Keedie
By Elle McNicoll
Illustration by Kay Wilson
Published by Knights Of
Paperback £7.99
Review by Nicky Mathewson
Elle McNicoll has become a really strong voice in children’s publishing and a fierce advocate of neurodivergent people. Being a neurodivergent author, she tells stories with authenticity and passion and it doesn’t get much more passionate than this!
Keedie is trying to navigate her teenage years like a ship through a storm. Almost 14 she is a twin and an older sibling, and she is autistic. School is a daily challenge of being misunderstood and painted with a brush of being wantonly difficult, uncooperative and disruptive.
What Keedie actually is, is kind, thoughtful, passionate and funny.
She is also very stubborn and it is because of this stubbornness that she finds herself at the centre of an anti-bullying scheme at school. Riled by the injustice of bullies and the teachers’ blindness to it, she takes it upon herself to stamp it out.
This is a fiery and necessary handbook for all teens and teachers and it’s a superb piece of advocacy for those who are marginalised.
I loved it for its passion and honesty and I know many autistic teens and younger readers will love it too.
A fast paced story suitable for readers aged 11+
