Tag Archives: disabilities

Books for and about the Vision-Impaired

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Some people read with their eyes, but other people read with their hands. The SSHEL S-Collection has books for all types of readers. These books are great for anyone who likes to read—or would like to learn to read—in braille. There are also plenty of information books about the experience of being blind or vision impaired as well as biographies of famous blind individuals. Children with visual disabilities can find themselves in their pages, and visually-typical children can learn about someone who lives life a little differently than they do. Books in braille and books about blindness are perfect for classroom lessons about disabilities or for anyone eager to learn.

When searching for books in braille, try keywords “books in braille” or “braille books.”
When searching for print books about blind individuals or blindness in general, try a subject search of “juvenile literature” combined with keywords “vision impaired,”, “blind,” or “visual disability.”

Books in Braille

Andreae, Giles.
Giraffes Can’t Dance. 2013.
Gerald the giraffe just wants to dance—but his body won’t cooperate! His legs are too long and gangly, and he just feels silly until he finds the perfect music.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. SE. An254g2013]

Armstrong, Nancy M.
Navajo Long Walk. 2014.
This is the story of a Navajo boy named Kee who must travel a long distance with his family and livestock to an internment camp, where he and his family are forced to live for four years before they can return to their reservation.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S. Ar583n]

Carmi, Rebecca.
Amazing Magnetism: Magic School Bus #12. 2013.
Miss Frizzle’s class challenges another second grade class to a science contest. Miss Frizzle’s class was falling behind, but when your school bus is magic, anything can happen!
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S. 538 C21a2013

Cowley, Joy.
Gracias, the Thanksgiving Turkey. 2015.
Miguel becomes friends with the turkey his Papa sends home for Thanksgiving Dinner and names him Gracias. But Gracias isn’t a pet–he’s supposed to be a meal! With a little help from his family, will Miguel be able to keep Gracias off the menu?
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S. C839g2015]

Cunningham, Ann.
Sadie Can Count: A Multisensory Book. 2006.
This book has both large print and braille for readers of all ability; similarly, it contains full-color illustrations along with other, more tactile details to be enjoyed by all.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. SE. C917s]

Gidwitz, Adam.
A Tale Dark and Grimm. 2015.
Hansel and Gretel find their way into a few other stories and meet the characters living there as they try to learn to live happily ever after.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S. G3611t2015]

Keene, Carolyn.
The Pumpkin Patch Puzzle: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #33. 2015.
Nancy and her Clue Crew have an autumn mystery to solve—someone has smashed all the pumpkins for the big pumpkin decorating contest!
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S. K251pu2015]

Koster, Gloria.
The Peanut-Free Café. 2006.
What will a peanut-butter-loving school do when a new student with a nut allergy enrolls? Should the food be banned? How could an entire school ever give up peanut butter? Simon has a clever idea—a Peanut-Free Café!
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. SE. K8481p2006]

Osborne, Mary Pope.
Ghost Town at Sundown. 2014.
Jack and Annie are at it again in their Magic Tree House—this time, they are sent back to the Old West to solve a mystery and meet cowboys and ghosts along the way.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S. Os26g2014]

Penn, Audrey.
The Kissing Hand. 2005.
Chester the raccoon feels a little apprehensive about starting Kindergarten, so his mother shows him a special trick to help him bring her love with him wherever he goes.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. SE. P381k2005]

Rylant, Cynthia.
Henry and Mudge and Annie’s Perfect Pet: The Twentieth Book of their Adventures. 2013.
Henry’s cousin Annie likes Mudge the dog, but wants to decide what kind of pet would be just right for her. A bird? A kitty? Or something else?
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. S. R983h2013]

Yousafzai, Malala.
I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban. 2015.
Malala Yousafzai tells the story of her courage when she demanded her right for education and was shot by the Taliban at age 15. She survived and became one of the most inspiring figures of the decade.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION Q. SB. Y82y2015]

Books about Braille, Blindness, and Blind Individuals

Non-fiction Books and Biographies for Beginning Readers

Alexander, Sally Hobart.
Do You Remember the Color Blue? 2000.
The author, who lost her sight at age 27, recounts the questions children have asked her, including, “How can you read?” and “Is it scary?”
[CCB and SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 305.908161 Al 27d]

