The Specials — Holli Anderson

Aiden King loves that middle school is predictable. That's because while Aiden has a near-genius IQ, he's also autistic. Seeing the same faces in class every day, A'Reian, who has Down Syndrome; Katie, who has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-dependent; Danny, who has learning disabilities, and Mrs. Carlson, his green-haired special education teacher, keeps his world spinning perfectly.

Until two new students show up.

Aiden can't understand why they would send a couple of "normals" to his class. But when his math teacher is mysteriously kidnapped, Aiden finds himself teaming up with them to rescue Mr. Butler. This eclectic group of kids can't solve the mystery alone, but together they may find the unique skills they need, and Aiden may just learn the power of having friends.