I’m creating the book list for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 Classroom Kit: Understand and celebrate our differences. We’ve replaced our previous title, “Understanding and Celebrating People with Disabilities,” after learning that this isn’t the correct language. I have children’s books and resource links for:
- ADHD
- Allergies
- Anxiety/Separation Anxiety
- Asthma
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Cancer
- Charcot Marie Tooth
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Deaf/Partial Hearing Loss
- Degenerative Diseases
- Diabetes
- Disfiguration
- Down Syndrome
- Dyslexia
- Epilepsy
- Glasses
- Limb Differences
- Mental Illness
- Micrognathia
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Person with Albinism
- Person with Brain Injury
- Physical Disabilities involving Walking
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Prosthetic Implants
- Sensory Processing
- Someone Who Uses a Wheelchair
- Someone with an Alcohol Problem
- Someone with Dwarfism
- Spinal Disorders
- Speech and Language Difficulties
- Tourette Syndrome
- Turner Syndrome
- Visual Impairment
Since this is a huge topic, I’d appreciate any suggestions you have on rounding out this list. Thanks so much!
59 Physical and Developmental Challenge Books for Kids
ADHD
Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos
Joey meets his father for the first time in years and decides to stay with him for a summer visit. His father is like Joey before he went on meds and convinces Joey that he doesn’t need his medication. What could go wrong? [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
From ADDitude: Books for Kids with ADHD: Our 10 Favorites
Allergies
The Princess and the Peanut: A Royally Allergic Fairytale by Sue Gantz-Schmitt, illustrated by Micah Chambers-Goldberg
This a fractured fairy tale replacing the pea for the princess with a peanut that she’s allergic to. [picture book, ages 8 and up]
From Motherly: 6 Kids Books for Families with Food Allergies
Anxiety/Separation Anxiety
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
Starting school makes most kids nervous and Kevin Henkes captures this anxiety in a way that kids can relate to. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
From Huffington Post: 17 Children’s Books for Anxious Kids
Asthma
The Lion Who Had Asthma by Jonathan London, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Sean pretends he’s a roaring lion, but he starts to cough and he has trouble breathing. This lion has asthma. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
From Flashlight Worthy: Seven Books for Kids with Asthma
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song
In Classroom Six, Henry is looking to make a friend but he doesn’t always understand the unspoken social rules, and some of the kids are too close or too loud. But by Free Time, he meets Katie who likes to watch the fish too and he makes his first friend. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
From Imagination Soup: Books for Kids with Characters on the Autism Spectrum.
Geek Club Books: Books by Autistic Authors
Cancer
Nowhere Hair by Sue Glader, illustrated by Edith Buenen
With gentle rhymes, this picture book explains why Mommy doesn’t have any hair. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
From PragmaticMom: Books About Cancer for Children and Teens.
Charcot Marie Tooth
Arlene on the Scene by Carol Liu and Marybeth Sidoti Caldarone
Arlene is a nine-year-old spunky, “can-do” kid who is determined to run for student government even though she wears special braces on her legs because of CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. This is a heartwarming story through the eyes of a child who doesn’t let physical barriers or special needs slow her down. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Charcot Marie Tooth Association: CMT Guide for Schools
Cerebral Palsy
Shiny Misfits by Maysoon Zayid, illustrated by Shadia Amin
Bay Ann has cerebral palsy but it doesn’t stop her from winning the talent show from her tap dancing routine. But her win gets hijacked by her classmate and fixation, Alyee Maq, who takes advantage of her disability to send himself viral. Now, all Bay Ann can think about is getting revenge by beating him at something else and sending herself viral. Her best friends, Michelle and Davey Matt, support her many efforts, but she loses sight of what’s important when it comes to friendship. Now, she has to choose between her friends and being famous. [middle grade graphic novel, ages 8 and up]
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Eleven-year-old Melody can’t communicate easily because of cerebral palsy but she has an astonishing unknown gift of a photographic memory. When she joins an academic competition school team, she’s the ringer that can help bring her team victory, but can they get past her special need and see her for who is really is? [chapter book, ages 10 and up]
Gadget Girl by Suzanne Kamata
Aiko Cassidy has been her sculptor mother’s muse, but she has dreams of her own of becoming a manga artist. [young adult, ages 12 and up]
From Cerebral Palsy Guide: 10 Books Every Parent and Child with CP Needs to Read.