Edwards, Nicola.
My Friend is Blind. 2005.
This book is an introduction to blindness for children who may have never encountered an individual with the disability. It includes color pictures and a glossary for additional learning.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 617.7 Ed976m]

Moore, Eva.
Buddy, the First Seeing Eye Dog. 1996.
Readers follow Buddy the German shepherd as he trains to become America’s first seeing eye dog.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 362.4183 M782b]

O’Connor, Barbara.
The World at His Fingertips: A Story about Louis Braille. 1997.
A short biography of Louis Braille, who invented the reading system of the same name after he was blinded as a child.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION SB. B8140]

Rappaport, Doreen.
Helen Keller’s Big World. 2012.
Easily accessible for young readers, this biography of Helen Keller introduces children to her unique life.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION SB. K292r]

Troupe, Quincy.
Little Stevie Wonder. 2005.
Learn all about blind musician Stevie Wonder’s life from his birth in Detroit to his worldwide success as a recording artist. This book includes a CD for additional sensory fun.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 811 T757l]

Non-fiction Books and Biographies for Intermediate to Advanced Readers

Alexander, Sally Hobart.
She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer. 2008.
Many people know of Helen Keller, but not as many are familiar with Laura Bridgman. Bridgman lost her sight, hearing, and some of her smell and taste as a child. She went on to study at the first school for the blind and later became a beloved teacher.
[CCB and SSHEL S COLLECTION SB. B855a]

Dash, Joan.
The World at Her Fingertips: The Story of Helen Keller. 2001.
This in-depth biography of the famous Helen Keller provides curious readers with more details than ever before, including her college years and eventual involvement in the political world.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION SB. K294da]

Jeffrey, Laura.
All about Braille: Reading by Touch. 2004.
An introduction to the braille system with a full explanation of its history and invention by Louis Braille.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 411 J372a]

Kent, Deborah.
Extraordinary People with Disabilities. 1996.
This book profiles famous individuals with disabilities—some visual—and emphasizes the continuing struggle for equal rights for the differently abled.
[SSHEL S COLLECTION S. 363.40922 K414e]

A New Free Resource
The U.S. government offers free, video-on-demand children’s television programming for thousands of students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing. For more information, see the news release and link.

Disabilities in Books for Youth

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December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. In honor of this day, we present you with a list of recent titles of books about people with disabilities. Both picture books and juvenile/young adult books are separated into two categories: mental disabilities and physical disabilities. In addition to the list below, another list to check is a student contributed bibliography of Picture Books about Disabilities for Young Readers. To find more books about disabilities in our online catalog do an Advanced Search for the disability (ex: “autism” or “disabilities”) in search by Subject Words and the word “juvenile” in search by Subject Words.

Curious about people who have disabilities? Check out this list of famous people with disabilities.

Disabilities in Non-fiction

Delano, Marfe Ferguson.
Helen’s eyes: a photobiography of Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller’s teacher. 2008.
Describes the life of Annie Sullivan and the obstacles she faced as partially sighted that later allowed her to teach Helen Keller.
[Education S Collection Q. S.920.93711 D337h]

Dwight, Laura.
Brothers and sisters. 2005.
Like most brothers and sisters, the siblings in this book play together, compete with each other, and help one another. This book shows that having a sibling with a physical disability is not so different from having a sibling without a disability. They work together to overcome their problems, whatever the problems are.
[Center for Children’s Books S.362.4083 D965b]

Hansen, Rosanna.
Panda: a guide horse for Ann. 2005.
This photo-essay shows how Panda helps her owner and how the miniature horse was originally trained as a guide horse. The miniature horse has a life span much longer than a guide dog’s, giving it an extended relationship with its blind owner .
[Education S Collection Q. S.362.40483 H198p]

Jeffrey, Laura S.
All about Braille: reading by touch. 2004.
Explains how the blind read and write by using a system of raised dots created by Louis Braille and named after him.
[Education S Collection S.411 J372a]

Landau, Elaine.
Autism. 2001.
Using case histories, personal stories, and the latest research on autism, the author provides a thorough and absorbing study of this often misunderstood disorder. Also included are suggestions for further reading and contact information for organizations concerned with autism.
[Uni High 616.8982 L231a]

