July is Disability Pride Month. This list of titles has been selected and curated by our staff to reflect the huge diversity of the disability experience.
You can read about specific titles below or view them as a single list.
Four neurodivergent kids, who face stressful moments throughout their day, use body movements, called stims, to self-regulate their emotions.
The author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing loss at a young age, including using a bulky hearing aid, learning how to lip read, and determining her "superpower".
New friends and a mystery help Aden, thirteen, adjust to middle school and life at a dying western theme park in a new state, where her being born armless presents many challenges.
Meet 34 artists, thinkers, athletes, and activists with disabilities, from past and present. From Frida Kahlo to Stephen Hawking, find out how these iconic figures have overcome obstacles, owned their differences, and paved the way for others by making their bodies and minds work for them.
One-legged Joe is "amazing". He knows this because wherever he goes people always tell him he's amazing. Amazing for sliding down the slide, for kicking a ball, even walking to get an ice cream, or even just eating an ice cream. Of course, being Amazing Joe is better than being Poor Joe. But Joe doesn't want to be Amazing Joe or Poor Joe. He's happiest when he's just Joe.
A child shares her favorite things about her mother's wheelchair.
Famous at Hector P. Garcia Elementary for being the first kid in kindergarten to ever start a band, Lupe Lopez enters first grade seeking a new sort of fame. She's ready to rock and roll straight into the role of Reading Rock Star! But despite her best efforts, the words she thought she knew--now grouped in sentences--only glare back at her. Stuck in Group A with the kids who can't read, she becomes the object of a rival's mockery. Will her beloved band, and her confidence, survive the sting of defeat?
In the 1970s an important disability rights law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, was waiting to be signed. Judy [Heumann] and other disability rights activists fought for YES! They held a sit-in until Section 504 was signed into law. Section 504--established thanks in large part to the ongoing work of Judy and her community--laid the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This is the story of Starr, a girl with dwarfism who lives with her mum and younger sister, Babs. As the girls get older and Babs overtakes Starr's height, Starr understands there is something different about her. When Starr starts primary school she is at first upset by being shorter than the other children. But with help from her mum and teacher, Starr finds the courage to shine. A fun and gentle story about disability, family and fitting in, told by a major children's author and illustrated by an artist with dwarfism.
Pan Cooke is ten years old when anxious thoughts begin to take over his brain like pieces of an impossible puzzle. What if he blurts out a swear word while in church? What if he accidentally writes something mean in his classmate's get-well card? What if his friend's racy photo of a supermodel ends up in his own homework and is discovered by his teacher? More and more, he becomes hijacked by fears that can only be calmed through exhausting, time-consuming rituals. Pan has no way of knowing that this anxiety puzzle and the stressful attempts to solve it are evidence of a condition called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is his story of living with and eventually learning about OCD. Told with endearing honesty and humor, Puzzled shows the reader the importance of empathy for oneself and those going through something they don't yet understand.
This series explores disability in a comprehensive, honest, and age-appropriate way. This book explores the do's and don'ts of disability etiquette and how to talk about disability. Engaging inquiry-based sidebars encourage students to LOOK, THINK, MAKE A GUESS, ASK QUESTIONS, and CREATE. Books are authored by writers with disabilities and the series has been developed in partnership with Easterseals who is leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access through life-changing disability and community services. Books include table of contents, glossary, index, author biography, and sidebars.
Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text celebrate bodies of all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors, with different kinds of hair, eyes, spots, scars, and more.
Through illustrations and simple, rhyming text a group of children celebrates their own bodies, pointing out how their diverse arms bend and fold, their teeth shine, and more.
A student who uses a wheelchair finds a way to see her dog each day in school.
Sometimes everything is too much! Too loud, too bright, and all too overwhelming. Writing from her own experience with sensory processing disorder, Jolene Gutiérrez's compassionate picture book explores the struggles of a sensorily sensitive child and how they settle themselves. Joined by Angel Chang's beautiful illustrations, young readers will learn that it's OK if some days are too much.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Wanda Díaz Merced wanted to study the stars. But when she lost her sight, she had to find a new way to work. Through the use of sonification, which turns data into sound, she was able to make a path for herself and other scientists with disabilities.
Come Over To My House is a delightful picture book that explores the home lives of children and parents who are Deaf or disabled. Co-written by disability advocate Eliza Hull and bestselling author Sally Rippin, the inclusive rhyming text authentically explores the characters' various disabilities. A cast of friendly characters invite friends over for a play - there's fun to be had, food to eat and families to meet! Come over to my house. Come over and play! I'll show you around, you can stay the whole day. We'll swing on the swing-set and splash in the pool. Then I'll race you inside where my bedroom is cool. Featuring a gorgeous die-cut cover, bright illustrations and a diverse cast, this is a must-read for all families.
Verity "Very" Nelson can do it all. She's student body president, debate club whiz, and first chair clarinetist. You could say she's pretty much the best at everything...Well, almost everything. Everything except math. And it's not like she doesn't try. Math just doesn't make sense in her brain. But it better start soon, or else she can kiss her presidency -- and her campaign promises -- goodbye. Soon Verity finds herself enrolled in a remedial math class where, despite her best efforts, failure persists. All seems lost until a teacher helps her discover the truth: Verity has dyscalculia, a learning disability that causes her to mix up numbers. Armed with a new diagnosis and improved grades, Verity is confident her math struggles will remain secret. But when a gossipy podcaster dismantles her perfect image, Verity must choose: remain part of a broken system or fight to fix it.
