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1 | Title | Author *denotes lived disability experience | Illustrator *denotes lived disability experience | Publisher | Year | ISBN | Book Audience | Genre | Sub Genre | Grade Level | Age Range | Disability Category | Disability Representation | Themes/Topics | Summary | Page count | Accessible English Formats | Language | Accessible Non-English Formats | Content/Trigger Warning | Diversity | WorldCat | Review | Review | Awards & Distinctions | Resources | Other | |
2 | El Deafo | *Cece Bell | *Cece Bell | Amulet: Abrams | 2014 | 978-1-4197-1020-9 | Middle Grade Graphic Novel | Nonfiction | Memoir | 3-7 | 7-12 | Hearing | Deaf | self-acceptance, friendship, new school, fitting in, deafness, communication, loneliness, resilience | When Cece Bell was four years old, she contracted meningitis, which caused her to go deaf. In this graphic novel memoir, Bell chronicles her early years and the skills she develops to cope in a hearing world, depicting herself as bunny who has a superhero persona, El Deafo, who turns up when Cece is faced with problems like starting a new school or making new friends. | 248 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | Chinese English French German Italian Korean Spanish | eBook | adults smoking or drinking visibly illustrated | White | https://www.worldcat.org/title/1140783132 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cece-bell/el-deafo/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781419710209 | Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids 2015 Newbery Honor Charlotte Huck Award Honor The Horn Book Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, the Los Angeles Public Library, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal named it one of the best books of 2014. It was also a New York Times Notable Children's Book. | ADL Educator Discussion Guide https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/book-of-the-month-el-deafo.pdf | ||
3 | Show Me a Sign | *Ann Clare LeZotte | Scholastic | 2020 | 978-1-3382-5581-2 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Historical Fiction | 5 and up | 10-14 | Hearing | Deaf | family, grief, guilt, racism, ableism, deafness, inclusion, Deaf community, 19th century | Mary, age 11, lives in Chilmark, where, in 1805, a significant portion of the population of this island community are deaf and both hearing and nonhearing residents know and use sign language. While Mary's family is grappling with the recent death of her older brother, a scientist, who hopes to discover the origin of the residents’ prevalent deafness, arrives. He kidnaps Mary, taking her to another scientist in Boston, who has his own plans to conduct research on why some people can't hear. A captive Mary tries to communicate with those around her, as she holds onto hope of rescue and reuniting with her family and friends. | 288 pages | audiobook braille eBook large print talking book | English | racism, violence, kidnapping, child abuse, human experimentation | White, Black, Irish, Wampanoag | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1250429402 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ann-clare-lezotte/show-me-a-sign/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781338255812 | Schneider Family Book Award, 2021 Winner NPR Best Books of 2020 Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 New York Public Library Best Books of 2020 Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2020 2020 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist | https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/scholastic/educators/discussion-guides/ann-clare-lezotte-discussion-guide.pdf | ||||
4 | Song for a Whale | Lynne Kelly | Delacorte: Random House Children's Books | 2018 | 978-1-5247-7023-5 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-6 | 9-12 | Hearing | Deaf | family, grief, loneliness, belonging, communication, deafness, ASL, Deaf culture, technology, whales, grandparents | At school, where twelve-year-old Iris is the only Deaf student, she learns about Blue 55—a hybrid blue whale with a unique song emitted at 55 hertz, a frequency that other whales can’t hear. Grieving the recent death of her Deaf grandfather, Iris, who loves to fix up old radios, uses her tech skills to come up with a plan to communicate with Blue 55. The fact that the whale is miles away from her Texas home, swimming off the coast of Alaska, does not deter Iris. With her Deaf grandmother by her side, she sets out on a journey to connect with Blue 55 and make sure he’s finally heard. | 304 pages | audiobook braille eBook large print talking book | English Farsi French German Korean Russian | eBook | -- | White | https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/1310475220 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lynne-kelly/song-for-a-whale/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781524770235 | |||||
