Tag Archives: Disabilities

One

Sixteen-year-old Tippi and Grace are conjoined twins. They were homeschooled all their lives, but the funding was pulled and now they attend Hornbeacon private school. They manage to make friends in Yasmeen and Jon. The girls have their own personalities, yet they obviously share a special closeness and love. They begin to have health issues and are faced with the toughest decision of their lives. Grace narrates their fascinating and powerful story, which is told in verse. An author’s note gives information about conjoined twins. mjw

Title: One
Author: Sarah Crossan
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-0-06-211875-2
Hardcover pages: 400
Age range: 14 up
Genre: Fiction, Novel in verse
Book setting: U.S.
Author’s ethnicity: Originally from Dublin
Author’s residence: London
Awards: 2016 CLIP Carnegie Medal
Subjects: Conjoined twins. Emotions and feelings, Family problems, High school, Sisters, Special needs, Twins

Sea Change

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Twelve-year-old Eliot Dionisi’s parents send him to Point Aconi in Nova Scotia for the summer. He is not looking forward to spending time with his wrinkly old relatives who smell like fish. At first, it is not easy for him to fit in. He is pushed out of his comfort zone. But as the summer wears on, Eliot learns to fish, swim, and eat lobster. He discovers his great grandmother’s library, picks blueberries, enjoys a clambake, and even has his first kiss. He makes friends, deals with the local bully, and helps Mary Beth, his crush, with a secret. This warm and funny coming-of-age story is illustrated with artwork drawn in pencil and India ink and colored digitally. Some of the text is also transformed into unconventional illustrations. mjw

Title: Sea Change
Author: Frank Viva
Illustrator: Frank Viva
Publisher: Tundra Books, a division of Random House of Canada
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-101-91852-4
Hardcover pages: 120
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction, Graphic Novel
Book setting: Point Aconi, Nova Scotia
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Toronto
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian
Illustrator’s residence: Toronto
Subjects: Abuse, Canada, Coming of age, Fishing, Growing up, Multigenerational, Nova Scotia, Summer

Mr. Matisse And His Cutouts

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Mr Matisse And His Cutouts This inspiring picture book describes the period that artist Heri Êmile Benoît Matisse was bedridden in a hospital for three months. Mr. Mattisse was appalled by the blank canvas walls in his hospital room. Matisse tried painting the hospital sheets, walls, and ceiling, but he quickly realized that he could not paint in his condition. When he spotted a pair of scissors, Matisse was inspired. He turned his room into a vibrant garden by cutting paper and fabrics. All readers will enjoy learning about this creative artist who is thought to be a leading innovator in modern art. ema

Title: Mr. Matisse And His Cutouts
Author: Annemarie van Haeringen
Illustrator: Annemarie van Haeringen
Publisher: North-South
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: Dutch
Translator: Jan Michael
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4263-2
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction
Authors’ ethnicity: Dutch
Authors’ residence: Netherlands
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Dutch
Illustrator’s residence: Netherlands
Subjects: Artists, Artwork, Creativity, Illness, Painting, Paper Cutouts

Bartolome: The Infanta’s Pet

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Bartolome is a ten-year-old disabled dwarf living in a small village in rural 17^th century Spain. His family has to keep him hidden in a back room. His dream is to be able to read and write. When his father lands a job in the court of King Philip IV, the family moves to Madrid. The royal princess gets whatever she wants and she wants Bartolome as her “human dog.” He is dressed in a brown furry suit and is very scared, unhappy, and humiliated until he discovers the painter’s studio. One of the apprentices to Spanish artist Diego Velasquez lets Bartolome mix paints and paint a picture. The book shows how dwarfs were thought of and discriminated against in the 17^th century. This heart-wrenching story was inspired by the painting Las Meninas, which was painted by Velasquez in 1656. Velasquez was employed as a court painter by Philip IV, where he frequently painted the royal family, especially the King’s daughter, the Infanta. mjw

Title: Bartolome: The Infanta’s Pet
Author: Rachel Van Kooij
Publisher: Little Island. Dublin, Ireland
Copyright: 2012
Original Language: German
Translator: Sioban Parkinson
Original Title: Kein Hundeleben fur Bartolome
Original Publisher: Jungbrunnen Verlag. Vienna
Original Copyright: 2003
ISBN: 978-1-908195-26-5
Paperback pages: 208
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: Spain
Author’s ethnicity: Dutch
Author’s residence: Vienna, Austria
Translator’s ethnicity: Irish
Translator’s residence: Dublin, Ireland
Awards: Translator was Ireland’s first Children’s Laureate from 2010-2012.
Subjects: Dwarfs; Europe; Madrid, Spain; Pets, Special needs: Velasquez