Cystic Fibrosis
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
Catrina’s family moves to Northern California for her little sister’s cystic fibrosis. She discovers that there are ghosts at a nearby mission and her little sister is determined to meet one. [graphic novel, ages 8 and up]
Deaf/Partial Hearing Loss
Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman
Moses goes to a special school for the deaf and they are taking a field trip to a concert. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus, illustrated by Polly Dunbar
This is a picture book about hearing loss. Little Bear keeps hearing “Can Bears ski?” when they are actually asking “Can you hear me?” He visits an audiologist with his dad where he gets hearing aids, hearing therapy, and lip-reading classes. And, it turns out, bears CAN ski! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth
Evelyn Glennie played piano at eight years old and clarinet at 10 but lost her hearing by the time she turned 11, she lost her ability to hear. She discovered percussion at school and found that though she couldn’t hear, she could still play by feeling vibrations through her bare feet. In the U.K. where she lived, she changed the rules in music schools across the country; no one would be turned away because of disability. After graduating, Evelyn became a professional percussionist, winning awards and performing all over the world. She tells the world that losing her hearing has made her a better listener … and musician! [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]
Sky the Deaf Home Run: A Lesson in Courage by Mickey Carolan, illustrated by Adisa Fazlovic
Mickey Carolan was raised by two deaf parents and learned sign language as a result. This ability, though, also made him the target for bullies. He wrote the Sky picture book series to show how deafness can be a superpower that can be used for good. In the story, Sky can hit home runs because of his ability to focus on the ball, and he vows that for every home run, he will turn a bully into a friend. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
El Deafo by CeCe Bell
Cece Bell shares her own story of hearing loss and struggles with her very large but powerful hearing aid, which allows her to hear but also makes her look different. [graphic novel, ages 9 and up]
Listening to the Quiet by Cassie Silva, illustrated by Frances Ives
Jacki is learning sign language along with her mother who is losing her hearing. It’s like learning a secret language. Jacki is also noticing different ways to listen, including to music. For Music Appreciation Day at school, Jacki has a surprise for her mother. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Degenerative Diseases
The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
James’ grandfather has the best balloons housing memories but as they start to float away, it’s up to him to share them. This story depicts the frustrations of those dealing with a loved one’s memory loss. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Diabetes
The Little Red Sports Car: A Modern Fable About Diabetes by Eleanor Troutt, illustrated by J. Chris Price
Using a car as an analogy, the car’s automatic transmission, similar to the pancreas, breaks. It needs to be switched to a manual transmission with a special additive (insulin) in order to run again. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
The Truth According to Blue by Eve Yohalem
Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:
“There are a lot of details about living with Type 1 diabetes that will be interesting to students who don’t know anything about this condition … Assistant dogs are always interesting, and Otis is a charming helper. Also, he DOES NOT DIE, although Blue is worried that he is getting older.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
From Children with Diabetes: Books for Kids and Teens with Type 1 Diabetes
Disfiguration
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
10-year-old August “Auggie” Pullman is starting 5th grade at a private middle school in his Upper East Side and wonders if anyone will realize that he’s just a normal kid underneath his severely disfigured face. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Down Syndrome
We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by
Six-year-old Emma is excited to be a big sister. When her father tells her that she has a baby brother and that he has Down Syndrome, they both come to realize that there isn’t anything that he can’t do with their love and support. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Culture of Life: 5 Picture Books about Downs Syndrome
Dyslexia
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Mr. Falker is her real-life teacher who would not let Patricia Polacco fail and helped her overcome her dyslexia. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally has been able to hide her dyslexia, but when her newest teacher, Mr. Daniels, views her as a bright and creative kid despite all the trouble she causes, she learns to see herself in a whole new way. [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
From The Literacy Nest: The Top Ten Books About Dyslexia for Parents and Teachers.
