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 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Disability, Education, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

The Beginning of Everything is a young adult coming-of-age novel by the accomplished American author Robyn Schneider. First published in 2013, it is Schneider’s debut novel and has been nominated for numerous YA book awards. It is published in multiple countries, in the UK under the title Severed Heads, Broken Hearts.Schneider, who lives in Los Angeles, is the author of several other bestselling YA books: Extraordinary Means; Invisible Ghosts; You Don’t Live Here. Her newest... Read The Beginning of Everything Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Indian Literature, Children's Literature, Poverty, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Class, Religion / Spirituality, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1980

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community

Tags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Disability, Biography

Audre Lorde was a poet, essayist, activist, and memoirist whose writings on lesbian feminism and race were integral to second-wave feminism. Lorde was born in New York City on February 18, 1934 to Grenadian immigrant parents. She attended Hunter High School, where she edited the school’s literary magazine. She published her first poem, which had been rejected by an English teacher, in Seventeen magazine. She later attended Hunter College, where she trained to become a... Read The Cancer Journals Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Disability, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Biography


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Disability, British Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Classic Fiction

Book DetailsIn the mystery novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher Boone, a brilliant teenage boy, sets out to solve the murder of his neighbor’s dog. While it is not explicitly stated in the novel, critics and professional medical reviewers generally agree that Christopher has autism. Written by Mark Haddon and published in 2003, the book won the Whitbread Book Award for best Novel and Book of the Year and the... Read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Summary


Publication year 1997

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Health / Medicine, French Literature, Disability, Classic Fiction, Biography

This memoir is a series of autobiographical vignettes that was composed over the span of two months (July-August, 1996) by Jean-Dominique Bauby, with the help of a publishing assistant named Claude. He dispatches from room 119 of the Naval Hospital at Berck-sur-Mer, France. The vignettes do not follow a chronological order, and interweave recollections of various eras in Bauby’s life with his contemporary reality. Bauby suffered a massive stroke on December 8, 1995 that left... Read The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Summary


Publication year 1949

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Disability, Education, Education, History: World


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Immigration

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1979

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community

Tags Play: Drama, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Disability, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Victorian Period, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Elephant Man, a one-act play by American playwright Bernard Pomerance, was first produced in London at the Hampstead Theatre in 1977. The play transferred to New York and played Off-Broadway in 1979, moving to Broadway three months later, where it ran successfully for two years. The play won many awards with its Broadway debut, including a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, and... Read The Elephant Man Summary


Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Disability, Action / Adventure

Written by Robin McKinley, The Hero and the Crown is a 1984 fantasy novel that acts as a prequel to McKinley’s 1982 novel, The Blue Sword. The Hero and the Crown focuses on the life and exploits of Aerin Dragon-Killer, the legendary wielder of the titular blue sword Gonturan, which first appeared in the previous novel. The Hero and the Crown focuses on Aerin’s personal development into a hero and a queen, emphasizing the physical... Read The Hero and the Crown Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Family

Tags Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Education, Science / Nature, Relationships, History: Asian, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature

The Housekeeper and the Professor, written by Yōko Ogawa, is a work of literary fiction set in modern-day Japan and loosely based on the book The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, a biography of the mathematician Paul Erdös. The Housekeeper and the Professor was originally published in Japanese in 2003; it sold more than one million copies and received the Hon’ya Taisho award in 2004. In 2006, it was adapted into a film version, titled... Read The Housekeeper and the Professor Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Health / Medicine, Disability, Science / Nature, Biography


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1953

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Gender

Tags Southern Gothic, Disability, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, British Literature, Disability, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The London Eye Mystery (2007), by Siobhan Dowd, is a novel for young readers about a boy named Ted who teams up with his sister to figure out how their cousin disappeared while riding a giant Ferris wheel.The novel was nominated for a Carnegie Medal, was listed as a 2008 Booklist Children’s Editors’ Choice title, and a School Library Journal Best Book of 2008. It was also shortlisted for many English awards, including the Red... Read The London Eye Mystery Summary


Publication year 1985

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Disability

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales (1973) is British neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks’s fourth book. Sacks is a renowned physician, professor, and writer whom the New York Times calls “the poet laureate of medicine.” Sacks is best known for his 1973 memoir Awakenings, in which he explores the history of the encephalitis lethargica epidemic. In 1990, the story was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie starring Robin Williams... Read The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Disability, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a work of fiction written by Kim Edwards and published in 2005. The story follows the harrowed marriage of David and Norah, beginning with the birth of their twins, Paul and Phoebe, in 1964. Conflict immediately emerges within the novel as Phoebe is born with Down’s Syndrome and David decides to give her away rather than have his wife and himself face the pain of their daughter dying early like... Read The Memory Keeper's Daughter Summary


Publication year 1959

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender

Tags Play: Drama, Play: Historical, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction, Biography

William Gibson’s drama The Miracle Worker chronicles the relationship between the real-life Helen Keller, a young girl from Alabama who was blind and deaf, and her teacher, the Irish, headstrong Annie Sullivan from Boston. The play follows a three-act structure and was adapted from Gibson’s 1957 Playhouse 90 teleplay. The staged production premiered in New York City at the Playhouse Theatre in 1959. The show received five Tony Award nominations in 1960 and won four... Read The Miracle Worker Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Education, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Disability, Grief / Death, Class