Children's Books Featuring Characters with Disabilities
Level: Juvenile Easy Reader
(For children who are beginning to read on their own, such as those in grades 1-2; ranging from 30 to 80 pages; illustrations are included to break up the text.)
-
Andy Finds a Turtle
Andy is told he acts like a turtle with his legs and arms drawn in tight - but Andy doesn't know what a turtle is, so he goes in search of one and discovers something important about himself. (ISBN: 978-0944727133)
-
Anna Joins In
Anna is a young girl who has a difficult pattern to her days because she has cystic fibrosis. (ISBN: 978-0687015306)
-
Buddy's Shadow
Buddy, a 5-year-old boy with Down syndrome, purchases a puppy. (ISBN: 9780944727195)
-
Charlsie's Chuckle
Charlsie, a young boy with Down syndrome, has an infectious chuckle that helps the members of the Town Council stop arguing long enough to solve some serious problems. (ISBN: 9780933149502)
-
Eddie Enough!
Eddie has a rough day at school. He has trouble paying attention, bumps into things, and some kids in his class make fun of him. After he learns he has ADD, his parents and teachers help him come up with strategies for improving his days at school. (ISBN: 978-1890627256)
-
Howie Helps Himself
Howie has cerebral palsy. He gets around in a wheelchair, or rather, other people get him around in his wheelchair. More than anything, Howie wants to move that chair himself. (ISBN: 978-0807534229)
-
I'm Joshua and "Yes I Can"
Joshua, a young boy with cerebral palsy, describes his fears and insecurities about his disability on his first day in first grade. (ISBN: 978-0533079599)
-
I'm Like You, You're Like Me: A Child's Book About Understanding and Celebrating Each Other
Children interact with people who are different from themselves, discover skills that make them unique, and explore the ways they are like and unlike others. (ISBN: 978-1575424361)
-
Joey and Sam
Sam is 5 and has autism, and Joey is his 6-year-old brother. They describe an ordinary day at home and at school, showing how they are different and alike. (ISBN: 978-1882388004)
-
Kathy's Hats: A Story of Hope
Kathy is a young girl who loses her hair as a result of chemotherapy. (ISBN: 9780807541166)
-
Looking Out for Sarah
Told from a guide dog's perspective, this book shows the relationship between a guide dog and a young woman who is blind. (ISBN: 978-1570916076)
-
Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story
Rosie, a Tibetan terrier who is trained to work as a visiting dog, provides therapeutic comfort and entertainment to children and adults who are hospitalized or in nursing homes. (ISBN: 978-0395927229)
-
Sarah and Puffle: A Story for Children about Diabetes
Sarah feels resentful of the limitations the diabetes places on her activities until a stuffed animal (Puffle) comes to life and offers her encouraging rhymes on coping. (ISBN: 978-0945354420)
-
Sarah's Surprise
Six-year-old Sarah has used a picture board to communicate. With the help of her speech therapist, she gives everyone a surprise at her mother's birthday party. (ISBN: 9780944727188)
-
Sosu's Call
Sosu is a young boy with a physical disability who lives in Ghana. He feels left out of many village activities until he is called upon to show his strength. (ISBN: 9789988883065)
-
Taking Dyslexia to School
Matt explains his dyslexia and tells about strategies he uses. (ISBN: 978-1891383175)
-
Taking Tourette Syndrome to School
An informative story about Tourette syndrome, told from the point of view of a child who has Tourette syndrome. (ISBN: 978-1891383120)
-
The Bob (Butterbean) Love Story
The autobiography of a basketball player with a speech impediment. (ISBN: 1887864407)
-
Thumbs Up, Rico!
Rico is a boy with Down syndrome who loves basketball. The story describes his relationship with a neighborhood boy named Cesar, his older sister Nina, and his art class. (ISBN: 978-0807579060)
-
We Can Do It!
The daily activities of five children with different kinds of disabilities. Color photographs show the children at home and at school, with family members and with peers. (ISBN: 978-1595720337)
-
We'll Paint the Octopus Red
Emma feels ready to be a big sister! Then when the baby is born, her dad tells her that he has something called Down syndrome. Finally she asks, "If Isaac has this Down thing, then what can't he do?". Her dad thinks about it, then tells her that as long as they are patient with him, and help him when he needs it, there probably isn't anything Isaac can't do. (ISBN: 978-1890627065)
-
What About Me? When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick
Laura is a young girl trying to cope with her brother Tom's illness and the disruption of family life. The story describes her wide range of emotions. (ISBN: 978-0945354499)