Disability

This collection features titles that offer insight into disability, offering guidance for generating meaningful discussion about topics including blindness, deafness, autism spectrum disorder, physical disabilities, dyslexia, and Down syndrome.

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Gender

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Disability, Drama / Tragedy, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Disability, Health / Medicine, Parenting, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Health / Medicine, Disability


Publication year 1978

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Disability, History: World, LGBTQ, Philosophy

Susan Sontag’s 1978 book Illness as Metaphor is an 87-page work of critical theory exploring the language we use to describe disease and its victims. The work was originally published in the New York Review of Books as three long-form essays. Sontag wrote Illness as Metaphor while undergoing treatment for breast cancer, though not mentioned in the text. This genre—critical theoretical examinations of social and cultural events or phenomena—was where Sontag established her reputation. Illness... Read Illness As Metaphor Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Diversity, Disability, Bullying, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor


Publication year 1889

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Lyric Poem, Disability, Inspirational, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Disability, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, a children’s novel, was written by Jack Gantos. The book was initially published in 1998 by Square Fish, a trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group; the work was a National Book Award Finalist, an American Library Association notable children’s book, and the School Library Journal’s book of the year. The novel’s 10-year-old protagonist, Joey Pigza, deals with an unnamed hyperactive disorder, abandonment, and academic problems before finding some stability after his... Read Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Disability

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison is a personal memoir published in 2007. Like Temple Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism and Daniel Tammet’s Born on a Blue Day, Robison’s memoir is a personal account of living with autism spectrum disorder. A New York Times best-seller, the book has subsequently been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, and German.Look Me in the Eye details Robison’s life growing... Read Look Me In The Eye Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Disability, Arts / Culture, American Literature, Children's Literature, Jewish Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Lucky Broken Girl is a middle-grade historical novel by Ruth Behar. Main character Ruthie Mizrahi, an immigrant from Cuba, lives with her parents and brother in 1966 Queens. Together they try to quell their homesickness for Cuba while seeking new opportunities in America. When a car accident injures Ruthie, she becomes bedridden in a full body cast for over a year; during that time, challenges and fears she never anticipated give her a new perspective... Read Lucky Broken Girl Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Disability, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Disability

Tags Drama / Tragedy, Health / Medicine, Disability, Grief / Death, Parenting

My Sister’s Keeper is a 2004 novel by bestselling author Jodi Picoult centered on the controversy of savior siblings. In the novel, Anna Fitzgerald fights for medical emancipation in order to have a choice in whether or not she will donate a kidney to her sister, Kate, who has leukemia. In 2009, the novel was adapted into a feature film released by New Line Cinema. The movie was directed by Nick Cassavetes and starred Cameron... Read My Sister's Keeper Summary


Publication year 1937

Genre Novella, Fiction

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Disability, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction

American author John Steinbeck published his novella Of Mice and Men in 1937. Despite its place in the classical canon, the novella is one of the most challenged books of the 21st century due to its depiction of violence and use of profane, racist language. The novella’s title is an allusion to Scottish poet Robert Burns’s 1785 poem “To a Mouse,” in which a farmer unwittingly and regrettably kills a mouse while plowing. Of Mice... Read Of Mice and Men Summary


Publication year 1997

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Society: Education, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Language

Tags History: World, Disability, Children's Literature, Biography


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: Disability

Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Disability, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Sharon Draper’s Out of My Mind, based on her own experiences parenting a disabled child, is a New York Times Bestselling novel told from the first-person perspective of 10-year-old Melody Brooks. Melody is a fifth-grade girl who, due to cerebral palsy, is unable to communicate verbally and is wheelchair-bound. The struggles and prejudice that Melody encounters provide a more intimate and personal view of the lives of people with physical disabilities. Atheneum Books for Young... Read Out of My Mind Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Paperboy by American author Vince Vawter explores themes of The Acceleration of the Civil Rights Movement, The Treatment of People With Speech Disorders, and Independence in Childhood through its singular voice. Published in 2013, Paperboy was a Newbery Medal Honor Book in 2014. Vawter, who worked for more than 40 years in the newspaper business, wrote Paperboy as a lightly fictionalized version of his own childhood, which contributes to the text’s authenticity. This guide references... Read Paperboy Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Disability, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Animals, American Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is a middle grade novel by Jonathan Auxier originally published in 2011. The novel encompasses a variety of genres: fantasy, the heroic quest, and even some Dickensian orphan flourishes, for good measure. It was a BookPage Magazine Best Book of the year, an ABA New Voices selection (2011), and a finalist for the Monica Hughes Award for science fiction and fantasy.This study guide references the edition published by Amulet... Read Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Historical Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Bullying, Post-War Era, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Petey is middle grade novel written by Ben Mikaelsen and published in 1998. Mikaelsen is the author of 10 novels for young adults and the winner of several awards for his work. Petey is dedicated to and based on the life of Clyde Cothern, a Montana man with cerebral palsy who was misdiagnosed as intellectually disabled and confined to Montana State Hospital in the 1920s. Mikaelsen and Cothern shared a close personal friendship, and while... Read Petey Summary