5 | Wonderstruck | Brian Selznick | Brian Selznick | Scholastic | 2011 | 978-0-5450-2789-2 | Novel in Words and Pictures | Fiction | Mystery | 4 and up | 9 and up | Hearing | Deaf | family, friendship, communication, passage of time, lost parent, museums, deafness, sign language, oralism, visual storytelling, Deaf community | In 1977 in Minnesota, Ben, born deaf in one ear, is grieving the loss of his mother. Without her and without ever having had his father in his life, Ben feels anxious and lost. In 1927, Rose—whose story is told through the illustrations—is unhappy in her New Jersey home with a father who wants her to learn how to lip-read and speak. She keeps a scrapbook of her silent-film star mother and dreams of a place where she can belong. Just when Ben finds a clue to his father’s whereabouts, Ben loses the hearing in his other ear from a lightning strike. Undeterred, he heads to New York City on his own for answers, as did Rose in her time. Rose is still in New York City in 1977 and when she and Ben meet, they both find what they’ve been missing. | 637 pages | eBook talking book | Chinese Dutch English French German Indonesian Italian Persian Portuguese Russian Slovenian Spanish Swedish Thai Turkish | ableism, forced oralism | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/971937693 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brian-selznick/wonderstruck/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780545027892 | Schneider Family Book Award, Winner, 2012 Kids’ Book Choice Awards, Illustrator Winner, 2012 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Selection, 2012 ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2012 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/12/02/review-wonderstruck-by-brian-selznick/ | |||
6 | Hands & Hearts: With 15 Words in American Sign Language | Donna Jo Napoli | Amy Bates | Abrams Books for Young Readers | 2014 | 978-1-4197-1022-3 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 3-7 | Hearing | Deaf | family, imagination, play, sign language, communication, bonding | A mother and daughter spend a simple, sunny day at the beach together where they swim, dance, and build sandcastles, all while communicating with each other with American Sign Language (ASL). Readers will learn how to sign 15 words using ASL with the help of instructive yet playful sidebars. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/851572780 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/donna-jo-napoli/hands-amp-hearts/ | https://www.slj.com/review/hands--hearts-with-15-words-in-american-sign-language | Alabama Camellia Award, 2015-2016 | ||||
7 | Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion | Shannon Stocker | Devon Holzwarth | Dial Books for Young Readers: Penguin Random House | 2022 | 978-0-5931-0969-4 | Picture Book | Nonfiction | Biography | 1-4 | 6-9 | Hearing | Deaf | music, deafness, resilience, determination, education | This picture book biography about Evelyn Glennie, a deaf woman, who became the first full-time solo percussionist in the world, follows Evelyn from the moment music first held her heart. She played the piano by ear at age eight, and the clarinet by age ten. But when the nerves in her ears began to deteriorate, she was told she could never be a musician. What sounds Evelyn couldn’t hear with her ears, though, she could feel resonate through her body. Evelyn learned how to listen in a new way and went on to create extraordinary music. | 40 pages | audiobook braille eBook talking book | English | -- | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1258041520 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/shannon-stocker/listen-how/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780593109694 | Schneider Family Book Award, 2023 Winner Anna Dewdney Read Together Award, 2023 Finalist ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended 2023 | ||||
8 | Moses Goes to a Concert | Isaac Millman | Isaac Millman | Square Fish, Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 2002 | 978-0-3744-5366-4 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-3 | 5-8 | Hearing | Deaf | music, musicians, deafness, ASL, field trips, careers | Moses and his fellow deaf students are off to a concert, where their teacher has two surprises that make this field trip a very special event. After they take their seats up front, the percussionist appears without any shoes—she is deaf and will feel the music through the floor. Once the concert is over, Moses and his classmates get to meet the percussionist, who uses ASL to sign the story of how she became a musician and lets the students play her instruments! Later that evening, Moses, who already enjoys playing his drums, tells his parents about the concert and his new enthusiasm for being a musician. Illustrations include inset boxes featuring signed comments and the ASL alphabet. Additional titles about Moses include Moses Goes to School, Moses Goes to the Circus, and Moses Sees a Play. | 40 pages | braille eBook talking book | English | -- | White, racial diversity among supporting characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/846512351 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/isaac-millman/moses-goes-to-a-concert/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780374350673 | "Moses Goes to a Concert" - ASL Translation | ||||
9 | The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game | Nancy Churnin | Jez Tuya | Albert Whitman | 2016 | 978-0-8075-9192-5 | Picture Book | Nonfiction | Biography | 1-4 | 6-9 | Hearing | Deaf | baseball, determination, ingenuity, deaf athlete, communication, discrimination | William Hoy’s dream was to play baseball. Deaf from age three due to meningitis and small in stature, Hoy worked hard at the game he loved. Though practice and determination did not earn him a spot on the Ohio State School for the Deaf baseball team, a chance foul ball and his powerful return throw got him invited to join his local team. From there, Hoy headed to the minor leagues in 1886 where he made mistakes because he couldn’t hear the umpire and got grief from his teammates and fans. Realizing that hand signals would help him, he convinced the umpire of the advantages of this communication, which benefited everyone and launched Hoy’s successful professional baseball career. | 32 pages | eBook | English Japanese Korean Spanish | eBook | William Hoy was nicknamed “Dummy” Hoy. In Hoy’s time, the word “dumb” often meant mute or silent and people who couldn’t hear or couldn’t speak were commonly called dummy. | White | https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/1264273596 | https://www.slj.com/review/the-william-hoy-story-how-a-deaf-baseball-player-changed-the-game | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780807591925 | Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, Selection, 2017 2017 Storytelling World Resource Award Honor Book New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2016 | The William Hoy Story in American Sign Language as told by Avonne Brooker-Rutowski and other video resources | ||