Landau, Elaine.
Head and brain injuries. 2002.
Discusses the nature and treatment of each disease and examines possible cures. Contains fascinating case studies, as well as question and answers.
[Education Storage S.617.481044 L231h]

Manson, Ainslie.
Boy in motion: Rick Hansen’s story. 2007.
As a young boy, Rick Hansen loved to fish and play ball. At 15, an accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. However, Rick was a very determined young man. He’d still fish and play ball and live out his dreams– he’d just learn to do them differently.
[Education S Collection Q. SB. H2488m]

Owning It: Stories about Teens with Disabilities. 2008.
Presents ten stories of teenagers facing all of the usual challenges of school, parents, boyfriends and girlfriends, plus the additional complications that come with having a physical or psychological disability.
[Center for Children’s Books S.808.83 Ow4]

Royston, Angela.
Using a wheelchair. 2005.
Using a wheelchair is a condition many people live with. Find out what life is like for some who use a wheelchair.
[Education S Collection S.617.033 R816w]


Mental Disabilities in Fiction
Picture Books

Altman, Alexandra.
Waiting for Benjamin. 2008.
Alexander experiences feelings of disappointment, anger, embarrassment, and jealousy when his younger brother is diagnosed with autism.
[Education S Collection SE. Al797w]

DeBear, Kristin.
Be Quiet, Marina! 2001.
A noisy little girl with cerebral palsy and a quiet little girl with Down syndrome learn to play together and eventually become best friends.
[Center for Childen’s Books SE. D3506b]

Girnis, Meg.
1, 2, 3 for You and Me. 2001.
Photographs show children with Down syndrome in activities with objects corresponding to numbers one through twenty.
[Education S Collection SE. G443o]

Girnis, Meg.
ABC for You and Me. 2000.
Photographs show children with Down syndrome in activities with objects corresponding to the letters of the alphabet.
[Education S Collection SE. G443a]

Glenn, Sharlee Mullins.
Keeping Up with Roo. 2004.
Gracie has always had a special bond with her Aunt Roo, who is mentally disabled, but that relationship starts to change when Gracie begins school.
[Education S Collection SE. G487k]

Niekerk, Clarabelle van & Liezl Venter
Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome. 2008.
A young boy named Sam, has difficulty at school and seems moody at home. When Sam is diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger syndrome, his family and teachers understand him better and learn how to help him succeed. Includes tips for parents, teachers and children on being with children who have Asperger’s.
[Education S Collection S. N553u]

Perez, Annette.
My Brain Won’t Float Away. 2006.
Eight-year-old Annie begins a journey of self-discovery when she learns that some of her traits which make her different from other children are the result of hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” Text in English and Spanish.
[Education S Collection Q. SE. P415m]

Physical Disabilities in Fiction
Picture Books

Chaconas, Dori.
Dancing with Katya. 2006.
In the late 1920s, Anna tries to help her younger sister Katya regain her strength and joy in life after she becomes crippled by polio.
[Education Storage Q. SE. C344d]

Emmons, Chip.
Sammy Wakes His Dad. 2000.
Sammy’s father, who is in a wheelchair, is reluctant to join Sammy in going fishing, until his son’s love finally moves him to action.
[Education Storage SE. Em67s]

Herrera, Juan Felipe.
Featherless. 2004.
Although Tomasito’s spina bifida keeps him in a wheelchair, where he often feels as confined as his flightless and featherless pet bird, he discovers that he can feel free when he is on the soccer field.
[Education S Collection SE. H433f:Sp]

Millman, Isaac.
Moses Goes to the Circus. 2003.
Moses, who is deaf, has a good time with his family at the circus, where they communicate using sign language. Includes illustrations of some of the signs they use.
[Education S Collection SE. M623m]

Seeger, Pete and Paul DuBois Jacobs
The Deaf Musicians. 2006.
Lee, a jazz pianist, has to leave his band when he begins losing his hearing, but he meets a deaf saxophone player in a sign language class and together they form a snazzy new band.
[Education S Collection Q. S. Se326d]

Shirley, Debra.
Best Friends on Wheels. 2008.
A young girl relates all the ways she and her best friend, Sarah, are alike, in spite of the fact that Sarah uses a wheelchair.
[Education S Collection SE. Sh66b]

