April is Autism Acceptance Month, and in honor of that I’d like to provide some recommendations for own-voices books that come from that community. As a reminder, you can access any of these with your library card number; if you do not have one, you can get one here by clicking “Create Account” in the upper right hand corner.
Thinking In Pictures by Temple Grandin
(1995). Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism—because Temple Grandin is autistic. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how she experiences the world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity. Available on Overdrive/Libby here.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018). A steamy romance novel featuring an autistic female lead, written by an autistic author! Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old. It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Available on Overdrive/Libby here.
Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robinson (2007). Ever since he was young, John Robison longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits–an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother, Augusten Burroughs, in them)–had earned him the label “social deviant.” It was not until he was forty that he was diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome. That understanding transformed the way he saw himself–and the world. There’s a waiting list but you can put yourself on the lit on Overdrive/Libby here.
No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg (2018). In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day in order to protest the climate crisis. Her actions sparked a global movement, inspiring millions of students to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Time’s 2019 Person of the Year was an autistic girl who hopes to inspire us all to make a change. You can read her words on Overdive/Libby here.
Autism in Heels by Jennifer Cook O’Toole (2018). At the age of thirty-five, Jennifer was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, and for the first time in her life, things made sense. Now, Jennifer exposes the constant struggle between carefully crafted persona and authentic existence, editing the autism script with wit, candor, passion, and power. Her journey is one of reverse-self-discovery not only as an Aspie but–more importantly–as a thoroughly modern woman. Available instantly on hoopla here.
Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic by Michael McCreary (2019). This is the selection for the library’s book discussion next week! Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn’t ‘look’ autistic. Diagnosed with ASD at age five, McCreary got hit with the performance bug not much later. During a difficult time in junior high, he started journaling, eventually turning his pain into something empowering-and funny. He scored his first stand-up gig at age 14, and hasn’t looked back. Available as both an ebook and audiobook instantly on hoopla here.
Happy reading!