10 | Emma Every Day (series) | *C.L. Reid | Elena Aiello | Picture Window Books: Capstone | 2020 | 978-1-4846-7563-2 | Transitional Chapter Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-2 | 5-7 | Hearing | Deaf | friendship, deafness, ASL, cochlear implant, everyday experiences | Eight-year-old Emma loves swimming, writing, and biking. She also loves her pet goldfish and tacos. Though she has typical worries for her age, in general, Emma who is Deaf, uses a cochlear implant to help her hear, and communicates using sign language, loves her life! Every day is a new chance to have fun, and Emma tries to do just that. Titles in the Emma Every Day series includes an ASL fingerspelling chart, ASL fingerspelling in the text, a glossary, and content-related questions. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | White, unspecified race (brown skin) | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1137736382 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cl-reid/party-problems/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/Emma-Every-Day-Party-Problems-C-L-Reid/pid=9733915 | -- | ||||
11 | Deeplight | Frances Hardinge | Amulet: Abrams | 2020 | 978-1-4197-4320-7 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Fantasy | 8-12 | 13 and up | Hearing | Deaf | power, friendship, coercion, fear, deaf people, hearing signers, science, religion | Fourteen-year-old Hark and his manipulative best friend Jelt are on their own, getting by on swindling schemes, scavenging and selling relics of the Undersea gods. In the Myriad archipelago, where deafness is highly respected, Hark and Jelt are in competition with the elite “sea-kissed” divers who have lost their hearing to the ocean depths. Just as Hark is finding new opportunities for himself, Jelt drags him into a dangerous dive which nearly costs Jelt his life. In saving Jelt from drowning, Hark also rescues a relic—the still-beating heart of one of the old gods—that keeps Jelt alive but changes him and not for the better. With the help of the sea-kissed Selphin and an old priest, Hark wants to help his friend but must also do what’s right. | 432 pages | audiobook eBook | English Italian Spanish | drowning, slavery, ableism, toxic friendships, aquaphobia, body horror, medical experimentation, poverty | Varied skin tones | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1151768551 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frances-hardinge/deeplight/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781419743207 | Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice Award, 2023, Grades 9-12 USBBY Outstanding International Books, Grades 9-12 Selection, 2021 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Top 10 Selection, 2021 | |||||
12 | Feathers | Jaqueline Woodson | Nancy Paulsen Books: Penguin Random House | 2007 | 978-0-3992-3989-2 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Historical Fiction | 5-9 | 9-14 | Hearing | Deaf | racial segregation, Vietnam War, family, ableism, deafness, sign language, ASL, communication, religion, spiritual discovery, school | When a white student joins Frannie's all-Black sixth-grade classroom in 1971, he is promptly nicknamed “Jesus Boy” by the classroom bully Trevor because of his pale skin and long hair. Jesus Boy doesn’t retaliate, which intrigues Frannie, as does Jesus Boy’s knowledge of sign language, which Frannie uses with her older brother Sean who is Deaf. Despite his quiet demeanor, Jesus Boy’s presence sparks misunderstandings and rising tensions which lead Frannie and her friends to begin to explore their own identities as they seek to find their own places and own ways to have hope in the world. | 118 pages | audiobook braille eBook talking book | English French Swedish | a brief school fight | Black, white | https://search.worldcat.org/title/71210096 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jacqueline-woodson/feathers-6/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399239892 | 2008 Newbery Honor ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2008 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2008 | |||||
13 | The Words in My Hands | *Asphyxia | *Asphyxia | Annick Press | 2022 | 978-1-7732-1528-0 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Science Fiction | 8-12 | 13 and up | Hearing | Deaf | family, belonging, community, friendship, acceptance, coming-of-age, romance, communication, food insecurity, art, journaling, gardening, Auslan, sign language, deafness, Deaf culture, CODA, environmental collapse, political corruption, dystopia | Sixteen-year-old Piper shares her problems in her art journal: appearing “normal” like her hearing mother wants her to, navigating the increasing food and energy shortages in near-future Australia, and figuring out how to gain the independence she craves. When her mother loses her job with the bioengineered food giant Organicore, Piper begins to wonder if “wild” food is really as dangerous as she’s been led to believe. In her search for answers, she meets nineteen-year-old Marley, who can’t believe