Tag Archives: Disabilities

Heidi

HeidiHeidi, the Swiss classic, is one of the bestselling books of all time. This new picture book version tells about Heidi and her grandfather living in the Alps, Heidi’s difficult move to Frankfurt to live with wheelchair-bound Clara, and Heidi’s return home to the mountains and her grandfather, complete with Clara’s recovery. Thirty bold, handcrafted paper-cut and digital collage illustrations capture Heidi’s heartwarming story, which is as relevant today as ever. mjw
Title: Heidi
Author: Johanna Spyri (1827-1901), Carole Aufranc
Illustrator
: Carole Aufranc
Publisher
: Bergli Books, an imprint of Helvetiq Sarl. Basel, Switzerland
Copyright
: 1880, 2023
Original Language
: German in 1880, French in 2023
Translator
: Anika K. Clausen
Original Title
: Heidi
Original Copyright
: 1880
ISBN
: 978-3-0369-151-8
Hardcover pages
: 48
Age range
: 4 up
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Switzerland, Germany
Author’s ethnicity
: Swiss
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swiss
Illustrator’s residence
: Switzerland
Subjects
: Alps, Domestic fiction, Germany, Goats, Grandfathers, Mountains, Orphans, Switzerland

A Head Full Of Birds

A headful of BirdsNanette spends her time looking at paper birds, puddles, spider webs, and what she can make with her hands. At school, the kids mock her and are mean to her. Noah is a boy in her class who likes to fly paper airplanes. At first, he finds Nanette confusing. He even gets angry at her. After school, Noah sees Nanette dropping paper boats into the gutter and watching them float along. He thinks they are pretty. Noah and Nanette become friends and see the beauty of the world in their minds together. Illustrated in pastel colors with colored pencils, the story is a thoughtful, positive portrayal of neurodiverse friendships. mjw
Title: A Head Full Of Birds
Author: Alexandra Garibal
Illustrator
: Sibylle Delacroix
Publisher
: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Vineet Lal
Original Title
: Des oiseaux plein la tete
Original Publisher
: Editions Kaleidoscope, an imprint of l’ecole des loisirs
Original Copyright
: 2021
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5596-1
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Belgian, French
Illustrator’s residence
: France
Subjects
: ADHD, Autism, Birds, Creativity, Differences, Disabilities, Neurodivergence, Origami, Paper airplanes, Peer pressure

Duck’s Backyard

ducks backyardA duck with a limp and a blind chicken embark on an adventure. The duck will guide the chicken and the chicken will support the duck’s wonky leg. They search for a place where their most secret wishes will come true. They encounter a wild forest, a deep canyon, the highest mountain, and they experience many differences of opinion along the way. Their final destination is a hilarious surprise. The book’s philosophical tone and sophisticated vocabulary make the book ideal for a range of readers. Full-color illustrations with bold, dynamic lines and brush strokes are included. mjw
Title: Duck’s Backyard
Author: Ulrich Hub
Illustrator
: Jorg Muhle
Publisher
: Gecko Press, New Zealand
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: German
Translator
: Helena Kirkby
Original Title
: Lahme Ente, blindes Huhn
Original Publisher
: Carlsen Verlag GmgH. Hamburg, Germany
Original Copyright
: 2021
ISBN
: 978-1-776574-735
Hardcover pages
: 96
Age range
: 7-11
Genre
: Fiction, Illustrated Chapter Book, Novel
Author’s ethnicity
: German
Author’s residence
: Berlin
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: German
Illustrator’s residence
: Frankfurt
Awards
: 2022 White Raven Award
Subjects
: Birds, Blindness, Differences, Disabilities, Friendships, Humor, Leadership

Oscar Lives Next Door: A Story Inspired By Oscar Peterson’s Childhood

Oscar

In the 1930s, young Oscar Peterson plays the trumpet in his neighborhood of St. Henri in Montreal, where the city’s Black working class lives. He’s a magician with his trumpet as he blows notes on his favorite instrument. However, he becomes very sick with tuberculosis, and his lungs weaken. He refuses to talk while he is in the hospital. His neighbor Millie writes to him and encourages him to talk. When he returns home from the hospital, he plays on the piano the music that he hears in everything. His father hires a piano teacher, and Oscar practices and practices and eventually becomes an international jazz piano sensation. The lively digital illustrations enhance the engaging story. An author’s note provides information about Oscar’s neighborhood in Montreal and a short biography of the legendary jazz pianist. mjw

