BENJI, THE BAD DAY, AND ME
Stories Can Teach Us We’re Not Alone Small confession here: when I started writing my very first children’s novel, The Someday Birds, I thought I was creating a quirky road trip story about a bird-loving autistic boy thrust out of his comfort zone. A character wholly inspired by my own wonderful (albeit sometimes exasperating) autistic child. However, the deeper I got into the story, the more I realised that this Charlie, this character of mine, was based more on… me. He had my childhood fears of the world, my resistance to change. How strange! I thought to myself. Why on earth was my own childhood turning out to be such a rich source of story material? Long story short, that’s how I ended up getting an autism diagnosis as a middle-aged adult. This new self-knowledge has set me free, and has launched me into a new calling as a writer. I feel it’s my mission to populate the world of children’s literature with as many memorable and loveable neurodivergent characters as I can, because every child of every type deserves to read a story and feel seen. Feel that rush of emotion, that sudden epiphany
that hearing the right words at the right time can give us. Stories teach us we’re not alone. Stories teach us empathy for each other. Rates of autism, ADHD and learning disabilities are rising among children. In parts of the US, the autism rates are one in thirty-six - that’s at least one child in every classroom - and many more if you add ADHD, dyslexia and other forms of learning challenges. Yet, according to a 2019 study, only 3.4% of children’s books portray a disabled main character. There are many stories out there, still waiting to be told. To do my part, I’ve kept writing. Stanley Will Probably Be Fine is about a highly anxious boy with sensory processing issues and best friend problems who bravely enters a wild treasure hunt contest to try and prove himself. For younger readers, I have Benji, The Bad Day, and Me, a sibling story of
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grumpiness, resentment, rain, a blue blanket, and brotherly love. My latest is The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn, about an autistic girl who, during a crucible summer, learns to lean into her own hidden strength and resilience. She finds a new community. She learns to surf and to ride life’s waves of change. This is my main hope for all young people, and why I keep writing. I want to show kids how much goodness and growth they are capable of, no matter what the diagnoses are. To show them they can do hard things. That they, like Maudie, can be strong enough to ride life’s waves of change. SALLY J. PLA Author sallyjpla.com
ILLUSTRATIONS: BENJI, THE BAD DAY AND ME - KEN MIN, STANLEY WILL PROB BE FINE - STEVE WOLFHARD
Neurodiverse characters in books