all Piper eats is “recon.” Marley introduces her to his mother, Robbie, who is a Deaf, self-sufficient gardener, and begins to teach Piper sign language. As she learns Auslan and becomes more connected to the Deaf community, her confidence grows. She joins the wild food movement, working with neighbors to covertly convert public space into a community garden, and encourages others to do the same through guerilla posters of her artwork and speaking out with sign language. | 384 pages | braille eBook talking book | English | Deaf interactions with the police, main character has a friend in an abusive relationship, some descriptions of sex, some strong language | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1372312508 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/asphyxia/the-words-in-my-hands/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781773215280 | Schneider Family Book Award, 2022 Winner | ||||
14 | You’re Welcome, Universe | Whitney Gardner | Alfred A. Knopf BFYR: Random House: PRH | 2017 | 978-0-3995-5141-3 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 9-12 | 14 and up | Hearing | Deaf | friendship, art, graffiti, deafness, identity, mainstreaming, same-sex parents, deaf parents, eating disorder | Expelled from the Kingston School for the Deaf, for a beautiful (albeit illegal) graffiti mural, Julia's two mothers send her to a "mainstream" school in the suburbs. To counter her feeling like an outcast as the only deaf student, sixteen-year-old Julia starts tagging in her new turf and soon becomes engaged in a full-blown graffiti war. Angry and wary of making friends, Julia finds her interpreter patronizing, teachers clueless, and bullies abound. And Julia trusts no one, even the girl Julia calls YP (Yoga Pants) who is making a real effort to be a friend. As she gives into YP’s overtures, she finds that having a real friend breaks down the barriers she’s kept up around herself for so long. And she finds that the graffiti artist altering and upstaging her work is none other than that friend. | 297 pages | braille eBook talking book | English | crime, strong language | Indian-American, white, lesbian | https://worldcat.org/title/991213722 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/whitney-gardner/youre-welcome-universe/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399551413 | Schneider Family Book Award, 2018 Winner Spring 2017 Kids’ Indies Next List, Best Teen Book New York Public Library Best Books for Teens 2017 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2017/03/03/review-youre-welcome-universe-by-whitney-gardner/ | ||||
15 | Left Out | Tim Green | HarperCollins | 2016 | 978-0-0622-9383-1 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Sports | 5-9 | 10 -14 | Hearing | Deaf, cochlear implant | school, bullying, football, cochlear implant, communication, speech problems, fitting in | Bigger and taller than any other seventh grader, Landon is hopeful that a spot on the football team will help others at his new school in Bronxville see past his deafness. But while a special helmet protects his cochlear implants, his communication needs on the field are more than his teammates are willing to deal with. Surprising Landon, star player Brett Bell steps up, choosing to get to know Landon and make an effort to keep Landon from being left out, even getting the whole Bell football family to offer support and secrets of the game. But ultimately it is all up to Landon to push past the bullies that would keep him on the bench for good. | 352 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | some verbal and physical bullying, cyberbullying, accidental intrusion on girls changing | White | https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/1004422296 | Georgia Jr. Tome It List, 2017-2018, for Grades 6-8 Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2019-2020, Grades 3-6 | https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2017/01/mmgm-left-out.html | ||||||
16 | Give Me a Sign | *Anna Sortino | G.P. Putnam's Sons: Penguin Random House | 2023 | 978-0-5935-3379-6 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Romance | 8-11 | 13 and up | Hearing | Deaf, hearing impairment, blind | friendship, coming-of-age, communication, belonging, identity, community, family, romance, ASL, deafness, hearing impairment, Deaf culture, blindness, summer camp, allyship | Seventeen-year-old Lilah, who wears hearing aids, returns to Gray Wolf, her beloved summer camp for the deaf and blind as a counselor, eager to improve her ASL and find her place in the community. Throughout the summer, as she meets and interacts with campers and fellow camp staff, she discovers there’s no one way to be Deaf. And while she didn’t expect to also find romance, her friendship with fellow Deaf counselor eighteen-year-old Isaac, grows into something that will last beyond the summer. | 320 pages | audiobook braille eBook large print talking book | English | gentle romance, profane language, underage drinking, police brutality, injury, ableism, verbal abuse, hearing person pretending they are deaf | White, Latinx, racial diversity among supporting characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1389557326 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anna-sortino/give-me-a-sign-sortino/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780593533796 | Give Me a Sign Readers Guide | |||||
