Read Stories to Your Children That Show People With Disabilities in a Positive Light

Here is a list of books for elementary school that havevirtuoso who was revered by both classical and jazz
at least one character with a disability. All of thepianists.
characters with disabilities are portrayed in a positive* Alphabet War, Diane Burton Robb--Learning to read
light.is a great struggle for Adam, but with expert help, hard
There are characters who have autism, downwork, and belief in himself, he wins "The Alphabet War.
syndrome, intellectual disabilities, visual impairments,* See the Ocean, Estelle Condra--Driving through
hearing impairments, speech delays, dyslexia, spinamountain fog to the beach, two young brothers
bifida, synesthesia and who use a wheelchair. The listcompete to see who will first see the ocean, but it is
was created using the winners of the Dolly Graytheir blind sister Nellie who senses it first.
Award and the Schneider Family Book Award and* Knots on a Counting Rope, Bill Martin Jr./John
lists compiled by Sandy Lahmann, Cherl Pesto atArchambault--A grandfather and his blind grandson
Disaboom and Mary Anne Prater & Tina Taylorreminisce about the young boy's birth, his first horse,
Dyches from Teaching Exceptional Children.and an exciting horse race.
* Very Special Critter, Mercer Mayer--Little Critter* Thank You, Mr. Falker, Patricia Polacco--Trisha could
discovers that the new boy in class is really not sopaint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at
different from anyone else, even though he is in awords on a page, all she could see was jumble. It took
wheelchair.a very special teacher to recognize little Trisha's
* My Friend Isabelle, Eliza Woloson--A young boy thedyslexia.
activities he shares with his friend Isabelle, a girl with* Mama Zooms, Jane Cowen-Fletcher--A boy's
Down Syndrome.wonderful mama takes him zooming everywhere with
* Susan Laughs, Jeanne Willis /Tony Ross--Rhymingher, because her wheelchair is a zooming machine.
couplets describe a wide range of common emotions* My Pal, Victor / Mi amigo Víctor, Diane
and activities experienced by a girl who uses aGonzales Bertrand --Two boys enjoy the summer
wheelchair.doing all of the things that boys do despite one boy's
* Harry and Willy and Carrothead, Judith Casely--Threedisability.
boys overcome prejudicial ideas about appearances* Two Tracks in the Snow, Louella Bryant--Ari, a boy
and become friends.who uses a wheelchair, uses his monoski to teach Will
* Hooway for Wodney Wat, Helen Lester /Lynnhow to snowboard.
Munsinger--Classmates make fun of Rodney because* Silent Lotus, Jeanne M. Lee--Although she cannot
he can't pronounce his name, but it is Rodney's speechspeak or hear, Lotus trains as a Khmer court dancer
impediment that drives away the class bully.and becomes eloquent in dancing out the legends of
* Dad and Me in the Morning, Patricia Lakin--A deafthe gods.
boy and his father share a special time as they watch* Crow Boy, Taro Yashima--A lonely boy in a village
the sun rise at the beach.school in Japan learned all the calls of the crows as he
* Best Friend on Wheels, Debra Shirley--The narratorleft his home at dawn and arrived home at sunset on
meets Sarah, a girl in a wheelchair, and they becomeschool day.
fast friends.* Ian's Walk, Laurie Lear--A young girl realizes how
* Kami and the Yaks, Andrea Stenn Stryer--Kami, amuch she cares for her autistic brother Ian when he
young Sherpa boy who is deaf, rescues his family'sgets lost at the park.
yaks and livelihood during a violent storm.* Featherless (Desplumado), Juan Felipe
* The Deaf Musicians, Pete Seeger /Paul DuboisHerrera--Although Tomasito's spina bifida keeps him in
Jacobs--After losing his hearing, jazzman Lee learns toa wheelchair, where he often feels as confined as his
make music in a new way.flightless and featherless pet bird, he discovers that he
* Looking out for Sarah, Glenna Lang--Describes a daycan feel free when he is on the soccer field.
in the life of a seeing eye dog, from going with his* Keeping Up with Roo, Dan Andresen/Sharlee Glenn
owner to the grocery store and post office, to visiting--Gracie has always had a special bond with her Aunt
a class of school children, and playing ballRoo, who is mentally disabled, but that relationship
* Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum, Robert A.starts to change when Gracie begins school.
Parker--Tatum came from modest beginnings and* Dad, Jackie, and Me, Myron Uhlberg-A young boy
was nearly blind, his passion for the piano and hisshares the excitement of Jackie Robinson's rookie
acute memory for any sound drove him to become aseason with his deaf father.