Mental Disabilities in Fiction
Juvenile & YA Literature

Baskin, Nora Raleigh.
Anything but Typical. 2009.
Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world.
[Education S Collection S. B292an]

Easton, Kelly.
To Be Mona. 2008.
High school senior Sage tries to hide her mentally ill mother and get a popular football player to go out with her, but eventually she realizes that abandoning her real friends and letting herself be manipulated by others does not make her feel better after all. Includes author’s note about bipolar disorder and abusive relationships.
[Education S Collection S. Ea794t]

Hyde, Catherine Ryan.
The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance. 2007.
Thirteen-year-old Cynnie has had to deal with her mother’s alcoholism and stream of boyfriends all her life, but when her grandparents take custody of her brother, who has Down syndrome, Cynnie becomes self-destructive and winds up in court-mandated Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
[Education S Collection S. H992y]

Lowry, Lois.
The Silent Boy. 2003.
Katy, the precocious ten-year-old daughter of the town doctor, befriends a boy with developmental disabilities.
[Education S Collection S.L9551si]

Stork, Francisco X.
Marcelo in the Real World. 2009.
Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.
[Uni High Fiction St747m]

Vidal, Clara.
Like a Thorn. 2008.
Throughout her childhood, Melie believes her mother is two people–Rosy Mother and Dark Mother–and she performs more and more rituals to keep Dark Mother away as she reaches adolescence, when she begins to realize that her mother is mentally ill and that Melie may be, as well.
[Education S Collection S. B625t]

Physical Disabilities in Fiction
Juvenile & YA Literature

Aronson, Sarah.
Head Case. 2007.
Seventeen-year-old Frank Marder struggles to deal with the aftermath of an accident he had while driving drunk that killed two people, including his girlfriend, and left him paralyzed from the neck down.
[Center for Children’s Books S. Ar676h]

Burnett, Frances Hodgson
The Secret Garden. 2008 ed.
A ten-year-old orphan comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors where she discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.
[Education S Collection S. B934s2008]

DeGross, Monalisa
Donovan’s Double Trouble. 2008.
Fourth-grader Donavan is sensitive about the problems he has understanding math, and then when his favorite uncle, a former high school basketball star, returns from National Guard duty an amputee, Donavan’s problems get even worse as he struggles to accept this “new” Uncle Vic.
[Education S Collection S. D365do]

Howell, Simmone.
Everything Beautiful. 2008.
When sixteen-year-old Riley unwillingly attends a religious summer camp, she forms a deep bond with another camper who happens to be wheelchair bound.
[Center for Children’s Books S. H8395e]

Kathryn Lasky
The Last Girls of Pompeii. 2007.
Twelve-year-old Julia knows that her physical deformity will keep her from a normal life, but counts on the continuing friendship of her life-long slave, Mitka, until they learn that both of their futures in first-century Pompeii are about to change for the worse.
[Education Storage S. L3352la]

LeZotte, Ann Clare.
T4: A Novel in Verse. 2008.
When the Nazi party takes control of Germany, thirteen-year-old Paula, who is deaf, finds her world-as-she-knows-it turned upside down, as she is taken into hiding to protect her from the new law nicknamed T4.
[Education S Collection S. L599t]

Matlin, Marlee & Doug Cooney
Leading Ladies. 2007.
A deaf fourth-grader finds her true calling when she is cast as Dorothy in a school production of “The Wizard of Oz.”
[Education S Collection S. M427l]

Portman, Frank.
Andromeda Klein. 2009.
High school sophomore Andromeda, an outcast because she studies the occult and has a hearing impairment and other disabilities, overcomes grief over terrible losses by enlisting others’ help in her plan to save library books–and finds a kindred spirit along the way.
[Uni High Fiction P837a]

Willard, Elizabeth Kimmel.
Mary Ingalls on Her Own. 2008.
In 1881, sixteen-year-old Mary Ingalls becomes a student at the Iowa College for the Blind, where she studies academic subjects and learns skills that will allow her to be independent and to earn a living.
[Education S Collection S. K571m]