17 | Mooncakes | *Suzanne Walker | Wendy Xu | Oni/Lion Forge | 2019 | 978-1-5493-0304-3 | Young Adult Graphic Novel | Fiction | Fantasy | 8 and up | 13-18 | Hearing | Hearing impairment | family, magic, witches, werewolves, gender nonconforming, romance, hearing impairment | Nova, a young witch who wears a hearing aid, lives with her two grandmothers and works at their bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. Tam is a nonbinary werewolf on the run from their stepdad. The two, who were childhood friends, reconnect and soon romance is in the air. | 257 pages | eBook | English French Spanish | mature language, some violence, gentle romance, kidnapping, captivity, witchcraft, once instance of accidental misgendering | Chinese American, queer, nonbinary, lesbian | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1263778758 | https://www.booklistonline.com/Mooncakes-Walker-Suzanne/pid=9725901 | https://www.slj.com/review/mooncakes | ALA 2020 Rainbow Book List, Commended | ||||
18 | Can Bears Ski? | *Raymond Antrobus | *Polly Dunbar | Candlewick | 2020 | 978-1-5362-1266-2 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 3-7 | Hearing | Hearing loss | audiologist, hard of hearing, hearing aids, lip-reading, hearing therapy, communication, deafness, father/child | Little Bear is puzzled as to why he keeps getting the question, “Can bears ski?” Though he feels like he’s missing something and doesn’t have an answer, he doesn’t worry too much about it. Then, one day, Dad Bear picks Little Bear up from school early and takes him to see an "aud-i-olo-gist," who does tests that show Little Bear is experiencing deafness. He starts hearing therapy, lip-reading classes, and gets hearing aids that make his world much louder than he likes sometimes. But Little Bear has Dad Bear to read to him and help him get used to things. And now he has an answer, “Bears can ski!” when asked “Can you hear me?” | 40 pages | audiobook braille eBook | English Chinese Korean | -- | Unspecified | https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/1141154969 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/raymond-antrobus/can-bears-ski/ | ||||||
19 | Listening to the Quiet | Cassie Silva | Frances Ives | Lantana Publishing Ltd | 2023 | 978-1-9152-4448-2 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-3 | 5-8 | Hearing | Hearing loss | rare condition, parent hearing loss, accessibility, communication, love, family, music, empathy, deafness | Jacki’s mom has a condition that is causing her to lose her hearing. Mama and Jacki are learning sign language to communicate with each other, but Jacki is worried about how they will share some of the things they both love—like music. When she realizes that Mama can feel vibrations coming from their speakers, she plans her presentation for music class to be one that Mama can enjoy, getting all her classmates to tap the rhythm and the beat while she signs the words for her mother. Inspired by the author’s own experience with her mother’s hearing loss. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | Unspecified race (brown skin) | https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/1396167173 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cassie-silva/listening-to-the-quiet/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/Listening-to-the-Quiet-Cassie-Silva/pid=9778455 | |||||
20 | Etta Invincible | Reese Eschmann | Aladdin: Simon & Schuster | 2022 | 978-1-5344-6837-5 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Fantasy | 4-8 | 9-13 | Hearing | Ménière’s disease; deafness | coming of age, friendship, magic, deafness, assistive devices, superheroes, grief, dogs, trains | Black 12-year-old Laureatte “Etta” Johnson loves drawing her own superheroine, Invincible Girl. But the comics fan doesn’t feel her protagonist’s bravery as she confronts the increasing hearing loss and vertigo that are symptoms of her “Big Maybe” diagnosis of Ménière’s disease. She finds courage though to help her new friend Eleazar when his dog disappears on a magical train that is linked to the very strange recent storms. The pair face riddles and nightmarish obstacles in each car as they search the train, drawing on inner strengths to overcome their fears to find solutions to their challenges and to heal. | 368 pages | eBook | English | past death of a parent | Black, Columbian, racial diversity among supporting characters | https://www.worldcat.org/title/1162987459 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/reese-eschmann/etta-invincible/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781534468375 | ||||||
21 | Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language | Joanna Que and *Charina Marquez | Fran Alvarez | Adarna House/Room to Read/Chronicle Books | 2023 | 978-1-7972-1332-3 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 3-7 | Hearing | Sign language use | friendship, neighbors, Filipino Sign Language, communication | Sam is curious when she observes her new neighbors communicating with their hands. After Sam meets her neighbor Mai, she starts to learn Filipino sign language so they can communicate and the new friends play outdoors, share their dreams, and learn from each other. Deafness is never mentioned explicitly within this story of the joys of friendship, but back matter includes more information about Filipino Sign Language and sign languages around the world. | 40 pages | audiobook eBook | Chinese English Filipino | -- | Filipino | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1346368489 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joanna-que/dancing-hands-que/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-7972-1332-3 | https://www.slj.com/review/dancing-hands-a-story-of-friendship-in-filipino-sign-language | ||||
