A while back, my friend Mary Mecham reached out to me to see if I would like to share some of my favorite children’s books that include children with disabilities. As you know, I am a big proponent of inclusive books! Providing windows and mirrors is–in my humble opinion–the most important thing literature can do for any reader.
So while I have no idea what it is like to live with certain diagnoses or challenges, I am grateful for the opportunity I have to gain new perspectives through literature that help me be more aware and more empathetic to my brothers and sisters who heroically navigate those hurdles day in and day out.
I also love it when readers can see a character in a book who is dealing with situations that are relatable to their own circumstances. It is so empowering! Every child should have such an opportunity.
Whether you are looking for a book to be a window or a mirror for you or for a beloved child in your life, I thought I’d share books I’ve read recently and love dearly that give a voice to children with varying disabilities and diagnoses. I hope they inspire you and bring more joy to your life and to the life of anyone and everyone you share them with!
My kids love these books! The main character has Tourette syndrome along with a mysterious ability to control electricity. The author, Richard Paul Evans, knows a thing or two about living with Tourette syndrome since he has it himself and he does such a great job of helping us to see how it would be to live with those challenges.
This is such a beautiful story about a 13-year-old boy who wants to win a comic book contest while dealing with an eye disease that causes him to have double and triple vision and could lead to blindness. Add in the challenges he faces trying to survive middle school, and you can imagine why this book is so un-put-downable!
I adore this book! It is a beautiful story of two unlikely friends who are both dealing with disabilities of their own. This book is such a fantastic reminder that we all need each other and why we should never make assumptions about another person based on looks or diagnosis.
I bought this book as soon as I could because Lynne Kelly is a Houston writer and I always go out of my way to support local writers! But it made my list because it is such a great book about Iris, a 12-year-old deaf girl who is frustrated. She is frustrated because even though she is smart, people treat her like she’s stupid. She is frustrated because she feels like no one is really listening to her–something I think every young girl can relate to at some point. The connection she feels with a rare whale becomes her focus and the start of some major growth in her life. You can’t help but love Iris and her adventurous heart.
If you are looking for an inspiring historical fiction novel for children, look no further! Ada, the 11-year-old main character was born in 1929 with a club foot. Her mother refused any operation to help Ada, so she grows up unable to walk and confined to one room of a tiny flat. But all of that changes when Hitler’s army threatens London and she and her younger brother Jamie find themselves in the country with a woman who wasn’t expecting them but comes to love them.
The title of this glorious story comes from a metaphorical analysis of Albert Einstein’s theory of the relativity of knowledge, “If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it’s stupid.” I think a common problem with many people who face disabilities or difficult diagnoses is that they are treated as inferior, especially when it comes to intelligence. But in reality, the opposite is typically the case. This book proves it as main character Ally defies the odds while living with dyslexia.
I gained so much insight into what it might be like to be a 12-year-old with autism from this book! The main character, Jason Blake, has such a powerful voice. You can’t help but love him as you get to know his heart throughout the book. When he faces rejection and misunderstandings, my heart breaks for him. This story is inspiring to anyone who has ever felt like they don’t fit in, but is invaluable to anyone who doesn’t “fit” in a neurotypical world.
If Ellie–the main character in this book–had a fan club, I would join! She busts the myth of a Mary-Sunshine-in-a-Wheelchair right open! She keeps it real. And you can’t help but love her for it. She may have to deal with some major physical limitations because of cerebral palsy from prematurity, but she is not about to let that stop her from living her dreams.
A few years ago, I learned about this beautiful book that does such a fantastic job of depicting children with different adaptive equipment, normalizing things that some mainstream kids (and parents) might be afraid to talk about. I think picture books like this help parents have conversations with their children–whether their children are familiar with the adaptive equipment in this book or not.
Another thing that I love is when picture books are more inclusive, even when their topics are not specifically focusing on topics like disabilities. For example, Sophie Blackall’s masterpiece If You Come to Earth and Matt de la Pena’s & Christian Robinson’s book Milo Imagines the World include characters with disabilities in their illustrations even though they aren’t the main characters in the story. There is so much value in this.
I am so excited for weeks like Disability Book Week! Let’s keep diversifying children’s books!