A young girl, who is visually impaired, finds much to celebrate as she explores the city she loves. A young girl and her father spend a day in the city, her city, traveling to the places they go together: the playground, the community garden, the market, an outdoor concert. As they do, the girl describes what she senses in delightfully precise, poetic detail. Her city, she says, "rushes and stops, and waits and goes". It "pitters and patters, and drips and drains". It "echoes" and "trills", and is both "smelly" and "sweet". Her city also speaks, as it "dings and dongs, and rattles and roars". And sometimes, maybe even some of the best times, it just listens.
Ruby Emmerson has always felt like the "dumb" twin. Struggling with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, she feels out of place at her competitive charter school, especially as her twin brother Bryce excels both academically and socially. When she fails a math test despite getting extra help, she fears she'll flunk out of Benton Academy and drag her brother back to their old school. In a moment of frustration, Ruby vents anonymously online, describing herself as an imposter-a mango among lovebirds. But to her surprise, she's far from alone. As her account gains a following, tensions rise with her brother and her posts draw the unwanted attention of the school administration. Now, Ruby must find the courage to challenge Benton's high-pressure environment and advocate for herself and all the other "Mangoes" out there.
Nathan doesn't say much. He sure has a lot on his mind, though. At school, Nathan quietly observes the ways his peers communicate. Even when they're not talking, they're expressing themselves in all sorts of ways! By witnessing the beauty of communication diversity, Nathan learns and shows his classmates the essential lesson: Not only does everyone have something to say, but seeking to understand one another can be the greatest bridge to friendship and belonging. This illustrated picture book explores and celebrates the many forms of expression--signing, speaking, singing, smiling, among others--and culminates in a story about connection and understanding.
When Masie starts at a new school, she knows the other kids are going to have questions about her disability, and she wishes they would just ask her about it.
Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani's stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most--and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.
Neveah, a young blind girl, experiences the beauty of each season through touch, taste, smell, and sound, discovering the wonder of the world around her year-round.
Disability Pride Parade day is Hazel's favorite day! See the ways that communities can support people with disabilities by making a safer, more accessible environment for all.
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Jennifer Keelan grew up battling-and overcoming-the limitations others set for her. From a lack of cutaway curbs and bus lifts to being denied enrollment at her neighborhood school, Jennifer was continually blocked from living the life she wanted. But after discovering the world of disability rights activism, she knew she had to use her voice to change things. When Jennifer was just eight years old, she participated in the Capitol Crawl. The deeply affecting image of Jennifer crawling up the steps of Capitol Hill went viral and helped pressure Congress into passing the Americans with Disabilities Act. A powerfully illustrated biography of Jennifer's life and a celebration of youth activism, All the Way to the Top will teach all children that they have the power to make a difference.
In 1928, Nellie Zabel Willhite became the first female pilot in South Dakota, and the first deaf pilot in the nation. Nellie was introduced to the world of flight while working at the Sioux Falls airport. She enrolled in pilot training, carefully tailoring the courses to accommodate her deafness.
From Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker James Robinson comes [an] ... illustrated memoir for middle-grade readers (and adults, too), inspired by the viral, Emmy-nominated short film Whale Eyes. Told through an experimental mix of intimate anecdotes and interactive visuals, this book immerses readers in James's point of view, allowing them to see the world through his disabling eye conditions. Readers will get lost as they chase words. They'll stare into this book while taking a vision test. They'll hold it upside down as they practice 'pretend-reading'--and they'll follow an unlikely trail toward discovering the power of words.
This photo picture book looks at differences in bodies, with photos of children with many different challenges including various physical disparities, learning differences, and medical conditions.
Rhyming text and bright color photographs introduce preschoolers to the many kinds of working dogs--from guide dog to water rescue dog to actor. On each spread, large photographs feature working dogs performing their respective jobs.
A sweet dog-loves-kid/kid-loves-dog story, in which the kid uses a wheelchair, from an award-winning children's poet and talented debut illustrator.
This ... read-aloud with an empowering refrain ... demystifies and respects how disabled people and their families use adaptive, imaginative, and considerate play so everyone can join in the fun. Back matter consists of a kid-friendly guide to thinking, learning, and talking about disability; a glossary of the different disabilities represented throughout the book; and a guide for grown-ups on ways to encourage discussions about disabilities with the children in their lives.
A rhyming picture book that demystifies and respects how disabled people and their families use different forms of communication to connect and show love.
Artistic J.J. navigates starting middle school and managing his Crohns disease, personified as a disruptive, imaginary companion named Norm, while dealing with friendships, secrecy, and the realities of living with an invisible illness.
Some days Wyatt and his mom have big adventures and some days, when his mom's multiple sclerosis flares up, they have small adventures.
Children with disabilities celebrate all bodies and minds in this anthem of self-affirmation and belonging.
Eleven-year-old Tony Weaver, Jr. loves comic books, anime, and video games, and idolizes the heroic, larger-than-life characters he finds there. But his new classmates all think he's a weirdo. Bullied by his peers, Tony struggles with the hurt of not being accepted and tries to conform to other people's expectations. After a traumatic event shakes him to his core, he embarks on a journey of self-love that will require him to become the hero of his own story.