22 | She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer | *Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander | Clarion Books | 2008 | 978-0-6188-5299-4 | Middle Grade Biography | Nonfiction | Biography | 4-8 | 9-12 | Hearing Vision | Deafblind | illness, family, teachers, education, communication, deafness, blindness, curiosity, fingerspelling, school for blind children, changing attitudes | She Touched the World details the life of Laura Bridgman, who at age two, lost her sight, her hearing, and most of her senses of smell and taste. In the mid-1800s, no one believed that Laura would ever be able to learn to communicate or lead a full life. Enter Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, a doctor and progressive educator, who saw great potential in Laura and brought her to Boston to the country’s first school for the blind. Here Laura learned to communicate, read, write and eventually teach, including teaching fingerspelling to Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller’s teacher. | 100 pages | braille eBook talking book | English | descriptions of illness and early 1800s medical treatments | White | https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/167506083 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sally-hobart-alexander/she-touched-the-world/ | https://muse.jhu.edu/article/236634 | 2009 Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children | |||||
23 | Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes | *Patty Cisneros Prevo | Dion MBD | Lee & Low Books | 2023 | 978-1-6437-9098-5 | Picture Book Biography | Nonfiction | Collective Biography | 2-5 | 7-10 | Hearing Vision Movement/Daily Activities | Retinitis pigmentosa, amputee, spina bifida, spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, paralysis, osteoarthritis, quadriplegic, transverse myelitis, osteogenesis imperfecta, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, transverse myelitis | aspirations, self-esteem, confidence, optimism, persistence, athletes, sports, sports history, ableism, disability justice | Two-time Paralympic gold medalist Patty Cisneros Prevo shares brief biographies of fifteen disabled athletes, highlighting their personal stories along with what each of them find to be a daily challenge and a daily joy in their lives. Among those featured are a dancer, gold and silver medalists, a basketball champion, a baseball champion, a World Cup cyclist, and a mountain climber. An author’s note discusses ableism and disability justice. | 40 pages | eBook talking book | English | -- | Racial diversity among subjects, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1354772237 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/patty-cisneros-prevo/tenacious/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781643790985 | California Eureka Book Award Honors, 2023 | ||||
24 | My Life with (series) | Mari Schuh | Isabel Muñoz | Amicus Illustrated | 2021 | My Life with ADHD (ISBN 9781681519913) My Life with Anxiety (ISBN 9781681528564) My Life with Autism (ISBN 9781681519920) My Life with Blindness (ISBN 9781681519890) My Life with Cerebral Palsy (ISBN 9781645494515) My Life with Deafness (ISBN 9781681519906) My Life with Down Syndrome (ISBN 9781681519937) My Life with Dyslexia (ISBN 9781681519944) My Life with Epilepsy (ISBN 9781681528984) My Life with Tourette Syndrome (ISBN 9781681528960) | Picture Book | Nonfiction | Narrative nonfiction | 1-5 | 6-10 | Hearing Vision Movement/Daily Activities Intellect/Cognition Mental health | ADHD, anxiety, autism, blindness (retinitis pigmentosa), deafness, Down syndrome, dyslexia, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Tourette syndrome | self-image, acceptance, limitations, accommodations, school, therapeutic support, how a person is more than their disability | Each book in this series is written from the first-person perspective of a real child who shares their real experiences about what it is like to have a disability and how they are not defined by their disability. The narrators of these titles explain their disability, share their interests and hobbies, talk about school and therapy, and about how they might do some things differently from other kids their age. The end of each book includes a photograph and brief biography of the child who was featured. Titles also include back matter with helpful terms and advice for interacting with a person with a disability. My Life with ADHD Annabelle has Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She has friends who have ADHD too and talks about the different types of ADHD and how people with ADHD do things differently than neurotypical people. My Life with Anxiety Skyler likes cheerleading, karate, and crafts. She also talks about what gives her anxiety and the strategies she uses to be brave. My Life with Autism Meet Zen, who has autism and shares what kinds of foods are his favorites, how he is good with computers, and why he likes science club. My Life with Blindness Learn about Kadence, a girl with limited vision who attends a school for the blind, where she gains skills that enable her to be independent and do things she loves, like bake cookies. My Life with Cerebral Palsy Charles has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair at school. He talks about the special desk he has for his computer and other equipment that helps him focus on learning. My Life with Deafness Danton shares some things he does differently than people who can hear and also how much he loves his dogs and playing football. My Life with Down Syndrome Peter, who has Down syndrome, shares information about his health problems, how much he appreciates his regular routine, and his love for his dog Sheldon. My Life with Dyslexia Scott likes coding and playing basketball. He also has dyslexia, and talks about how that affects him in and out of school because words are everywhere! My Life with Epilepsy Max likes riding his scooter and playing with his dog. He talks about how he sometimes misses school and always needs an adult with him in case he has a seizure. My Life with Tourette Syndrome Emma loves riding roller coasters and playing at the beach. She shares how she likes to keep moving as Tourette syndrome makes her very energetic and staying active helps reduce her tics. | 24 pages | eBook | English Spanish | -- | Racial diversity depicted in illustrations throughout the series | https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=se%3AMy%20life%20with.. | https://www.slj.com/story/physical-and-emotional-wellbeing-health-human-body-series-nonfiction | https://www.booklistonline.com/My-Life-with-Blindness-Schuh-Mari/pid=9744952 | dyslexia-friendly font | ||||
