Neurodiversity Book Club (November) — "Unseelie"

In "Unseelie," a girl named Seelie only looks human, but is really a copy left by the fae. Her twin sister is the real human who she was copied from. They've stuck together, on their own, in a world prejudiced against her kind, but when things go wrong, the get dumped into the middle of centuries of history. Can Seelie solve the mystery and put everything back...or should it go back at all?

Why join me for this book?

1. It's a fairy tale adventure about finding your strength when all seems lost, and figuring out what's real and what's not.

2. Thoughtfully discussing books with others brings out more depth and meaning than a simple "I liked it" or "it was good."

3. We all need books with characters like us, as well as ones who are not like us. Characters like us help us feel less alone, and characters who are different help us understand other lives and experiences. The first time I read a book with a character who felt like me, who had the same hangups I did, who problem-solved in the same way, and got into the same difficulties, I finally felt normal. Because that character was autistic. And so was the author. And so am I.

Please read/listen to the book on your own before class. When we meet, I’ll ask an opening question about the book to start the discussion, and guide learners through a socratic seminar style discussion. 

I have done this extensively with teens, tweens, and young adults, and have had amazing experiences of seeing the world differently and relating to my discussion partners differently as we discuss a book, and explore the important ideas it brings up, together.

I hope you will join me!


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What will this class be like? 

There won't be any book reports, or quizzes, or character analysis, or writing summaries, or any of the types of assignments you're probably used to in school. We're going to discuss the book. But this isn't just talking about what you liked and didn't. 

This is a different kind of discussion called a socratic seminar. 

Socratic seminars are a way to thoughtfully explore a text and the ideas it brings up with other people so that everyone gets much more out of it than reading the book on your own. 


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Who is this class for?

Learners of ALL neurotypes are welcome, including neurotypicals!

What is neurodiversity? The term describes people who process information differently than what is typical. This includes autism, ADHD, Tourette, OCD, dyslexia, sensory differences, and more.

This class is a welcoming place for diverse learning and communication styles. Students are welcome to participate with camera on or off, via chat or voice or listening quietly, to move or fidget or stimm or doodle, and to request accommodations as needed.

This group is a welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ teens, cis, trans, nonbinary, agender, and gender expansive teens welcome.


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Publisher's description of "Unseelie," by Ivelisse Housman:

The start of a swoony, high-energy duology that Emily Lloyd-Jones, author of The Bone Houses, calls "reminiscent of classic fairytales yet brimming with a charm all its own."

"A world of glimmering fae that sparkles with mystery, adventure, and enchantment." --Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Hell Followed with Us.

Iselia "Seelie" Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde...but as an autistic changeling left in the human world by the fae as an infant, she has always known she is different. Seelie's unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in--and draws her and Isolde into the hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make some unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.

Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister and herself?

"Housman's stunning debut is the sort of love letter only an autistic author could write. Fae canon has been waiting for this one." --H.E. Edgmon, author of The Witch King