Bronze and Sunflower

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Set during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (late 1960s and early 1970s), Sunflower, a young girl and her artist father are banished to do hard labor in the countryside at a cadre school. It’s a difficult life for her and she is lonely. She meets Bronze, the mute son of poor villagers, who is bullied by the other village boys. After Sunflower’s father dies, Bronze’s family takes her in despite facing extreme hardship, and Sunflower finally finds happiness. This engrossing, beautifully written novel, with luminous imagery, will broaden readers’ horizons. Notes in the back of the book provide historical background and information about Cao’s inspiration for the book. mjw

Title: Bronze and Sunflower
Author: Cao Wenxuan
Illustrator: Meilo So
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. London
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: Chinese
Translator: Helen Wang
Original Copyright: 2005
ISBN: 978-1-4063-4846-0
Paperback pages: 400
Age range: 9 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Damaidi, China
Author’s ethnicity: Chinese
Author’s residence: China
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence: England
Awards: 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Shortlist
Subjects: China, Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), Friendship, Poverty, Survival

Heidi: The Years Of Learning And Travel

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Young, orphaned Heidi lives with her Aunt Dete, but is taken to live with her good-hearted, but grumpy, grandfather in the mountains. Grandfather mistrusts everyone and hopes to protect Heidi from the evils of the world. Heidi makes friends with Peter, the goatherd, and they live in their idyllic mountain world until Dete appears again to take Heidi to Frankfurt (Germany) to live with Fraulein Rottenmeier and work as a companion to her granddaughter Clara, who cannot walk. Heidi suffers from homesickness and eventually returns to her grandfather. Heidi and Clara keep in touch and Clara visits to experience the joy and healing power of the mountains. Gorgeous watercolor paintings take readers to the Swiss Alps and reflect the beauty of the region as described by Spyri in this classic story. An Afterword by Verena Rutschmann, head of research at the Swiss Institute of Media for Children and Young Adults, provides more information about the novel, which is the most popular piece of Swiss literature ever written. A condensed, illustrated young readers’ edition (2009, paperback 2015) is also available. mjw

Title: Heidi: The Years Of Learning And Travel
Author: Johanna Spyri (1827-1901)
Illustrator: Maja Dusikova
Publisher: North South Books, Inc, an imprint of NordSud Verlag AG, Zurich Switzerland
Copyright: 21105
Original Language: German
Original Title: Originally published in two parts. Heidi’s Lehr und Wonderjahre and Heidi Kann brauchen, was es gallant hat
Original Copyright: 1881
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4250-2
Hardcover pages: 162
Age range: 5 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Switzerland, Germany
Author’s ethnicity: Swiss
Author’s residence: Lived in Zurich, Switzerland
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born in Czechoslovakia
Illustrator’s residence: Florence, Italy
Subjects: Alps, Swiss; Grandfather; Grandparent and child; Mountain life; Orphans

The Snow Rabbit

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Two blonde sisters look out of their window at the snowy sky in this charming wordless picture book. One sister goes out and builds a snow rabbit. When she brings it inside to her wheelchair-bound sister and it begins to melt, they take it back outside and magical things start to happen. The sisters chase the rabbit and the wheelchair gets stuck in the snow. Finally the girls ride the rabbit, which has grown to an enormous size, back through the moonlight to the safety of their cottage. The 3-D hand-colored cut-paper illustrations, set in dioramas, dramatically lit, and photographed, add impact to the enchantment. mjw

Title: The Snow Rabbit
Author: Camille Garoche (Princesse Camcam)
Illustrator: Camille Garoche (Princesse Camcam)
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-59270-181-0
Hardcover pages: 56
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Wordless Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: Paris, France
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: Paris, France
Subjects: Children with disabilities, Magic, Rabbits, Sisters, Snow, Stories without words

Lola And I

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Narrated by blind Lola’s black Lab guide dog named Star, this picture book portrays the friendship between a girl and her dog. At first, Lola was afraid to go outside. But eventually, she and Star go out to explore Lola’s Italian environment. They shop for clothing, have cream croissants and lemonade in the park, go tobogganing in the mountains, and have their portrait painted at the beach. The strong text, with sight-free sensory details, is enriched by warm, soft-focus illustrations. mjw