25 | Disability Visibility: Twenty-first Century Disabled Voices | *Alice Wong (Editor) | Vintage Books : Penguin Random House | 2020 | 978-1-9848-9942-2 | Young Adult Essay Collection | Nonfiction | Essays | 7 and up | 12 and up | Hearing Vision Movement/Daily Activities Intellect/Cognition Mental health | Blind, Deaf, Deafblind, cerebral palsy, Crouzon syndrome, multiple sclerosis, autism, bipolar disorder, spina bifida, fibromyalgia, dwarfism, myalgic encephalomyelitis | communication disorders, non-normative bodies, neurodivergence, disability rights movement, ableism, intersection of race, gender, and disability | This collection of first-person essays offers keen insight into the complex and rich disability experience, offering varied intersectional perspectives on ableism and inequality, life’s challenges and losses, and celebrating wisdom, passion, and joy. The book is divided into four sections: Being, Becoming, Doing, and Connecting and includes an introduction directed to teen readers with a section that speaks directly to young disabled people. | 309 pages | audiobook eBook | English | Each essay is prefaced with a content warning so readers know what to expect | Racial diversity among subjects, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1225147486 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alice-wong/disability-visibility/ | https://www.slj.com/review/disability-visibility-adapted-for-young-adults-17-firstperson-stories-for-today | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Contemporary Concerns Selection, 2022 SLJ Best Books of the Year, Selection, 2021 Tennessee Volunteer State Book Awards, 2022-2023 -- High School Division, Grades 9-12 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | ||||
26 | I Am Not a Label: 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes and Activists from Past and Present | *Cerrie Burnell | Lauren Baldo | Wide Eyed Editions: The Quarto Group | 2020 | 978-0-7112-6391-8 | Middle Grade Anthology | Nonfiction | Collective Biography | 4-7 | 9-12 | Hearing Vision Movement/Daily Activities Intellect/Cognition Mental health | Blind, diabetic retinopathy, Deafblind, cerebral palsy, assistive/mobility device: uses crutches or wheelchair, Down syndrome, spina bifida, depression, Crohn’s disease, amputee, autism, fibromyalgia, ALS, osteomalacia, osteogenesis imperfecta, psychosis, motor neuron disease, achondroplasia, bulimia, anxiety, limb differences, chronic fatigue syndrome, epilepsy, | perseverance, support, grace, resilience, empowerment, education, everyday life, achievement | This anthology features short biographies of 34 people with disabilities—both visible and invisible—who have made an impact on the world. These stories of notable historical figures like Beethoven and Abraham Lincoln to modern day cultural marvels like Lady Gaga and Peter Dinklage to a host of athletes, artists, innovators, and activists who are leaders in their fields, offer a look at how unique challenges do not limit dreams or achieving great things. Back matter includes and extensive glossary and index. | 64 pages | audiobook braille eBook | English | assault, self-harm | Racial diversity among subjects, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1281610611 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cerrie-burnell/i-am-not-a-label/ | https://www.slj.com/review/i-am-not-a-label-34-artists-thinkers-athletes-and-activists-with-disabilities-from-past-and-present | Eureka Book Award Honors, 2020, California Magnolia Award, 2023 for Grades 6-8, Mississippi | ||||
27 | Focused | *Alyson Gerber | Scholastic | 2019 | 978-1-3381-8597-3 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-12 | Intellect/Cognition | ADHD | ADHD, ADHD testing and diagnosis, speech impediment, accommodations, self-esteem, friendship, family, coming-of-age, chess, divorce, crushes, middle school | School has been really hard for seventh grader Clea Adams lately. Even though she’s highly motivated to keep her grades up in order to stay on the chess team, she’s getting assignments wrong, not keeping up with her homework, and not able to finish tests. She feels stupid and distracted, even having trouble focusing on her friendship with Red, who needs her support right now as he deals with his feelings about his father’s remarriage. Concerned teachers suggest that Clea get tested for ADHD and though Clea is resistant, she eventually agrees. Once diagnosed and given medication, new strategies, and new accommodations at school, Clea hopes that she can better control the impulses and emotions that have jeopardized her relationship with Red. Clea persists in improving her life and well-being and learns to advocate for herself with her family, friends, and teachers, even making some new friends along the way. | 304 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | English | bullying, consensual kiss | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1034561790 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alyson-gerber/focused/ | https://www.slj.com/review/focused | New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Awards, 2022 -- Fiction Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Awards, 2021 - Intermediate, for Grades 6-8 Rhode Island Middle School Book Award, 2021, for Grades 6-8 | |||||
