Wonderfully Wired Brains: An introduction to the world of neurodiversity

No brain in the world is exactly the same as another, and they all function in their own special ways.

Divided into four sections: Wonderfully working brains, which explains how brains work and which bit does what; Wonderfully diverse brains, which explains a variety of neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, synaesthesia, OCD, tics, dyslexia and many more; Wonderfully wired history, which shows the timeline of neurodiversity awareness and showcases some brilliant brains from history; and the final section, Wonderfully wired people, which tells readers about a selection of modern-day neurodiverse writers, YouTubers, composers, coders and TV personalities.

There’s also a useful appendix of words and brain terminology at the back of the book, with a note from Louise to young readers that acknowledges the uniqueness of everyone’s brain and their journey in life. Readers are reminded that when they have questions about themselves or about any topics in the book, they should ask an adult – and that there’s so much more to learn about how our brains work.

Louise Gooding, herself a neurodiverse creator, has ADHD, and this authenticity of experience shines through in her writing. This is a welcoming and down to earth look at neurodiversity for mid to older primary aged children, and a tremendously useful resource that sadly has been all too lacking until now. Highly recommended for all.