Title: Lola and I
Author: Chiara Valentina Segre
Illustrator: Paolo Domeniconi
Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside
Copyright: 2105
Original Language: Italian
Translator: Chiara Valentina Segre
Original Title: Lola e io
Original Publisher: Camelozampa. Monselice, Italy
Original Copyright: 2012
ISBN: 978-1-55455-363-1
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Italy
Author’s ethnicity: Italian
Author’s residence: Italy
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Italian
Illustrator’s residence: Italy
Awards: 2105 IBBY Outstanding Book for Young People with Disabilities
Subjects: Blind, Children with disabilities, Dogs, Guide dogs, Human-animal relationships, Special needs, Visually impaired

The Nest

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Anxious, OCD-ridden, pre-adolescent Steve has a new baby brother who has congenital health problems. The baby needs surgery and may never be completely normal. Steve’s parents are pre-occupied with the baby and Steve starts to have dreams and nightmares with angels/wasps who promise that they can grow a new, healthy baby to replace his sickly newborn brother. And at the same time, a wasps’ nest is rapidly growing outside the baby’s bedroom window. Scientific information about wasps is woven into Steve’s first-person perspective. Black and white graphite drawings add to the mood of this very intense, intriguing, and scary story that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman mjw

Title: The Nest
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Illustrator: John Klassen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3232-0
Hardcover pages: 256
Age range: 10 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Canada (Toronto)
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Toronto, Canada
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian
Illustrator’s residence: Los Angeles, California, USA
Awards: Author has won the Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award. Illustrator has won the Caldecott Medal
Subjects: Babies, Changelings, Ghost stories, Horror stories, Infants, Paranormal fiction, Special needs, Supernatural, Wasps

John Diamond

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Twelve-year-old William Jones cannot stop hearing his father’s footsteps and sighs at night. When William learns that his father is troubled because he swindled his old business partner, Mr. Diamond, he promises to himself that he will travel to London to rectify his father’s wrongs. He quickly realizes that London is an eerie city full of danger, death, and betrayal. The author’s gothic writing is reminiscent of Charles Dickens’s works. Middle-grade readers who are fans of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events will devour this mystery novel. ema

Title: John Diamond
Author: Leon Garfield (1921-1996)
Illustrator: Isobel Lundie
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
Original Title: John Diamond
Original Publisher: Kestrel Books
Original Copyright: 1980
ISBN:978-0099583271
Paperback pages: 256
Age range: 9-11
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: Victorian London
Author’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: London
Awards:1980 Whitbread Prize for Children’s Novel
Subjects: Creepy, Death, Detective stories, Mystery, Scary stories

Climbing The Stairs

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Fifteen year-old Vidya has aspirations of attending college, but this is rare for a girl living in British-occupied India during World War II. When misfortune falls upon Vidya’s family, they are forced to live with her father’s family which is a traditional Indian household where women are expected to be married and not educated. Vidya feels suffocated by the lifestyle, but she feels like she can breathe a bit easier when she discovers her grandfather’s library. In the library, Vidya gains a new friend who encourages her to pursue her education. Unfortunately, it is when Vidya finally feels that she finds some comfort in the house that her brother unexpectedly leaves. This moving story about a young woman overcoming political and her own inner turmoils will effectively enlighten readers about Hindi words, traditions, religious festivals, and historical events that occurred during a critical time in Indian history. ema

Title: Climbing The Stairs
Author: Padma Venkatraman
Publisher: Speak, an imprint of Puffin Books
Copyright: 2010
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0142414903
Paperback pages: 254
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: India during WWII
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: America
Awards: A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year, An ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, An 2009 ALA/Amelia Bloomer Book, A Book Sense Notable, A Publishers Weekly Flying Start Selection, A Booklist Editor’s Choice
Subjects: Brain damage, British occupation of India, Gender roles, Prejudices, World War II

The God Beneath The Sea

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The ancient Greek gods and goddesses are brilliantly reimagined in this novel which combines classic Greek myths together to create one continuous story. The story begins when a hideous shrieking baby, later known as Hephaestus, falls into the sea and is raised by sea goddesses Thetis and Eurynome. From then on readers discover the origins of gods and man. This classic of English children’s literature with macabre illustrations effectively introduces young readers to Greek Mythology. ema

Title: The God Beneath The Sea
Author: Leon Garfield (1921-1996) and Edward Blishen (1920-1996)
Illustrator: Charles Keeping (1924- 1988)
Publisher: Doubleday
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
Original Title: The God Beneath The Sea
Original Publisher: Pantheon Books
Original Copyright: 1970
ISBN: 978-0-875-53311-1
Paperback pages: 215
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Greek Mythology, Fiction
Book setting: Ancient Greece
Author’s ethnicity: Both English
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Awards: 1970 Carnegie Medal
Subjects: Greek gods and goddesses, Mythology, Reimaginings, Retellings