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 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability
Publication year 2001
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Social Justice, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Disability, Education, Education, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Disability, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Rain Reign is a work of middle-grade contemporary fiction written by American author Ann M. Martin and published in 2014. The novel was chosen for the 2014 New York Times Notable Children’s Books list. Martin is the original author of the best-selling Baby-Sitters Club series of books and has written over 100 books for young readers. She has received numerous awards over the course of her career, including the Newbery Medal in 2013 and a... Read Rain Reign Summary
Publication year 24
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Gender / Feminism, Disability, Relationships, Children's Literature, Education, Education
American author, educator, filmmaker, and civil rights activist Toni Cade Bambara published her short story “Raymond’s Run” in 1971. It first appeared in a collection edited by Bambara, Tales and Short Stories for Black Folks, and later in her first short story collection, Gorilla, My Love in 1972. During this time, Bambara became prominent in the contemporary Black women’s literature space, emerging as a notable writer and editor alongside contemporaries such as Toni Morrison and... Read Raymond's Run Summary
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Natural World: Environment
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Disability, Science / Nature, Technology, American Literature
Riddley Walker (1980) is a dystopian science fiction novel by Russell Hoban. The novel is famous for its use of a phonetic, idiosyncratic version of English, spoken by the characters who live in a post-apocalyptic society. Riddley Walker won numerous awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1981.Plot SummaryA young boy named Riddley Walker lives in Inland, the name given to the south of England 2,000 years after a nuclear war sent human... Read Riddley Walker Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family
Tags Disability, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography
Riding the Bus With My Sister: A True Life Journey is the New York Times bestselling author Rachel Simon’s 2002 memoir chronicling her experiences with her intellectually disabled sister, Beth. Over the course of a year, Simon rides the bus with Beth and writes about the journey. She learns to confront her own ignorance about her sister’s condition and forms a close bond with her. The book chronicles Rachel’s emotional and spiritual growth, as Rachel’s... Read Riding The Bus With My Sister Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Diversity, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Rules was the first novel published by Cynthia Lord. Rules is a book for middle-grade readers that has remained popular and in print from the time of its initial publication. The Scholastic paperback version summarized here first appeared in 2018. For a debut novel, Rules was immediately accepted by young readers and by the literary community. The book won a prestigious Newberry Honor Book award and received the Schneider Family Book Award. It was named... Read Rules Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family
Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Parenting, Disability, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Inspirational, Christian literature, Sports, Disability, Biography, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality
Shaken is a 2018 book by NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. In his book, Tebow shares personal experiences, inspirational stories, and biblical scriptures and parables to encourage readers to develop a strong Christian faith. Tebow reveals how his faith has helped him develop a strong identity, find his life’s purpose, and remain hopeful throughout life’s challenges. He coaches the reader to remain open to God’s influence in their life by maintaining strong friendships and asking for... Read Shaken Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Disability
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Disability, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Food, Disability, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Published in 2004, Sarah Weeks’s middle grade novel So B. It follows 12-year-old protagonist Heidi as she sets out to discover the truth about her background and family. Heidi grows up not knowing her own birthday, her father’s name, or how she came to live in Reno, Nevada with her mentally disabled mother. When she finds an old roll of film from Mama’s past, the photos inspire her to begin a journey to uncover the... Read So B. It Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Children's Literature, Inspirational, Disability, Relationships, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Community, Identity: Gender
Tags Science / Nature, Philosophy, History: World, Politics / Government, Animals, Education, Diversity, Disability, Food, Health / Medicine, Internet Culture / Social Media, Military / War, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice, Technology, Philosophy
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Disability
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family
Tags Disability, Gender / Feminism, Humor
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction
Stuck in Neutral is a young adult (YA) fiction novel about Shawn McDaniel, a fourteen-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. To the outside world, Shawn is in a kind of vegetative state: his condition makes it so that he has no control over any of his motor function, from moving his lips to evacuating his bowels. Shawn cannot communicate with the outside world, and so people—including his family members—believe him to have the brain function and... Read Stuck In Neutral Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Disability, Animals, Inspirational, Agriculture, Children's Literature, Science / Nature, Biography
Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery’s Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World (2012) is a biography of the animal behaviorist, animal rights advocate, and autism activism Temple Grandin. The biography is intended for young adult readers and discusses Grandin’s life from early childhood to the present day. It explores the challenges she faced with autism, the development of her creativity and her passion for animals, and the persistence... Read Temple Grandin Summary