Adam Rocks… and Max Rolls! - Children's Books on Autism

Adam Rocks… and Max Rolls! was written by Connie Colwell Miller and was illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia. It was published on January 14, 2025 by Amicus Learning / Ink.

Adam Rocks… and Max Rolls! is a book about an Autistic child named Adam who rocks back and forth to soothe himself. During reading time at school one day, a classmate named Max makes fun of Adam’s rocking, which is his way of stimming. The teacher talks to Max and asks him what his body does to feel comfortable and be able to listen. Turns out Max rolls his pencil on his desk. The next time reading happens, Adam is rocking and Max is rolling. The conflict is resolved.

This book was an enlightening take on stimming, which in this case was Adam’s rocking back and forth. In the book the teacher is very careful to explain to Adam that he does not need to stop stimming if it helps him, normalizing the behavior and allowing for acceptance of his Autism. I was very impressed by the way Adam Rocks… and Max Rolls! approached this topic, and I hope more books learn to approach stimming this way in the future.