Title: Oscar Lives Next Door: A Story Inspired By Oscar Peterson’s Childhood
Author: Bonnie Farmer
Illustrator
: Marie Lafrance
Publisher
: Owlkids Books, Inc. Toronto, Ontario
Copyright
: 2023
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1771475969
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture book, Biography
Book setting
: Montreal, Quebec. Canada
Author’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Author’s residence
: Montreal, Quebec
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Illustrator’s residence
: Montreal, Quebec
Subjects
: Biographical fiction, Canada, Jazz, Music, Performing arts, Piano, Selective mutism, Trumpet, Tuberculosis

It’s So Difficult

It's So Difficult

A child leaves the house and everything is so difficult. The school day is overwhelming. Counting things or calculating relaxes him. His mother tells him not to rush, that someday words will happen. But the noise makes everything so difficult. The book was inspired by the author’s experiences as a secondary school teacher in Spain. Interesting line illustrations created with collage, pencil, gouache, and digital media enrich this look at anxiety and overstimulation. mjw

Title: It’s So Difficult
Author: Raul Nieto Guridi
Illustrator
: Raul Nieto Guridi
Publisher
: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: Spanish
Translator
: Lawrence Schimel
Original Title
: Lo Dificil
Original Publisher
: Tres Tigres Tristes
Original Copyright
:  2020
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5584-8
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 5-9
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Author’s residence
: Spain
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Spanish
Illustrator’s residence
: Spain
Subjects
: Anxiety, Math, Overstimulation, Special needs

Fly

FLYFourteen-year-old Felix Landon Yarrow – F.L.Y., or Fly has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. He carries around his father’s worn copy of Don Quixote to prove that there is a brain inside his uncooperative body. His first-person narrative in engaging free verse tells of his fascination with knighthood and chivalry. He fears that Carter, the school villain, is a danger to his crush/damsel in distress, Daria. Using his cleverness and invisibility – his superpower – he constructs a plan to save Daria. Fly is a courageous, kind, and funny character on a “quest/ for a noble life.” mjw
Title: Fly
Author: Alison Hughes
Publisher
: Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto
Copyright
: 2022
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1525-305-832
Hardcover pages
: 197
Age range
: 10-14
Genre
: Fiction, Novel in verse
Author’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Author’s residence
: Edmonton, Alberta
Subjects
: Cerebral palsy, Courage, Don Quixote, Free verse, Poetry, Wheelchairs

The Words In My Hands

the words

The art journal of Deaf sixteen-year-old Piper, set in near-future Melbourne, Australia, is part coming of age story and part call to action. Piper is smart, artistic, and rebellious. Deaf since the age of three, she is told by her mother that she needs to conform, compensate and appear normal. She meets Marley, a CODA (child of a deaf parent), and a whole new world opens up for her. This is a time of food scarcity, environmental collapse, and political corruption. Piper is determined to build a sustainable food garden and communicate with her mom, friends, and community like she never has before. Back matter in this amazing book includes information on the Deaf community and various forms of sign language and ideas for journaling. mjw

Title: The Words In My Hands
Author: Asphyxia
Illustrator
: Asphyxia
Publisher
: Annick Press
Copyright
: 2021
Original Language
: English
Original Title
: Future Girl In Australia
Original Publisher
: Allen & Unwin, Australia
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-1773215280
Hardcover pages
: 388
Age range
: 13-16
Genre
: Fiction, Novel
Book setting
: Australia
Author’s ethnicity
: Australian
Author’s residence
: Australia
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Australian
Illustrator’s residence
: Australia
Awards
: 2022 ALA Schneider Family Book Award for Teens, 2021 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book of the Year for Older Readers 2021 White Raven
Subjects
: Activism, Auslan, Coming of age, Creativity, Deafness, Dystopian, Finger-spelling, Future, Gardens, Problem solving, Sign language, Special needs, Sustainability

A Kind Of Spark

A Kind of SparkEleven-year-old Addie is autistic, headstrong, and smart. She thinks differently from the people around her. She is on a campaign to have a plaque erected in her Scottish hometown in memory of the victims of the witch trials which happened there hundreds of years ago. She understands what it is like to be treated as an outcast for being different. The author is neurodivergent, too, and she insightfully tells about what it is like to be an autistic girl. She believably portrays Addie’s struggles and her beautiful friendship with a girl who is understanding and supportive. mjw
Title: A Kind Of Spark
Author: Elle McNicoll
Publisher
: Crown Books for Young Readers
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-593-37425-2
Hardcover pages
: 192
Age range
: 8-12
Genre
: Fiction, Novel
Book setting
: Scotland
Author’s ethnicity
: Scottish
Author’s residence
: London
Awards
: 2022 ALA Schneider Family Book Award – Middle Grade Honor
Subjects
: Autism, Bullies, Disabilities, Neurodivergency, Sharks, Teachers, Witch trials

Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story Of The Oldest Person To Ever Run A Marathon

This is the true story of Fauja Singh, the first one-hundred-year-old to run a marathon. He was born with legs that didn’t work in a Punjab village.  He could not play with his friends or walk to school, but that did not stop him. He worked on his family’s farm and grew stronger. Throughout his life he made his mind, body, and heart stronger. At age 81, he ran his first marathon. He has broken many records and became the first person over one hundred (centenarian) to complete a marathon. The beautiful and enlivening illustrations were created digitally using hand drawings and collage pieces. A forward written by Fauja Singh introduces the book.  Back matter includes a list of his world records and a photograph of him today. mjw
Title: Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story Of The Oldest Person To Ever Run A MarathonHannah’s Winter
Author: Simran Jeet Singh
Illustrator
: Baljinder Kaur
Publisher
: Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House. New York
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-525555094
Hardcover pages
: 48
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture book, Biography
Book setting
: Punjab, India; England; New York City; Toronto
Author’s ethnicity
: Indian
Author’s residence
: New York
Illustrator’s residence
: England
Subjects
: Biography, Centenarians, Marathons, Punjabi, Running, Sikh, Track and field

Doctor Mouse

Every morning in the forest, Doctor Mouse opens the old barn door and hangs up his sign: Consultations from Sunrise to Sunset. He straightens up the six chairs in his office and puts on his white coat backwards.  First to arrive is Ms. Chicken who needs to keep calm, but consultations cannot begin until all six chairs are occupied. The second patient is Mr. Dog, followed by Mr. Bear, a rabbit, and Ms. Owl.  The sixth chair remains empty. It is eventually filled by Mr. Fox. The patients charmingly help each other. It becomes a kind of group therapy session and all the patients leave Doctor Mouse’s office happy. The hand-crafted illustrations in this sweet story are filled with fun details. mjw
Title: Doctor Mouse
Author: Christa Kempter
Illustrator
: Amelie Jackowski
Publisher
: North South Books, Inc.
Copyright
: 2020
Original Language
: German
Translator
: David Henry Wilson
Original Title
: Doktor Maus
Original Publisher
: NordSud Verlag AG
Original Copyright
: 2020
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4410-0
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: German
Author’s residence
: Germany
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: French
Illustrator’s residence
: France
Subjects
: Bears, Chickens, Cooperation, Doctors, Dogs, Fox, Humor. Mice, Owls, Rabbits

Piglettes

This laugh-aloud coming-of-age story tells of the bicycle road trip across France to Paris of three teenage girls, Mirielle, Astrid, and Hakima. The girls were voted by their classmates on Facebook to be the ugliest girls in their school. They take off on their bikes, accompanied by Kader, Hakima’s wheelchair-bound older brother. Their goal is a garden party with the French president. They pull a trailer along with them and sell sausages to make money for the trip. The girls, known as the Piglettes, become stars of social media and television. The story is told through the eyes of funny, philosophical, and awkward Mirielle. This is a powerful book for self-conscious teens. mjw
Title: Piglettes
Author: Clementine Beauvais
Publisher
: Pushkin Press
Copyright
: 2017
Original Language
: French
Translator
: Clementine Beauvais
Original Title
: Les Petites Reines
Original Publisher
: Editions Sarbacane. Paris
Original Copyright
: 2014
ISBN
: 978-1782691204
Paperback pages
: 287
Age range
: 12 up
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: France
Author’s ethnicity
: French
Author’s residence
: U.K.
Awards
: Prix Sorcieres in France
Subjects
: Bicycles, Bullying, Coming of age, Cyber-bullying, Feminism, Girls and women, Paris, Racism, Roadtrip, Sausages, Teens and young adult fiction, Ugly girls, Wheelchair

Welcome To Nowhere

Twelve-year-old Omar lives in Bosra, Syria with his family.  He dreams of being a businessman and his sister wants to be a teacher. Their hopes are shattered when  war breaks out. The family is forced to flee Syria by foot to get to Jordan. This is a moving and sensitive novel with lovable characters. A Letter from the Author provides more information about the war in Syria. Also included is a section What Can You DoTo Help? that tells about the Hope School in Jordan. mjw
Title: Welcome To Nowhere
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Illustrator
: Lucy Eldridge
Publisher
: Macmillan Children’s Books
Copyright
: 22017
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-5098-44047-2
Paperback pages
: 329
Age range
: 9-11
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Syria, Jordan
Author’s ethnicity
: Born in new Zealand of Scottish parents
Author’s residence
: Britain
Awards
: Winner of the UKLA Book Award
Subjects
: Cerebral Palsy, Homelessness, Middle East, Poverty, Refugees, Syria