Please note that this title is currently out of stock but is available for pre-order. While we don’t have an exact publishing date yet, it is expected to be available within approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
£8.99
Declan Someone is a neurodiverse teenager from New York who has spent his life feeling slightly out of sync—with other people, with expectations, and with himself. When an unexpected opportunity takes him to Ireland, Declan steps into a landscape shaped by story, memory, and myth, and begins a journey that quietly challenges everything he believes about identity and belonging.
Set between contemporary New York and Ireland, Declan Someone is a lyrical coming-of-age novella that blends modern literary fiction with subtle elements of Irish folklore. As Declan navigates new relationships, creative pressure, and unresolved questions from his past, myth becomes a gentle lens through which he begins to see himself differently.
Written with warmth, clarity, and emotional insight, this is a hopeful story about neurodiversity, self-worth, and the courage it takes to grow into who you already are. Accessible yet richly layered, Declan Someone will resonate with teens and adults alike.
Kate McElderry is a programme director, teacher, and international speaker specialising in neurodiversity, dyslexia, and ADHD. She is co-author of Making a Mark! Discovering the Power of Neurodiversity on a Learning Safari.
Declan Someone is her debut novella, inspired by her own neurodiversity, her students, and time spent writing in Ireland.
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ROCCO GIULIANO –
I must admit that I had no idea what to expect from Declan Someone.
My understanding of Irish tradition is limited to gauzy notions of leprechauns, druids and old folks dispensing wisdom to wide-eyed, tow-headed children.
As it turns out, there are no leprechauns in Katrin McElderry’s delightful novel, although, as if to compensate, there **are** shape-shifting seals among many other marvels.
Most importantly, there is no shortage of insights about how young people, and, in fact, humans of any age, can navigate life’s ups, downs, and diversions by reframing challenges as opportunities for growth.
This is an essential lesson for all, but especially for the “neuro-divergents” among us whose so-called deficits can, with a little imagination and a dollop of wisdom, be transformed – in fact, shape-sifted – into magical portals to wondrous realms of power and positivity.
Rocco Giuliano
Investigative Documentarian
Blame It On Gutenberg
Susie Needle –
Declan Someone (The Journey of Declan Noone) is a delightful tale about a young man who has struggled with ADHD. In the process of spending a year in Ireland, back to his family’s roots, he discovers, among other things, that he is not alone as a neurodiverse learner and comes to be more accepting of himself and others.
Kate McKelderry is a gifted storyteller, weaving Declan’s experiences in Ireland into a charming story.
Mental Health Mom –
This coming-of-age tale beautifully captures
the nuanced journey of building confidence from within and
realizing one’s own potential. A must-read for any teen or
adolescent with ADHD, dyslexia, or anxiety, who is
struggling to find where they fit in, Declan Someone is
relatable, validating, and inspirational with neurodiversity,
Irish culture, and complicated family dynamics woven
together naturally.
Elizabeth Cannon –
Declan Someone (The Journey of Declan Noone) is a helpful story to young adults thinking they are alone, stupid or incapable with an ADHD, neurodiverse diagnosis. It reads beautifully and the play with words and language is really fun for young adults and adults to read.” Liz Cannon, CCC SLP, teacher.
Edna –
In an authentic, energetic and enthusiastic voice, Kate McElderry’s Declan Someone tells a tale of awareness and alignment, healing and transforming, connection and community that is simultaneously ancient and modern, realistic and mystical. A joy to read!