Book recommendations for young girl (12) to help her understand autism

[Goldfinchnesting]

I've been asked to recommend some books for a young girl who is about to be assessed, but I have two autistic sons and I know autism presents differently in girls. Any ideas of books on autism in girls gratefully received. She knows why she's being assessed, but wants to understand more about autism.

Thank you.

A Kind of Spark - written by an autistic author about a young girl with autism.

Can you see me? By Rebecca Westcott and Libby Scott

This book is supposed to be great although I cannot get DD (11) to take an interest in any books on the subject so can’t vouch for it personally!

These are all brilliant! Thank you!

@Kta7 - that sounds very familiar! DS1 also refused to read anything about autism or discuss his diagnosis at first. He was 14 when he was diagnosed. He now talks very openly about being autistic. He came to terms with it in his own time.

Sienna Castellon's 'The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide: How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic' (linked by @Kta7 )was by far the best book my daughter read at age 12.

@beautifulyoungmind - that's good to know. I'll pass that on, thanks.

This one is great, really helped my eldest.

A Different Sort of Normal amzn.eu/d/4ONsuOp

Is a novel but - geek girl

Second this. My autistic DD loves Elle McNichol's fiction books, but A Different Sort of Normal is the one she waved at me saying "this is SO good" and kept showing me pages saying "this is me!" It's a lot more about being autistic than A Kind of Spark, although you should definitely get that too.

The Can You See Me series is pretty good but the lead character and the girl who helped to write it has a PDA profile which is a very specific type of autism so depending on the child may not resonate as much.

I didn't really mean type of autism there. PDA is PDA. But it's just a different sort of experience than someone who is autistic but doesn't have PDA.

Thank you everyone! This is so helpful. Am passing it all on.

@Emmelina @TaskmasterAssistant - I've given an extra big recommendation for A Different Kind of Normal!

I was given Flowers for Algernon by a teacher at around that age.

I Am Autistic: A Workbook: Sensory Tools, Practical Advice, and Interactive Journaling for Understanding Life with Autism (by Someone Diagnosed with It) amzn.eu/d/aKKUeqM

This is the best book I've found. It's interactive, not too wordy and beautifully illustrated.

@LostaraYil - I've never forgotten that book. Most of the publishers wanted to change the ending, but the author refused.

However, it's not the sort of book you'd give to a girl who's going through an autism assessment. Why did your teacher recommend it to you?

@Localher0 - thank you. That might be useful for my younger son too, who's just been diagnosed.

That’s good to know; I’m sure we’ll get there too eventually! 🤞

A different kind of normal