Happy Disability Pride Month! Community members of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in DC Public Library Disability Pride Month events and celebrate the experiences of youth with disabilities by reading a great book. As well as being fun stories, these books all offer good conversation starters for families.
By Claire Fogarty, Children’s Librarian for the Center for Accessibility, DC Public Library
Picture Books
“All the Way to the Top”
by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
Jennifer Keelan, born with cerebral palsy, became a disability rights activist after being unable to attend her local school, because there was no ramp for her wheelchair. At age 8, she participated in the history-making Capitol Crawl, crawling up the Capitol steps with other disability rights activists to push for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “All the Way to the Top” shows kids that all young people can make a difference — and that there is more to be done to continue Jennifer’s legacy. This book includes thoughtful family discussion questions.
“Brilliant Bea”
by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich, illustrated by Fiona Lee
Bea, who is smart but feels left out because her dyslexia causes her to take longer than other kids to figure out her schoolwork, gets “stucker than stuck” when faced with a new writing project! With help from her teacher, who gives her a tape recorder to record her stories, and a new friend who offers to illustrate her story, Bea finds her voice. This warm, expressive picture book — printed in dyslexia-friendly font — can broaden adults’ understanding of dyslexia while boosting confidence in kids who learn differently.
Early Readers
The Wednesday and Woof series
by Sherri Winston, illustrated by Gladys Jose
This delightful beginning chapter book series stars Wednesday, a spunky aspiring detective with juvenile arthritis, and her service dog, Woof, as they solve neighborhood mysteries, like a cat-napped cat and a runaway robot! With playful illustrations, red herrings galore and a lighthearted tone, these books also serve as a great introduction to the concepts of chronic diseases and trusting your body.
Middle Grade
“Good Different”
by Meg Eden Kuyatt
Readers will empathize with Selah, a seventh grader who flew under the radar at school by following her “rules for being normal,” until she accidentally hit a classmate while overstimulated. Selah’s world is turned upside down, but a supportive teacher encourages her to express herself through poetry and learn more about how to manage her sensory needs. This novel includes an author’s note about her own experience with autism and self-advocacy resources for parents and kids.
The Stuntboy series
by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raul the Third
Graphic novel fans will be drawn to the story of Portico Reeves, a sensitive kid whose secret superhero alter ego, Stuntboy, helps him cope with his anxiety. This fast-paced, funny book, packed with colorful cartoon illustrations that reflect Stuntboy’s imagination, also manages to deftly tackle serious subject matter as Stuntboy confronts the reality of his parents’ divorce.
Teens
“Louder Than Hunger”
by John Schu
Jake is an eighth grader who loves poetry, rollerblading and spending time with his grandma, but he is haunted by an internal voice that tells him to stop eating and start over-exercising. After being diagnosed with anorexia, he is committed to a residential treatment center and begins a harrowing journey toward recovery. This raw novel-in-verse, a fictionalized account of the author’s own experiences as a young teen, can resonate with all teens, especially those who struggle with low self-esteem or disordered eating.
“Disability Visibility: Adapted for Young Adults”
edited by Alice Wong
This empowering collection of essays offers all teens a powerful window into the experiences of people living with a range of disabilities. Highlights include “Love Means Never Having to Say … Anything,” by Jamison Hill, who is unable to speak due to myalgic encephalomyelitis, and “Guide dogs don’t lead blind people. We wander as one,” by deafblind lawyer Haben Girma, as well as “We Can’t Go Back,” a speech by DC Public Library’s own Ricardo Thornton about his harrowing experience as a child in the Forest Haven institution.
