These areas are often overlooked in middle grade and YA novels, and it’s great when these novels are written by own voices authors. I have worked hard at promoting these novels around the school because I work with autistic students on a daily basis and I know how things can be overwhelming for them, how things can seem daunting, and how even things like the wrong type of clothing or lighting can send an autistic student down a negative path before they’ve even started their day. Imagine having to survive school with these additional pressures and anxieties. That’s why two of the books on this list focus deeply on this topic.