Disability Representation
“Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives ”
What Happened to You?
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Author: James Catchpole
Illustrator: Karen George
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 4/2023
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Joe just wants to be Joe but can’t escape the stares and question, “What Happened to You?” He doesn’t feel like answering, nor does he have to. This story teaches readers that a person’s curiosity never trumps a person’s dignity.
What Happened to You?
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Author: Annette Bay Pimentel
Illustrator: Nabi Ali
Publisher: 2020
Pub Date: Sourcebooks Explore
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The story of a little girl who refused to quit, even when people wanted her to.
Hello Universe
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Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Illustrator: Isabel Roxas
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: 2017
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Middle Grade novel that celebrates being different, brave, and being your own hero.
Wonder
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Author: R.J. Palacio
Illustrator:
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Pub Date: 2017
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A boy with facial abnormalities deals with school and classmates.
BAT and the Waiting Game
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Author: Elana K. Arnold
Illustrator: Charles Santoso
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: 2018
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Part of a young chapter book series of an unforgettable boy who is Autistic.
A Day with No Words
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Author: Tiffany Hammond
Illustrator: Kate Cosgrove
Publisher: Wheat Penny Press
Pub Date: 5/2023
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This picture book takes you through the day of a nonverbal Autistic child, showing you there is no one way to communicate.
What Happened to You?
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Author: Cerrie Burnell
Illustrator: Lauren Mark Baldo
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Pub Date: 2020
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Biographies of disabled people who have lived their lives the way they wanted to.
Say Something!
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Author: Peter H. Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Publisher: Scholastic Incorporated
Pub Date: 2019
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Acknowledges the power and influence children have and encourages them to use their voices.
Brilliant Bea
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Author: Shaina Rudolph
Illustrator: Mary Vukadinovich
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Pub Date: 2021
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Following Bea’s struggle with Dyslexia and how a special teacher helps her find her own way to tell her stories.
Speak Up!
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Author: Rebecca Burgess
Illustrator: Rebecca Burgess
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: 2022
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When a young girl faces bullying at school for being Autistic, she finds a way to use her powerful voice.
Emmanuel’s Dream
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Author: Laurie Ann Thompson
Illustrator: Sean Qualls
Publisher: Anne Schwartz Books
Pub Date: 1/2015
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Tells the true story Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and his love for cycling.
What Happened to You?
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Author: Maryann Cocca-Leffler, Janine Leffler
Illustrator: Maryann Cocca-Lefler
Publisher: Albert Whitman
Pub Date: 2021
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The true story behind the landmark case for disabled children to go to public school.
Stargazing
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Author: Jen Wang
Illustrator: Jen Wang
Publisher: First Second
Pub Date: 2019
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Sweet middle grade novel that follows a friendship that leans into being who they are.
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures
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Author: Julia Finley Mosca
Illustrator: Daniel Rieley
Publisher: Innovation Press
Pub Date: 2017
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Story of Temple Grandin—famous advocate for Autistic persons.
I am Odd, I am New
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Author: Benjamin Giroux
Illustrator: Roz Maclean
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
Pub Date: 2021
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This book is a poem that author Benjamin Giroux wrote for a class assignment to express what it was like being Autistic.
El Deafo
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Author: Cece Bell
Illustrator: Cece Bell
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pub Date: 10/2014
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A stunning and authentic story about a child losing their hearing and adjusting to new hearing aides as well as this new normal.
What Happened to You?
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Author: Jen Bryant
Illustrator: Boris Kulikov
Publisher: Random House
Pub Date: 2016
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Story of Louis Braille and his blindness and how that led to the Braille system we use today to read.
Boy with Big, Big Feelings
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Author: Britney Winn Lee
Illustrator: Jacob Souva
Publisher: 1517 Media
Pub Date: 2019
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Acknowledges how big feelings are not only okay, they’re common, too.
My Brain is Magic
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Author: Prasha Sooful
Illustrator: Geeta Ladi
Publisher: Soaring Kite Books
Pub Date: 2023
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A sensory-seeking celebration!
You’re So Amazing!
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Author: James and Lucy Catchpole
Illustrator: Karen George
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Pub Date: 2023
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Tackles toxic inspiration brilliantly. There never needs to be sympathy/infantilizing/etc disabled people who are just living their lives.
What Happened to You?
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Author: Jordan Scott
Illustrator: Sydney Smith
Publisher: Holiday House
Pub Date: 2023
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After a hard day at school, a little boy’s dad takes them to the river to show him that his voice bubbles and breaks and splashes, just like a river.
Ojja Wojja
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Author: Magdalene Visaggio
Illustrator: Jenn St-Onge
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: 2023
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Brilliant and spooky coming of age graphic novel.
Rules
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Author: Cynthia Lord
Illustrator:
Publisher: Turtleback
Pub Date: 2008
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A frustrated sister dealing with her Autistic younger brother, trying to teach him everything she can so he doesn’t embarrass her.
The Wall and the Wild
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Author: Christina Dendy
Illustrator: Katie Rewse
Publisher: Lantana Publishing
Pub Date: 2021
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A journey through the healing power of a healthy ecosystem.
What Happened to You?
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Author: Shane Burcaw
Illustrator: Matt Carr
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pub Date: 2017
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Beautiful question and answer story about disability.
Hide and Shh!
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Author: Christina Dendy
Illustrator: Nathalia Takeyama
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press
Pub Date: 2023
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A sister duo learning how to give and take with each other when they have different needs.
Fighting for Yes!
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Author: Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Illustrator: Vivien Mildenberger
Publisher: Abrams
Pub Date: 2022
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Picture book biography of the ‘mother of disability rights,’ Judy Heumann