Multicultural Families

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Whether you are interested in researching children’s literature on multicultural families or using these sources with your own family, literature can be used to examine current representations of families and to teach kids about the diversity of families. In 2005 the ESSL posted a guide to finding children’s books about interracial families, including a short list of sample titles, which may also be useful. Additional resources include the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s guides to Recommended Picture Books Featuring Interracial Families, 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know, 40 Books About Family, and Gay and Lesbian Themes and Topics in Selected Children’s and Young Adult Books. The CCBC is a research library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bibliographies and Reference Sources

East, Kathy and Thomas, Rebecca.
Across Cultures: a Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children. 2007.
This bibliography looks at all areas of multicultural literature for children. There is a specific section on families, friends, and neighborhoods.
[Education 011.62 Ea773]

Emery, Francenia L. (ed).
That’s me! That’s you! That’s us! Selected current multicultural books for children and young adults presenting positive, empowering images. 2002.
Includes bibliographies on various multicultural topics, including a section on family.
[Education Juvenile Reference S.011.62 Em364t]

Turner-Vorbeck, Tammy and Marsh, Monica Miller (ed).
Other Kinds of Families: Embracing Diversity in Schools. 2008.
This book looks at multicultural families and discusses the need to reconsider how families are represented in school curricula. The chapters on “Hegemonies and ‘Transgressions’ of Family,” “Immigrant Families and Schools,” and “Doing the difficult: schools and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer families” may be particularly helpful. Each chapter also includes a bibliography of referenced books and articles.
[Education 371.192 Ot3]

Multiethnic Families
Fiction

Adoff, Arnold.
Black is Brown is Tan. 1973.
Describes in verse the life of brown-skinned momma, white-skinned daddy, their children, and assorted relatives.
[Education Storage SE. AD71B]

Amado, Elisa.
Cousins. 2004.
A girl deals with having an extended family from different ethnic backgrounds.
[Education Storage S. Am12c]

Bunting, Eve.
Jin Woo. 2001.
Davey is dubious about having a newly adopted brother from Korea, but when he finds out that his parents still love him, he decides that having a baby brother will be fine.
[Education S Collection SE. B886ji]

Carlson, Nancy.
My Family is Forever. 2004.
A young Asian girl recounts how she came to be part of an adoptive Caucasian family.
[Education S Collection SE. C197my]

Cheng, Andrea.
Grandfather Counts. 2000.
When her maternal grandfather comes from China, Helen, who is biracial, develops a special bond with him despite their age and language differences.
[Education S Collection SE. C4212g]

Cox, Judy.
My Family Plays Music. 2003.
A multiracial musical family with talents for playing a variety of instruments enjoys getting together to celebrate. Each member of the family introduces his/herself, the instrument, and kind of music played.
[Education S Collection Q. SE. C839m]

Davol, Marguerite.
Black, White, Just Right! 2003.
A girl explains how her parents are different in color, tastes in art and food, and pet preferences, and how she herself is different too but just right.
[Education Storage SE.D311B]

Friedman, Ina R.
How My Parents Learned to Eat. 1984.
An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries, in secret, to learn the other’s way of eating.
[Education Storage SE.F9142H]

Goble, Paul.
Buffalo Woman. 1984.
A young hunter marries a female buffalo in the form of a beautiful maiden, but when his people reject her he must pass several tests before being allowed to join the buffalo nation.
[Education S Collection S.398.2 G538B]

Hallinan, P. K.
A Rainbow of Friends. 1997.
A story in verse about how all friends are special and valuable regardless of differences or difficulties, and about how everyone is part of one big family.
[Education Storage SE. H156r1997]

Iyengar, Malathi Michelle.
Romina’s Rangoli. 2007.
When her teacher asks each student to bring in something reflecting his or her heritage to display at an open house, Romina struggles over how to represent both her father’s Indian culture and her mother’s Mexican one.
[Education S Collection SE. Iy1r]

Keller, Holly.
Horace. 1994.
Horace, an adopted child, realizes that being part of a family depends on how you feel and not how you look.
[Education Storage SE. K282HO1994]

Monk, Isabell.
Hope. 1999.
During a visit with her great-aunt, a young girl learns the story behind her name and learns to feel proud of her biracial heritage.
[Education S Collection SE. M7491h]

Wing, Natasha.
Jalapeno Bagels. 1996.
For International Day at school, Pablo, who comes from a racially mixed family, wants to bring something that reflects the cultures of both his parents.
[Education S Collection SE. W7262j]

