Each learner will need to have a copy of (or access to):

1. The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
2. A reading journal/notebook/binder for taking notes
3. A pencil, highlighters, or sticky notes for annotation
4. One independent novel from the following list (learner's choice)

The nonfiction sources and other resources will be provided in the classroom, including multimedia links from Youtube, which will only be playable in our Outschool classroom.

Individual Novel Study - Learner's Choice (Choose one of the following):

1) Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit
→Realistic fiction; sports; epistolary (letters)
→Setting: USA
→Main Character: Vivy
→An autistic Jewish girl is the main character; 
a gay brother; a black role model (baseball player)
→Ponder: Why does the author use the letter 
format? Is the neurodivergent character depicted as being complex and round? What are her strengths? How is her neurodivergence connected to her identity? How does she feel about her neurodivergence and about herself? Does she seem real? Does she think and talk in a way that is true to her age? How does she change, and why? How do her challenges impact her and others? How do the others treat her? Do others limit her despite their good intentions? Do others help her to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is stimming and flapping something that needs to be suppressed or stopped? Is a hyperfocus on passions harmful? Should people blend in more by reducing intense fixations and personal traits? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→650L


Author: Sarah Kapit is American. She is a chairperson for the Association for Autistic Community and is an advocate for disability rights and neurodiversity movements. She is autistic. She also consulted other autistic individuals and hired a sensitivity reader.


2) Rules by Cynthia Lord
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: Maine, USA
→Main character: Catherine
→A girl struggles to accept and appreciate her 
autistic brother who uses echolalia to communicate; 
she makes friends with a nonverbal paraplegic boy
→Ponder: Does it depict a neurodivergent person as being broken? Is David depicted as being a complex, round character? Do others try to change him or do they accept him for who he is while accommodating him? Do they accept his form of communication? What about Jason? What changes him? Is a non-disabled character a hero or saviour? Does the book focus on making a non-disabled character feel more comfortable? Does the character without a disability learn more about those with disabilities and become more accepting? How is their neurodivergence or disability connected to their identities? How do they feel about their neurodivergence/disability and about themselves, or is that unclear? 
→There is some “rude” language like “stinks a big one”, “jerk”, and one mention of “fatso”
→Jason thinks about dying and feels incomplete
→670L


Author: Cynthia Lord has autistic and non-autistic children. 


3) Song For a Whale by Lynne Kelly
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: Texas, Alaska, and Oregon, USA
→Main character: Iris
→A deaf girl (main character)
→Ponder: Is the main character depicted as being a complex, round character? What are her strengths? Does she seem real? How does she feel about her deafness and about herself? Does she change, and why does the author depict this outcome? How do her challenges impact her and others? Can she understand and communicate with everyone? Is this realistic? How do the others treat her? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→800L

Author: Lynne Kelly is an American sign language interpreter and teacher who works with deaf learners. She also hired deaf beta readers to review her book before publication.


4) Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green
→Realistic fiction; poetry; free verse novel
→Setting: Sacramento, California
→Main character: Macy McMillan
→A deaf girl (main character); 86-year-old neighbour
→Mother is getting remarried; blended family
→Ponder: Is the main character depicted as being a complex, round character? What are her strengths? Does she seem real? How does she feel about her deafness and about herself? Does she change, and why does the author depict this outcome? How do her challenges impact her and others? Can she understand and communicate with everyone? Are there any breaks in what she can understand while she is lipreading? Is this realistic? How do the others treat her? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→870L


Author: Shari Green is Canadian. Her friend’s parents are deaf, as well as two of her nieces.


5) Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: Arizona, USA
→Main character: Aven Green
→An adopted girl (main character) who was born 
without arms (phocomelia syndrome); a friend with 
autism (Tourette’s Syndrome)
→Inaccurate depiction of adoption
→Ponder: Are the characters depicted as being a complex, round character? What are their strengths? Do they seem real? How do they feel about their disabilities/autism and about themselves? Do they change, and why does the author depict this outcome? How do their challenges impact them and others? How do the others treat her? Do others try to change them or do they accept them for who they are while supporting and accommodating them? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→700L


Author: Dusti Bowling (American) was inspired by a video of a mother taking care of her child, driving, and working out although she had no arms. Her name was Barbie Thomas and she lived in Dusti’s city. Before writing the book, Dusti also watched all of the Tisha Unarmed YouTube videos. She then hired Tisha and Barbie to read her manuscript before it was published.



6) Wonder by R.J. Palacio
→Realistic fiction; multiple perspectives
→Setting: Manhattan, USA
→Characters: Auggie, Via, Will, and Justin
→A boy with Treacher Collins syndrome; 
main character
→Ponder: Why does the author add multiple perspectives? Is the character with a disability depicted as being complex and round? What are his strengths? How is his disability connected to his identity? How does he feel about his disability and about himself? Does he seem real? Does he think and talk in a way that is true to his age? How does he change, and why? How do his challenges impact him and others? How do the others treat him? Do others limit him despite their good intentions? Do others help him to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change him or do they accept him for who he is while supporting and accommodating him? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→790L


Author: R.J. Palacio (American) was inspired when her son started crying in an ice cream shop when he saw a girl with facial deformities. The author was so upset by her own reaction that she researched the condition and wrote this book. Her book was shared with an actual boy with Treacher Collins syndrome and his family by a nurse. He cried reading it since it reflected his experience. 



7) Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: 
→Main character: India Opal Buloni
→The father is depressed; Mom is an alcoholic 
and left the family; Gloria, a recovering alcoholic, 
is a positive example
→Ponder: Which characters are struggling with mental health and/or addiction? What are their strengths? How are their disabilities connected to their identities? Do they seem real? Do they change, and why? How do their challenges impact them and others? How do the others treat them? Do others help him to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change them or do they accept them for who they are while supporting and accommodating them? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→660L


Author: Kate DiCamillo is American. She had chronic pneumonia and was a sickly child. She did a lot of research on depression and alcoholism.


8) Small Mercies by Bridget Krone
→Realistic fiction
→Set in the capital city of South Africa
→Main character: Mercy
→A Black adopted girl lives with her aunts but one 
develops Alzheimer's disease
→The school environment is toxic but changes by the end
→There’s some rude language
→Ponder: Is the character with a brain disorder depicted as being complex and round? What are her strengths? Does she seem real? What is the message about her identity? How does she feel about her memory loss and about herself? Does she change, and why does the author depict this outcome? How do her challenges impact her and others? How do the others treat her? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→820L


Author: Bridget Krone was a South African teacher. Now, she writes textbooks and novels.


9) Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: USA
→Main character: Ally Nickerson
→A girl with dyslexia; classmates with autism 
and ADHD
→550L
→Ponder: Is the character with a disability depicted as being complex and round? What are her strengths? Does she seem real? What is the message about her identity? How does she feel about her disability and about herself? Does she change, and why does the author depict this outcome? How do her challenges impact her and others? How do the others treat her? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative?

Author: Lynda Mullaly Hunt, American, has dyslexia. She is a former teacher. Her dyslexia went undiagnosed for a long time and she had a bad experience with a grade four teacher, leading her to believe that she was unintelligent.


10) Focused by Alyson Gerber
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: Massachusetts, USA
→Main character: Clea
→A girl with ADHD; a sister in speech therapy; 
a friend with dyslexia
→Toxic school kids; a friend is upset that his dad 
moved away and is starting a new family
→Ponder: Why does the main character speak 
negatively about herself and have low self-confidence? Why isn’t her intelligence reflected at school? Is the neurodivergent character depicted as being complex and round? What are her strengths and interests? How is her neurodivergence connected to her identity? How does she feel about her neurodivergence and about herself? Does she seem real? How does she change, and why? How do her challenges impact her and others? How do the others treat her? Do they support her? Do others help her to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative? 
→750L


Author: Alyson Gerber is an American author. She was diagnosed with ADHD when she was twenty-one years old.


11) Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry
→Realistic fiction; prose; poetry; free verse novel
→Multiple perspectives
→Setting: Utah, USA
→Main character: Calliope June
→An autistic girl (main character)
→The mother has a series of short relationships 
and keeps uprooting them
→Ponder: Why does the author include two perspectives and why does she use free verse? Is the neurodivergent character depicted as being complex and round? What are her strengths and interests? How is her neurodivergence connected to her identity? How does she feel about her neurodivergence and about herself? Does she seem real? How does she change, and why? How do her challenges impact her and others? How do the others treat her? Do others help her to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative? 
→670L


Author: Ellie Terry is American and autistic (formerly known as Tourette’s syndrome).


12) Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: Georgia, USA
→Main character: Emilia
→A girl has ADHD (main character); her dad 
has PTSD
→Some Spanish in the dialogue; Cuban heritage
→The grandmother is Catholic
→Ponder: Is the main focus on the neurodivergent character or is the book stuffed with many big topics? Is the neurodivergent character depicted as being complex and round? What are her strengths and interests? Does she seem real? Are her emotions and reactions realistic? Does she speak in a natural way? How does she change, and why? How do her challenges impact her and others? How is her neurodivergence connected to her identity? How does she feel about her neurodivergence and about herself? How do the others treat her? Do others help her to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative? 
→680L


Author: Pablo Cartaya is a creative writing teacher and author. The main character is inspired by his daughter who was the same age and has ADHD. He met with his daughter’s doctor and did a lot of research, especially from Child Mind Institute and the American Psychological Association.



13) The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla
→Realistic fiction; adventure
→Setting: California to Virginia, USA
→Main character: Charlie
→An autistic boy with OCD (main character); father 
with head injury
→The grandmother uses a few curse words.
→Ponder: Is the neurodivergent character depicted as being complex and round? What are his strengths and interests? How is his neurodivergence connected to his identity? How does he feel about his neurodivergence and about himself? Does he seem real? How does he change, and why? How do his challenges impact him and others? How do the others treat him? Do others help him to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change him or do they accept him for who he is while supporting and accommodating him? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→700L


Author: Sally J. Pla is American but has lived in Venezuela and France. She has anxiety, social phobia, auditory processing, and sensory processing issues. She has an autistic son but she wasn’t diagnosed herself until she was an adult.


14) Finding Perfect by Elly Swartz
→Realistic fiction
→Setting: California, USA
→Main character: Molly
→A girl with OCD (main character)
→Ponder: Does the story focus mostly on the 
character, on the plot, or on teaching the reader? Is the neurodivergent character depicted as being complex and round? What are her strengths? How is her neurodivergence connected to her identity? How does she feel about her neurodivergence and about herself? Does she seem real? How does she change, and why? How do her challenges impact her and others? How do the others treat her? Do others help her to develop life strategies in a respectful way? Do others try to change her or do they accept her for who she is while supporting and accommodating her? Is the story too positive or too negative?
→550L


Author: Elly Swartz is an American author. She knows individuals with OCD and consulted with doctors for four years while writing this novel.