To Joseph's amazement, she owns the rundown city zoo where Joseph meets Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla. Adonis is ferociously strong and dangerous, but Joseph finds he has an affinity with the lonely beast. But when the bombs begin to fall, it is up to Joseph to guard Adonis's cage should it be damaged by a blast. Will Joseph be ready to pull the trigger if it comes to it?

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 12:08:05 UTC

Charlie likes to stand out. She's a vlogger and actress promoting her first movie at SupaCon, and this is her chance to show fans she's over her public breakup with co-star Reese Ryan. When internet famous cool girl actress Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie's long-time crush on her isn't as one-sided as she thought. Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there's one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with her best guy friend Jamie - no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about a fan contest for her favorite fandom, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.

Green Rising by Lauren James

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 12:17:52 UTC

In a climate catastrophe... resistance is taking root. Gabrielle is a climate-change activist who shoots to fame when she becomes the first teenager to display a supernatural ability to grow plants from her skin. Hester is the millionaire daughter of an oil tycoon and the face of the family business. Theo comes from a long line of fishermen, but his parents are struggling to make ends meet. On the face of it, the three have very little in common. Yet when Hester and Theo join Gabrielle and legions of other teenagers around the world in developing the strange new "Greenfingers" power, it becomes clear that to use their ability for good, they'll need to learn to work together. As they navigate first love and family expectations, can the three teenagers pull off the ultimate heist and bring about a green rising?

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 12:19:27 UTC

Diagnosed as autistic just before joining a new school, 90s-obsessed Jessie is determined to make a fresh start. She plans to keep her diagnosis a secret and creates a list of goals to keep her on track – from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss. But when two very different boys steal her heart, Jessie finds herself re-writing her plans.

The Asparagus Bunch by Jessica Scott-White

FHS_Library — 2025-01-16 12:21:10 UTC

Leon John Crothers is 4779 days old (thirteen years and one month, if you're mathematically challenged). He has been 'moved on' from six different schools and most people think he has an attitude problem. Leon doesn't care for the label, in the same way that he doesn't care for Tim Burton, supermarket trolleys, train fanatics or Bounty bars. This time, however, things may turn out differently, as help comes from where he least expects it - Dr Snot, a physician at pains to help Leon navigate 'normal' and classmates, Tanya and Lawrence, who both face their own challenges. When school bully Glen Jenkins humiliates Leon in the school canteen and almost destroys Lawrence, Leon very reluctantly agrees to the formation of a club, The Asparagus Bunch. How Leon manages to navigate school woes and family drama - and astonishingly ends up with not one but two friends - is nothing short of a miracle, or maybe just simply down to being different.

The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas

FHS_Library — 2025-04-17 16:12:41 UTC

Whip-smart, hilarious and unapologetically honest, The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas is a heart-warming story of one girl trying to work out where she fits in, and whether she even wants to. Sometimes I feel like everyone else was handed a copy of the rules for life and mine got lost. Grace is autistic and has her own way of looking at the world. She's got a horse and a best friend who understand her, and that's pretty much all she needs. But when Grace kisses Gabe and things start to change at home, the world doesn't make much sense to her any more. Suddenly everything threatens to fall apart, and it's up to Grace to fix it on her own.