Multiethnic Families
Non-fiction

Kindersley, Barnabas.
Children Just Like Me. 1995.
Photographs and text depict the homes, schools, family life, and culture of young people around the world.
[Education Storage Q. S.779.925 C796C]

Kuklin, Susan.
Families. 2006.
Children from diverse families share thoughts about their families and photographs.
[Center for Children’s Books Q. S.306.85 K958f]

Kuklin, Susan.
How My Family Lives in America. 1992.
African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic-American children describe their families’ cultural traditions.
[Education S Collection Q. S.305.800973 K958H]

Gay and Lesbian Families
Fiction

Brannen, Sarah S.
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding. 2008.
Chloe is jealous and sad when her favorite uncle announces that he will be getting married, but as she gets to know Jamie better and becomes involved in planning the wedding, she discovers that she will always be special to Uncle Bobby–and to Uncle Jamie, too.
[Education S Collection SE. B7352u]

Garden, Nancy.
Molly’s Family. 2004.
While preparing decorations for Open School Night, Molly and several of her classmates draw pictures of their families. Molly is at first hurt when a classmate comments “no one has two mommies,” but she and her classmates discover that family means something different to each of them.
[Education S Collection SE. G167m]

Gonzalez, Rigoberto.
Antonio’s Card. 2005.
With Mother’s Day coming, Antonio finds he has to decide about what is important to him when his classmates make fun of the unusual appearance of his mother’s partner, Leslie. This bilingual book is in English and Spanish.
[Education S Collection and Education Storage Q. SE. G589a]

Haan, Linda de.
King & King. 2002.
When the queen insists that the prince get married and take over as king, the search for a suitable mate does not turn out as expected.
[Education S Collection SE. H111k]

Polacco, Patricia.
In Our Mothers’ House. 2009.
Three young multiracial children experience the joys and challenges of being raised by two mothers.
[Center for Children’s Books Q. SE. P756in]

Richardson, Justin.
And Tango Makes Three. 2005.
At New York City’s Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.
[Education S Collection Q. SE. R394t]

Vigna, Judith.
My Two Uncles. 1995.
Elly’s grandfather has trouble accepting the fact that his son is gay.
[Education S Collection SE.V683MY]

Willhoite, Michael.
Daddy’s Roommate. 2000.
A young boy discusses his divorced father’s new living situation, in which the father and his gay roommate share eating, doing chores, playing, loving, and living.
[Education S Collection SE. W669d2000]

Disabilities
Fiction

Altman, Alexandra.
Waiting for Benjamin. 2008.
Alexander experiences feelings of disappointment, anger, embarrassment, and jealousy when his younger brother is diagnosed with autism.
[Education S Collection SE. Al797w]

Chaconas, Dori.
Dancing with Katya. 2006.
In the late 1920s, Anna tries to help her younger sister Katya regain her strength and joy in life after she becomes crippled by polio.
[Education Storage Q. SE. C344d]

Emmons, Chip.
Sammy Wakes His Dad. 2000.
Sammy’s father, who is in a wheelchair, is reluctant to join Sammy in going fishing, until his son’s love finally moves him to action.
[Education Storage SE. Em67s]

Glenn, Sharlee Mullins.
Keeping Up with Roo. 2004.
Gracie has always had a special bond with her Aunt Roo, who is mentally disabled, but that relationship starts to change when Gracie begins school.
[Education S Collection SE. G487k]

Millman, Isaac.
Moses Goes to the Circus. 2003.
Moses, who is deaf, has a good time with his family at the circus, where they communicate using sign language. Includes illustrations of some of the signs they use.
[Education S Collection SE. M623m]

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie.
We’ll Paint the Octopus Red. 1998.
Emma and her father discuss what they will do when the new baby arrives, but they adjust their expectations when he is born with Down syndrome.
[Education S Collection Q. SE. St98w]

Picture Books about Disabilities for Young Readers

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We are very fortunate to have a contribution from one of the students on our campus, who provided a list of books on disabilities. Rachel shares this list with a cautionary note that some of the books are dated and do not always reflect current practice and theory. She hopes that you will find this list helpful both in identifying picture books about disabilities and in critically assessing the content of picture books. For more information about critical analysis of picture books, check out Kay Vandergrift’s “Notes for the Analysis of a Picture Book”

NOTE: Author names, when available, appear in parentheses after each title.

