Square Me, Round World: Stories of Growing Up in a World not Built for You by Chelsea Luker

Title: Square Me, Round World: Stories of Growing Up in a World not Built for You

Author: Chelsea Luker, illustrated by Eliza Fricker.

Genre: Short Stories

Publisher: Connect Us Psychology

Published: 1^st March 2024

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 100

Price: $29.99

Synopsis: ‘Square Me, Round World’ is a 100+ page hardcover book containing seven beautifully illustrated fictional stories, exploring common experiences of those who find it hard to fit in.

Ever felt like a square peg in a round hole? Dive into tales of growing up in a world where you just don’t seem to fit in. From the challenges of making friends and masking your authentic self, to the overwhelm of sensory overload and restless nights, these stories will resonate with those who know what it’s like to feel different.

Written by Chelsea Luker, an Autistic/ADHDer psychologist from NSW, Australia (and founder of Connect Us Psychology) with over 50 illustrations by Eliza Fricker renowned author/illustrator of “Thumbsucker” and “Can’t Not Won’t”, this book is more than just a collection of experiences. It’s a beacon of understanding, shining light on common experiences of Autistic and ADHDer individuals. Plus, with a discussion guide, it’s the perfect option for parents, teachers, and therapists seeking to support and connect.

Discover, understand, and embrace the square pegs in our round world. Suitable for children and adults alike, this book is a reminder that different isn’t less. It’s just different—and that’s perfectly okay. In fact, sometimes, it’s brilliant.

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In a world where everyone has a different brain type, and a different way of relating to the world, Autistic people and ADHDers can experience it very differently to others. They can take things literally, feel like they have to mask and hide who they are. Maybe things are too noisy in their head when they fall asleep. There are all sorts of ways that this can manifest, and it is different for every person with autism or ADHD. Chelsea Luker is an Autistic/ADHDer psychologist, and she has created this book for all readers, children and adults alike to understand that everyone responds to and understands the world around them in different ways.

Everyone sees the world in their own unique way – and for some people, they’re able to see how this works for other people. For others – Autistic or ADHDers, things aren’t always as easy for them. It’s about working harder to find out where they fit in the world, and how to relate to other people, regulate their emotions, or simply calm themselves down to sleep when they need to and want to. Across seven short stories about the challenges that neurodiverse children face. It shows them – and neurodiverse adults, that they are not alone, and that it is okay to feel the way they do. I liked that the children in these stories were supported by different people throughout, and shown that they were accepted and valued. Because it ensures that everyone can find their place in the world. This book also helps those who are not Autistic or ADHD understand what the world can be like for those who are, revealing that their friends will work things out differently or do things differently in play, work, and study, and illustrate what can help them.

It’s sensitively written from the perspective of someone who is ADHD and Autistic, and who works in the area to help people of all ages. Chelsea’s stories are accompanied with a series of discussion questions that can be used to help neurodiverse people express themselves, for those people supporting them as a way to help neurodiverse people as well as the neurodiverse person to work out how they feel and respond to the world. These stories and questions can be used as tools to help families, to help people understand neurodiversity, and to help neurodiverse people be seen. To be understood. And it can open up a world of deeper understanding. It shows that seeing the world differently or responding to it differently is not bad – it’s just who some people are. It’s an insightful and gentle book that allows people to see where they can fit in and relate to the world. And it encourages people to embrace who they are, to not shrink or change themselves to fit in. And that makes this a powerful book to read for everyone.