Epilepsy
Mommy, I Feel Funny: A Child’s Experience with Epilepsy by Danielle M. Rocheford, illustrated by Chris Herrick
When Nel experiences her first seizure, she and her family learn what that means. [picture book, ages 8 and up]
Stella by McCall Hoyle
Told from Stella’s perspective, this story is about a special dog who must find the courage to overcome her fears in order to help save a young girl with epilepsy. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Epilepsy Society: Children’s and Parents Reading List
Glasses
Jumping Jack by Germano Zullo, illustrated by Albertine
Jumping Jack and Roger Trotter are show-jumping champions until the horse starts to miss the jumps. It turns out that the prescription is for glasses. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
From Imagination Soup: 11 Picture Books About Kids With Glasses
Limb Differences
When Charley Met Emma by Amy Webb, illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard
When Charley saw Emma, he forgot what his mother taught him about being different. Different isn’t weird, sad, bad, or strange. Different is different and different is ok. It helped him apologize to Emma and to become friends with her. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
In Your Shoes by Donna Gephart
Amy moves to live with her uncle where she’s worried about starting a new school because one of her legs is longer than the other. When she gets hit on the head with a bowling shoe, she meets the wearer of the shoe who suffers from anxiety, and this unlikely coincidence is the beginning of their own happily ever after. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
Born Just Right by Jordan Reeves and Jen Lee Reeves
Jordan Reeves was born without the lower half of her left arm, but she never let this limit her. In her own words, Jordan shares how she created a prosthesis that sprays glitter using a 3-D printer. In her own voice as a tween, Jordan shares what it is like to have limb differences. [memoir, ages 9 and up]
Mental Illness
Can I Catch It Like a Cold? Coping With a Parent’s Depression by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, illustrated by Joe Weissmann
Alex’s father doesn’t work and sleeps all the time. Alex doesn’t understand why until he confides in his friend Anna whose mother also suffers from depression. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Rocky Road by Rose Kent
Tess’s mother suffers from bipolar disorder which causes her soaring highs and crashing lows putting her new venture, an ice cream store at risk. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
Eleven-year-old Alex Petroski’s mother has “quiet days,” making her unable to work or take care of him allowing him to embark on a road trip from Colorado to New Mexico for a rocket launch event with his small and very afraid dog. [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
Sara and the Search for Normal
by Wesley King
Review from Ms. Yingling Reads:
“It’s good to see an #ownvoices writer address issues of mental health, and this is certainly on trend in that respect. Sara’s difficulties are palpable; the writing really puts us inside her head.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
From Child Mind Institute: 44 Children’s Books About Mental Health
Micrognathia
Micrognathia is a condition in which the lower jaw is undersized. It is a symptom of a variety of craniofacial conditions. Sometimes called mandibular hypoplasia, micrognathia may interfere with your child’s feeding and breathing.
Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein
From Ms. Yingling Reads:
“Will has always been self-conscious about his receding chin, but middle school has heightened his anxiety, mainly because of the name-calling of two bullies, who taunt him with “Turtle Boy”. His mother has taken him to the doctor to check this out, and the diagnosis was micrognathia, which is concerning because it can lead to problems eating and breathing. There is a surgery for it, but Will is afraid because his father died during a routine hernia repair operation when Will was four. His mother is doing her best, but Will’s insistence on keeping to himself is starting to cause more and more problems. He’s alienated his best friend Shira, and struggling to get his community service hours before his bar mitzvah because he doesn’t want anyone to look at him. Rabbi Harris steps in and takes him to the hospital to visit with RJ, a teen drummer who is dying due to mitochondrial disease. Will doesn’t want to be in a hospital, doesn’t want to talk to RJ, and would rather stay at home with his collection of turtles that he has illegally removed from the school nature lab. Luckily, the adults in Will’s life step in when he is not helping himself. A teacher lets him know that keeping wild turtles is illegal and demands that he return them. He returns all but one, an endangered Blandings turtle that was injured due to his negligence. Rabbi Harris makes him go visit RJ, and his mother schedules the chin surgery and makes him go to classmates’ parties. Even faced with RJ’s serious condition and relentless optimism, Will remains unhappy and closed off, but starts to slowly work on RJ’s “bucket list” so he can share his experiences before RJ’s health takes an inevitable turn. When the school’s nature lab might be sold to developers, Will uses the rare turtle to try to save the land, and he manages to get through his bar mitzvah, where he finally comes to terms with the many issues in his life, and seems prepared to go forward.” [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCDaniel by Wesley King