1. ABC For You and Me (Meg Girnis)
2. A button in Her Ear (Ada Bassett Litchfield)
3. A.D.D. Book For Kids (Shelley Rotner)
4. A.D.D. Not B.A.D (Audrey Penn)
5. A Girl Named Helen Keller (Margo Lundell)
6. Alex Is My Friend (Marisabina Russo)
7. All Kinds of Friends, Even Green! (Ellen B. Senisi)
8. Andy and his Yellow Frisbee (Mary Thompson)
9. Arnie and the New Kid (Nancy Carlson)
10. A Very Special Critter (Gina Mayer, Mercer Mayer)
11. A Very Special Sister (Dorothy Hoffman Levi)
12. Be Good to Eddie Lee (Virginia Fleming)
13. Be Quiet, Marina! (Kirsten Debear)
14. Big Brother Dustin (Alden R. Carter)
15. Blindness: A First Book (Malcolm E. Weiss)
16. Brian’s Bird (Patricia A. Davis)
17. Can You Hear a Rainbow? : The Story of a Deaf Boy Named Chris (Jamee Riggio Heelan)
18. Charlie’s Challenge (Linda Gladden)
19. Circles of Friends: People With Disabilities and Their Friends Enrich the Lives of One Another (Robert Perske)
20. Clifford Visits the Hospital (Norman Bridwell)
21. Cosmo Gets an Ear (Gary Clemente)
22. Crow Boy (Taro Yashima)
23. Dad and Me in the Morning (Pat Lakin)
24. Deafness: A First Book (Jane Hyman)
25. Dear Santa, Please Come to the 19th Floor (Yin)
26. Dina the Deaf Dinosaur (Carole Addabbo)
27. Don’t Call Me Special: A First Look at Disability (Pat Thomas)
28. Dustin’s Big Day at School
29. Eddie Enough! (Debbie Zimmett)
30. Elana’s Ears, or How I Became the Best Big Sister in the World (Gloria Roth Lowell)
31. Eukee: The Jumpy Jumpy Elephant (Clifford L. Corman)
32. Even Little Kids Get Diabetes (Connie White Pirner)
33. Everybody is Different: A book for young people who have brothers or sisters with autism (Fiona Bleach)
34. Extraordinary Friends (Fred Rogers)
35. Finding a Way: Living With Exceptional Brothers and Sisters (Maxine B. Rosenberg)
36. Going With the Flow (Claire H. Blatchford)
37. Harry and Willy and Carrot Head (Judith Casely)
38 . Helen Keller: Courage in the Dark (Johanna Hurwitz)
39. He’s my Brother (Joe Lasker)
40. Here Comes Kate! (Judy Carlson)
41. Hooray for Harold, Dealing With Hearing Loss (Tim Peters)
42. How It Feels to Live With a Physical Disability (Jill Krementz)
43. Howie Helps Himself (Joan Fassler)
44. Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism (Laurie Lears)
45. I Am Not Dumb (A Motiar)
46. I Can’t Always Hear You (Joy Zelonky)
47. I Have a Sister–My Sister Is Deaf (Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson)
48. Imagine Me on a Sit-Ski (George Moran)
49. I’m Deaf and It’s Okay (Lorraine Aseltine)
50. I’m Tougher Than Asthma! (Siri M. Carter)
51. It’s OK to be Different (Todd Parr)
52. I wish I could fly like a bird (Katherine Denison)
53. Jennifer Jean, the Cross-Eyed Queen
54. Joey and Sam: “A Heartwarming Storybook About Autism, a Family, and a Brother’s Love” (Illana Katz)
55. Jump Rope (Karen Gerald Wheaton)
56. Jumpin’ Johnny Get Back to Work! : A Child’s Guide to ADHD/Hyperactivity (Michael Gordon)
57. Just a Little Different (Bonnie Dobkin)
58. Just Kids: Visiting a Class for Children With Special Needs
(Ellen B. Senisi)
59. Just Like Everybody Else (Jim Pierson)
60. Just Like You (Sarah Albee)

