Good Different

Good Different (2023), a middle-grade novel-in-verse by poet and educator Meg Eden Kuyatt, explores the interior world of a neurodivergent seventh grader named Selah, who must navigate the complexities of school, friendship, and self-discovery. Drawing on Kuyatt’s lived expertise and advocacy within the autism community, the novel blends free-verse poetry with contemporary coming-of-age storytelling to offer an emotionally resonant portrait of a protagonist with autism. As Selah grapples with masking, sensory overwhelm, and evolving relationships, she begins to redefine what it means to belong in a world that often misunderstands people’s differences. Recognized for its contribution to inclusive children’s literature, Good Different illuminates themes of identity and self-expression, as well as the challenges and possibilities involved in embracing one’s neurotype.

This guide refers to the eBook edition published by Scholastic Press in 2023.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of bullying, ableism, emotional abuse, and substance use.

Plot Summary

Good Different follows Selah, a seventh grader at Pebblecreek Academy who has long relied on personal rules to navigate social expectations and overwhelming emotions. She begins by recalling her first public breakdown as a child, which occurred during a shopping trip; this experience led her to believe that she must never cry in public. 

Selah enjoys the structured routines of Pebblecreek and writes a poem for her English teacher about why she likes the school, expounding on its rules and predictable environment. However, middle school brings changes that unsettle her: new uniforms, more crowded classes, teachers who mispronounce her name, and separation from her best friend, Noelle. Selah feels disconnected from her lunch group and is increasingly unable to discuss her interests, especially dragons.

At home, Selah decompresses quietly after school while her mother, Sue, gives her the space she needs. Their new neighbors frequently throw loud parties that overwhelm Selah, and although her mother also dislikes the noise, neither confront the situation. Selah is close to Pop, her grandfather, who shares some of her traits and encourages her to write or draw whenever she feels overwhelmed. However, Pop’s behavior often clashes with Sue’s desire to avoid conflict.

As school becomes more stressful, Selah’s rules become harder to follow. She isolates herself at lunch, worries about losing Noelle’s friendship, and experiences sensory overwhelm. Addie, who sits behind her in class, talks constantly and asks for math help, and Selah feels obligated to assist her despite feeling drained.

When Selah attends a sleepover at Noelle’s house, she becomes overstimulated. When Addie pokes at her through her sleeping bag, Selah retreats to the bathroom and cries. The next week at school, Addie presses her about the incident, and Selah grows uncomfortable. In the bathroom, she overhears Cleo and Laurel wondering if she might have autism, but they use stereotypical and inaccurate descriptions, deepening Selah’s confusion about herself.

During a study hall, Addie approaches Selah and begins braiding her hair without asking. Already overwhelmed by noise and stress, Selah panics and involuntarily lashes out and hits Addie, inflicting a bloody nose. Selah is taken to the office, where the principal suspends her for three days and warns that she must demonstrate her “best” behavior in order to remain enrolled next year. At home, Sue tells Pop what happened, and the conversation leads to an argument about how Selah should be treated and what the school expects.

When Selah returns to school, teachers avoid her, classmates whisper about her, and even Noelle is unsure how to respond. Selah begins to fear that Noelle does not want her as a friend. Addie no longer asks her for math help, and Selah is left feeling guilty and isolated. One of her teachers, Mr. S, reprimands her again for drawing in class, adding to her distress.

When another of Selah’s teachers, Mrs. V, assigns a poetry project, Selah writes personal poems about her feelings, dragons, masking, and her struggles with eye contact and her peers’ judgment. Mrs. V responds supportively. 

After Selah overhears another parent complaining about her presence at the school, she hides in a bathroom stall until Mrs. V finds her. Mrs. V encourages Selah to consider that her self-imposed rules may be placing too much pressure on her; the teacher also suggests that Selah may need support or accommodations.

Noelle tries to reconnect by inviting Selah to her upcoming birthday party, but Selah responds defensively. Her miscommunications with teachers continue, and when Ms. R accuses Selah of cheating because her handwriting varies, Selah breaks down crying. A classmate later calls her a “misanthrope,” and the nickname spreads.

On the day of FantasyCon, a fantasy-themed convention, her mother invites Noelle. At the convention, Selah becomes overwhelmed by the crowds but receives help from vendors who offer her sensory tools and explain the effects of overstimulation. She participates in an open-mic event, reading a poem about being misunderstood. The experience helps her to recognize patterns in her sensory and emotional experiences.

After researching autism, Selah identifies strongly with what she reads. She writes poems about the things she enjoys, including certain sensory experiences, and she begins using earplugs at night to block out the noise of her neighbors’ parties. At school, she posts a poem on Mrs. V’s bulletin board but grows anxious and tears it down the next morning, damaging her drawing. Meanwhile, her classmates continue to mock her.

Selah asks her mother for sensory tools for Christmas, but Sue dismisses them as childish, so Selah creates her own kit and uses it at school until Mr. S confiscates it. When Pop learns of the incident, he arrives at school to defend her, and the incident escalates into a conflict with Sue. That night, Sue panics when Pop wanders off, and Selah searches for him, eventually finding him in the woods. She brings him home, confronting both him and Sue about their patterns of behavior. 

Sue takes Selah to a specialist, where Selah receives an autism diagnosis. Sue realizes that she also has autism, which explains many of their shared experiences.

Selah attends another of Noelle’s sleepovers, and Noelle defends her when one girl, Cleo, becomes aggressive. Later, Selah writes a poem to her neighbors, and she also writes one to Addie, explaining the sensory overwhelm that caused her to lash out. Addie responds kindly, apologizing for accidentally hurting Selah, and the two reconcile. Selah reflects on her self-made rules for social behavior and considers the possibility that she may have developed them to prioritize others’ comfort over her own well-being.

Selah begins wearing color-coded bracelets to signal her emotional state, and Noelle wears hers as well. Selah and Mrs. V make copies of Selah’s poems, and Selah posts them around the school. Soon, other students add their own poems, covering the walls faster than the principal can remove them. Selah receives an anonymous apology note, and students begin discussing the posted poetry during lunch.

As Selah continues posting her poetry despite the principal’s attempts to tear them down, she must also contend with habitual bullies like Ezra, who continue to mock her. One day, Addie’s mother arrives to complain about Selah’s continued enrollment, but Addie defends Selah publicly, challenging the assumption that Selah is dangerous. Sue meets with the school to request formal accommodations for Selah, with Mrs. V present.

Selah writes a new set of rules for herself based on honesty, advocacy, communication, and being her authentic self. She accepts her autism diagnosis, feels pride in her creativity and sensory experiences, reconnects with her mother and grandfather, and recognizes that she is not “damaged.” The novel ends with Selah feeling understood, supported, and confident in her identity.