This is an almost autobiographical account of the author’s 8th grade when he hid his OCD from everyone. He used ritualized compulsions to try to control anxiety and panic attacks and had no idea what the cause was until he was 16. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
From PragmaticMom: OCD Characters in Children’s and YA Books
Person with Albinism
Lu (Track series) by Jason Reynolds
Lu is albino which is interesting in itself. This final book delves deeply into Coach’s story and the intertwined lives of those from his childhood which just so happens to be Ghost’s neighborhood. [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
From PragmaticMom: Jason Reynold’s Track series
Person with Brain Injury
Elvin the Elephant Who Forgets by Heather Snyder
When a tree branch falls on Elvin the elephant’s head, it affects his learning, emotions, and behavior. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
From Dallas News: 5 Books to Help Children Understand Brain Injuries
Physical Disabilities Involving Walking
Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Sarah Green
Dorothea Lange had childhood polio which left her with a limp, but also a sense of empathy that shaped her view from behind the camera to capture powerful images of The Great Depression and Japanese Americans in internment camps. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
The War That Saved My Life (Trilogy) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Ten-year-old Ada is not allowed to leave her cramped apartment because her abusive mother is ashamed of her club foot. When children in London are evacuated to the countryside to escape the bombing, Ada’s younger brother leaves and she secretly joins him. In this new home with Susan Smith, Ada gets to experience life for the first time. The bond between Ada, her brother, and Susan Smith deepens, but what will happen when the war ends? [chapter book, ages 9 and up]
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Ali’s Bees by Bruce Olav Solheim, illustrated by Gabby Untermayerova
From Children’s Book Heal: “Bruce Olav Solheim has written a sensitive and realistic story about an Iraqi teen boy who has lost his family to the horrors of war and comes to live with his grandfather in California. It is a positive story that challenges readers to understand the effects of war and to show compassion and tolerance towards immigrants as they learn new customs.” [middle grade, ages 7 and up]
This Life This Moment: 7 Helpful Books for Children Living in a PTSD Family
Prosthetic Implants
Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, illustrated by Scott Magoon
Jessica lost both her legs as a result of the Boston Marathon bombs and this is her story of healing and the assistance dog, Rescue, who is by her side today. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Project Z: A Zombie Ate My Homework by Tommy Greenwald
Norbus Clacknozzle is a zombie taken in by human foster parents who are trying to integrate him into elementary school. One of his friends, Evan, battled cancer as a child and also has a prosthetic leg. [midle grade, ages 8 and up]
Sensory Processing
Stanley Will Probably Be Fine by Sally J. Pla, illustrated by Steve Wolfhard
Stanley Fortinbras has anxiety and a sensory-processing disorder which stands in the way of his winning the Trivia Quest treasure hunt downtown. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Not if I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler
Review from Ms. Yingling Reads:
“Willa has struggled with a sensory processing disorder her whole life, but with supportive parents and some occupational therapy, she deals with it well enough that she doesn’t even tell her best friend, Ruby, about it. She fits in well enough at The Children’s School in New York City, where her classmates are all abuzz waiting to hear what their middle school placements will be. Willa and Ruby (who loves soccer and is a bit anxious, especially since she seems to have a smaller bladder than everyone else!) are worried that they won’t be at the same school. Willa lives with her father and younger brother and has a babysitter whom they really like. Her mother lives two hours away, where she took a professorship after the parents divorced. She has since remarried and has approached Willa with the idea of living with her for middle school. All of this anxiety makes it harder for Willa to control her body, and she does get some coping strategies from her therapist, and her teachers know how to redirect her as well. When she finds out that her father and Ruby’s mother have been dating for a while, and worse, are in love with each other and thinking about getting married, she is even more stressed. She likes her best friend, but she hates change and doesn’t want Ruby to know about her sensory processing disorder and all of the ways she copes with it. It doesn’t help that Avery, a mean girl she’s known since preschool, gives her a hard time about it. With the help of the adults in her life, Willa manages to navigate her way through her difficulties and end fifth grade on a high note.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner
Review by Books My Kids Read:
“I couldn’t put this book down. I was drawn to Lou’s story and her character. Louise is a young girl with undiagnosed Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Her mother is a piece of work who is trying to get Lou a career in the music business even though Lou really hates performing. They are homeless, live in their truck, and Lou hasn’t gone to school since one school thought she might be on the spectrum. Then a truck accident changes everything.