61. Just Talk to Me, Please
62. Lee, the Rabbit With Epilepsy (Deborah M. Moss)
63. Leo the Late Bloomer (Robert Kraus)
64. Let’s Talk About Dyslexia (Melanie Apel Gordon)
65. Let’s Talk About Needing Extra Help in School (Susan Kent)
66. Let’s Talk About It: Extraordinary Friends (Fred Rogers)
67. Listen for the Bus: David’s Story (Patricia McMahon)
68. Little Rainman (Karen Simmons)
69. Mandy (Barbara D. Booth)
70. Mittens, Mittens & More Mittens (Laura Maryon)
71. Mom Can’t See Me (Sally Hobart Alexander
72. Moses Goes to a Concert (Isaac Milllman)
73. Moses Goes to School (Isaac Millman)
74. Mountains to Climb (Richard M. Wainwright)
75. My Brother Matthew (Mary Thompson)
76. My Brother Sammy (Becky Edwards)
77. My Brother Steven is Retarded (Harriet Langsam Sobol)
78. My Buddy (Audrey Osofsky)
79. My Friend Jacob (Lucille Clifton)
80. My Friend Leslie, The Story of a Handicapped Child (Maxine B. Rosenberg)
81. My Sister Is Special (Larry Jansen)
82. Naomi Knows It’s Springtime (Virginia L. Kroll)
83. Nick Joins in (Joe Lasker)
84. Oliver’s High Five (Beverly Swerdlow Brown
85. Otto Learns About His Medicine: A Story About Medication for Children With ADHD (Sandra Ferraro)
86. Our Brother Has Down’s Syndrome (Shelley Cairo)
87. Princess Pooh (Kathleen M. Muldoon)
88. Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and his wheelchair (Jamee Riggio Heelan)
89. Rolling Along with Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Cindy Meyers)
90. Rufus Comes Home (Kim Gosselin)
91. Russ and the Almost Perfect Day (Janet Elizabeth Rickert)
92. Russ and the Apple Tree Surprise (Janet Elizabeth Rickert)
93. Seal Surfer (Michael Foreman)
94. See the Ocean (Estelle Condra)
95. See You Tomorrow, Charles (Miriam Cohen)
96. Seeing Things My Way (Alden R. Carter)
97. Shelley, the Hyperactive Turtle (Deborah M. Moss)
98. Snow (Catherine Farnes)
99. Some Kids Are Blind (Lola M. Schaefer)
100. Some Kids Use Wheelchairs (Lola M. Schaefer)
101. Some Kids Wear Leg Braces (Lola M. Schaefer
102. Someone Special, Just Like You (Tricia Brown)
103. Sparky’s Excellent Misadventures: My A.D.D. Journal
(Phyllis Carpenter)
104. Special People, Special Ways (Arlene Maguire)
105. Susan Laughs (Jeanne Willis)
106. Taking Asthma to School (Kim Gosselin)
107. Taking Diabetes to School (Kim Gosselin)
108. Taking Seizure Disorders to School: A Story About Epilepsy (Kim Gosselin)
109. Talking About Disability (Jillian Powell)
110. Thank You, Mr. Falker (Patricia Polacco)
111. The Honeywood Street Fair (Catherine Lucas)
112. The Lion Who Had Asthma (Jonathan London)
113. The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer (Jimmy Carter)
114. The Little Lame Prince (Rosemary Wells,)
115. The Making of my special hand (Jamee Riggio Heelan)
116. The Secret Code (Dana Meachen Rau)
117. The Special Raccoon: Helping a child learn about handicaps and love (Kim Carlisle)
118. Unlikely Friends: A Story of Second Chances (Monica Hall)
119. Way to Go, Alex! (Robin Pulver)
120. We’ll Paint the Octopus Red (Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen)
121. What Do You Mean I Have a Learning Disability? (Kathleen M. Dwyer)
122. What’s Wrong with Timmy? (Maria Shriver)
123. You’ve Got a Friend (Joni Eareckson Tada)
124. Zoey and the Zones: A Story for Children with Asthma
(Shawn R. McCormick)
125. Zooallergy: A Fun Story About Allergy and Asthma Triggers
(Kim Gosselin)
126. Zoom! (Robert Munsch)