Lou is taken away from her mother and sent to live with an aunt and uncle she doesn’t know. She misses her mom and life has been completely flipped on its head. Rather than being homeless, she is in a comfortable home and attending a private school. She makes a friend even before starting. However, she does meet with a counselor on the first day who suspects that she has SPD. It takes a long time to work through it, but having a team to support her is a welcome change.” [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
Someone Who Uses a Wheelchair
Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Patrice Barton
Zara’s dog Moose wants to join her at school, but he’s not allowed. He escapes time and time again, and he’s great at listening to stories being read aloud. Finally, Zara comes up with a solution so that Moose can join her as a therapy dog. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
If the Fire Comes: A Story of Segregation During the Great Depression by Tracey Daley
Review from Ms. Yingling Reads:
“Joseph McCoy’s life is difficult, due to the Great Depression and the drought in California in 1935. His sister is unable to walk due to complications from polio, and both of their parents have died, leaving them in the care of an uncle who is having trouble dealing with his own problems, let alone theirs. Joseph shines shoes to help earn money, so he hears a lot of talk about what is going on in town. Joseph also struggles to get a wheelchair rigged up for his sister, but people sabotage his efforts. When an all-black Civilian Conservation Corps camp settles outside the mostly white town, tensions rise. Joseph has come into possession of a small flock of messenger pigeons, and Mr. Jackson, a local man who is a bit different, helps him to train them since Jackson worked with them during WWI. When forest fires threaten the town, the pigeons are instrumental in letting the CCC workers know and help the town prepare.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
From PragmaticMom: Some Who Uses Wheelchair Books for Kids
Someone with an Alcohol Problem
My Dad by Niki Daly
This picture book is in loving memory of Niki Daly’s father and a testimony of the unconditional love a child has for a parent. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
From PragmaticMom: Books for Kids Living in Alcoholic Home
Someone with Dwarfism
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Freak has a little body and uses crutches and leg braces but a big personality and mighty brain. When he befriends Max who is in Disabled Learning, they become a swaggering duo they dub Freak the Mighty. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
Little People of America: Parenting and Children’s Books
Speech and Language Difficulties
Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
A rat with a lisp becomes the unlikely class hero when he inadvertently gets rid of the new class bully forever. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
When Oliver Speaks by Kimberly Garvin and Saadiq Wicks
Co-author Saadiq Wicks wrote this story when he was 13 years old about his own challenges with stuttering. Oliver has to give a class presentation and works with his mother to accept his stutter and tackle his project head-on. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
From Speech Pathology Graduate Programs: Top 3 Books for Preschoolers, Kids and Teenagers with Speech Disorders
From American Institute on Stuttering: Five Great Books About Stuttering, For Kids
The Way I Say It by Nancy Tandon
Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:
“The details of therapy and speech exercises were just enough. I loved the supportive parents, the reasonable teachers, and librarian, and the effective Mr. Simms, who connected with Rory about guitar playing and heavy metal music. The idea of children being friends because of their parents needs to be explored a LOT more in middle-grade fiction! Jenna was a fantastic character, and it was very realistic that both she and Rory claimed to be “just friends” while both of them felt a little more. The cards and small gift exchanges are so painfully true to life! The relationship between Brent and Rory’s reaction to the accident is troubling but also understandable. I don’t think Rory was heartless in his reaction; the reaction is tempered because there are so many competing emotions that sometimes eleven-year-olds aren’t quite sure how to react. In general, this was a well-paced book with several interesting problems that will appeal to many readers.” [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
Spinal Disorders
On Thin Ice by Michael Northrop
After Ked was diagnosed with kyphosis, his mother left and his father struggled with gambling addiction. To save their family home, Ked wants to rebuild his vintage mini-bike and sell it for a profit, but that will bring him face to face with his bully who torments him about his worsening spinal condition. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
From Spina Bifida Coalition of Cincinnati: Books About Spina Bifida
Tourette Syndrome
Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry
Calliope has Tourette syndrome which makes it hard to start a new school. Will she be able to be friends with her neighbor, the most popular boy in school, or will her condition be too embarrassing for him? [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
Turner Syndrome
What Stars Are Made Of by Sarah Allen
Review by Augusta Scattergood:
“The writer has Turner Syndrome and the book felt very authentic about the disorder. Libby, the 12-year-old narrator isn’t so great at making friends or knowing the right thing to say and I loved how the author developed an unusual friendship between Libby and a new girl in her class. The story moves quickly along, and the narrator is definitely a character that kids will relate to.” [middle grade, ages 10 and up]
Visual Impairment
Apt. 3 by Ezra Jack Keats
Two brothers live in a gloomy apartment building that is full of noises including arguing, yelling, and crying, but also mysterious and beautiful music. The brothers search for the music and meet their blind neighbor whose harmonica is the source of that beautiful music! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
12-year-old Rosie has grown up with her best friend Bailey who’s been seeing impaired since birth. Granny Torrelli is the ultimate wise Italian grandmother who knows that good food and storytelling will fix all ills including rifts caused by jealousy. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson
Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:
“McKenna’s family keeps sled dogs since her mother was a musher when she was young, and McKenna loves to race. Her mother, however, is busy taking care of her younger sister, Emma, whose sight is limited due to the effects of Stargardt Disease. This is an inherited condition, and McKenna has started to realize the telltale signs that she herself is developing it. Despite this, she is determined to participate in the Great Superior Mail Run race across the Canadian wilderness because her sister wants her to. McKenna has been hiding her symptoms from her family and friends for months, determined not to be treated with the care her sister is afforded, which signals weakness to her. If she can pretend nothing is wrong, the way people treat her won’t change. Still, the race is challenging, and she is beginning to doubt herself. Luckily, when she gets involved in the race, she gets help at various points from two mushers, Guy and Harper. Guy’s family has raced dogs for generations, and he hopes to bring business to his father’s failing delivery concern by winning the race. Harper’s father wants her to win for much the same reason. While Guy enjoys racing, Harper does not. For a long time, McKenna is able to hide her condition from them, but eventually has to tell them when things go wrong with the race.”
From Wonderbaby: 25+ Children’s Books Featuring Visually Impaired Characters
More Great Special Needs Resources
Mother: 20+ Inclusive Books for Kids that Shine a Light on Different Abilities
Imagination Soup: Learning Differences in Children’s Books
Schneider Family Book Award: The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Bibliography of Children’s Books about the Disability Experience.
Magination Press: books are written by mental health professionals or those who work closely with them and with children. Our books help children understand their feelings, provide information about the topic or situation, and offer extensive practical coping strategies.
What Do We Do All Day: Children’s Books About Special Needs
PragmaticMom: Special Needs Books for Kids Ages 4-16
PragmaticMom: Special Needs Resources for Parents
National Center on Disability and Journalism: Disability Language Style Guide
Library Science Degrees Online: Unlocking Potential: Innovative Library Programs Enhancing the Lives of Autistic Individuals
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Book Lists for Difficult Situations
These book lists are for those difficult situations that come up when you want to talk to kids about something but don’t know where to start:
- Birds and Bees Talk
- Poverty
- Best Friend Moves Away
- Afraid of the Dark
- Inappropriate Touch
- Living in an Alcoholic Home
- Domestic Violence
- Bullying
- Loss of Pet
- Cancer
- Incarcerated Parents
- Grief and Loss
- Homelessness
Are you looking for something different? I indexed and cross-referenced my 300+ book lists: List of Lists: All My Book Lists.
Understanding Poverty: A Book List for Ages 4-11
11 Chapter Books About Grief and Loss
Birds and the Bees Talk Books for Kids
10 Books Featuring Kids with Incarcerated Parents
Best Friend Moves Away Picture Books
Top 10: Afraid of the Dark Picture Books
Keeping Kids Safe from Inappropriate Touch
Living in an Alcoholic Home Books for Kids
Domestic Violence Awareness Books for Kids
Top 10: Best Books for Kids that Deal with Bullies
Top 10: Multicultural Picture Books on Bullying
Top 10: Coping with Loss of Pets Books for Kids
Books About Cancer for Kids and Teens
Homelessness in Children’s Books
If you’re a parent or caretaker of a child with special needs, here are some resources you might find useful:
- Cerebral Palsy Family Network – a compassionate community that provides resources for loved ones with Cerebral Palsy.
- Learn about Financial Planning for Kids with Special Needs
- My Possibilities – a university for those with special needs
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Thanks for all you do, Mia! I am going to update my own keywords based on this info. Dyspraxia is a developmental challenge that deserves to be on the list, along with Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. Here’s a 2010 post I wrote about them: https://thereadingtub.org/friday-blurb-an-end-to-now-thats-scary/
Not sure if/how it fits, but I just read Kathryn Heling’s picture book “There’s Only One You.” It is truly a celebration of our uniqueness. For example, the rhyme incorporates the ideas that deafness & talking with our hands and wheelchairs and other motorized mobilities; and other personal challenges are just “who we are.”
This is a great list of books. Would you add Meet Me Where I’m At? It is a Picture Workbook that You Can Personalize to Help Navigate Social Situations for Autism and Asperger’s, published by Future Horizons. https://www.fhautism.com/shop/meet-me-where-im-at/
What a great list, Mia! Thanks for including Hello Goodbye Dog here, & for introducing me to titles I hadn’t yet heard of.
This is an amazing list, Mia. Thank you for compiling and sharing it!
My students love the BAT books by Elena K. Arnold. BAT is on the autism spectrum, and my students think he is very interesting and love that he loves animals.
Very helpful books.