28 | Honestly Elliott | Gillian McDunn | Marguerite Dabaie (not listed on cover) | Bloomsbury | 2022 | 978-1-5476-0625-2 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-11 | Intellect/Cognition | ADHD | ADHD, executive dysfunction, resistance to change, celiac disease, middle school, friendship, therapy, cooking, self-worth, father/son relationship, divorce, stepmother | Sixth grade has not been going so well for Elliott, who has ADHD. His best friend Malcolm has moved, his dad and stepmom Kate are about to have a baby, and keeping track of schoolwork is harder than ever with switching classes during the day. Elliott feels most comfortable in the kitchen and loves to experiment and create new dishes. He’s saved up his money for a culinary camp this summer, but his dad, who doesn’t understand Elliott’s passion for cooking, thinks the more responsible thing to do is to use the money to pay him back for the “Incident,” a window that Elliott broke out of feelings he couldn’t name or control when he learned he was going to be a big brother. Determined to do both, Elliott sees his chance when he pairs up with the equally determined Maribel for a school project that gives them both a chance to earn some money and finally be seen for who they are. | 288 pages | audiobook braille eBook talking book | English | parental failure/struggle to acknowledge/accept challenges | White, Latina, ethnic diversity among secondary characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1260689435 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gillian-mcdunn/honestly-elliott/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781547606252 | Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2023 Delaware Diamonds Award, 2023-2024, Grades 3-5 Sunshine State (FL) Young Readers Award, 2023-2024, Elementary School, Grades 3-5 Georgia Children's Book Award, 2024, for Grades 4-8 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2023-2024, Grades 3-5 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, 2023-2024, Grades 4-8 | ||||
29 | My Whirling, Twirling Motor | Merriam Sarcia Saunders | Tammie Lyon | Magination Press : American Psychological Association | 2019 | 978-1-4338-2936-9 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-3 | 4-8 | Intellect/Cognition | ADHD | ADHD, hyperactivity, hyperfocus, distraction, behavior challenges, focusing on the positive, compassion | Charlie feels like he has a whirling, twirling motor inside him. This motor is the reason many things go wrong for Charlie, like when he forgets his lunch and homework or gets distracted in class or accidentally hits someone with a ball. His motor makes it hard to go to bed too, and when Charlie’s mom wants to talk to him when she tucks him in, he’s worried that she’s upset about all the things he did that day because of his motor. But instead, Charlie’s mom has a long “wonderful list” to go over the many things that Charlie did that day that made her proud of him. Back matter includes a note to parents, caregivers, and teachers with suggestions and tips on behavior management and helping children focus on the positives. | 32 pages | eBook | Chinese English | -- | White, racial diversity among background characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1050144028 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/merriam-sarcia-saunders/my-whirling-twirling-motor/ | https://www.slj.com/review/my-whirling-twirling-motor | -- | ||||
30 | A Friend for Henry | Jenn Bailey | Mika Song | Chronicle Books | 2019 | 978-1-4521-6791-6 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 4-7 | Intellect/Cognition | ASD | school, friendship, decoding social situations, playing, compatibility | Henry, who is on the autism spectrum, would like to find a friend. At school, Henry is frustrated in his search for friendship, especially when his literal-minded interpretations clash with classmates’ ideas. He doesn’t understand why Vivienne doesn’t like the rainbows he painted on her shoes even though she loves her rainbow nail polish. Or why Samuel insists that the carpet squares for reading time are magic carpets when they are clearly not. Other potential friends don’t seem to follow the rules that Henry thinks a friend would. But he finds that Katie, even though she likes the “Big Slide”, shares his interest in Gilly, the classroom goldfish. Bonding over building a block tower, Henry finds that though she might not share all his likes and dislikes, Katie respects his. | 36 pages | eBook | English | meltdown | Asian American, Black, varied skin tones in secondary characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1350488000 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jenn-bailey/a-friend-for-henry/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781452167916 | Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2020 Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award, 2021-2022 Capitol Choices, 2020 | ||||
31 | Benji, the Bad Day and Me | *Sally J. Pla | Ken Min | Lee & Low Books | 2018 | 978-1-6201-4345-2 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 4-7 | Intellect/Cognition | ASD | neurodiversity, ASD, family, brothers, bad days, jealousy, feeling invisible, love, empathy | When Sammy comes home from school wet and grumpy, his bad day doesn’t get any better because his autistic younger brother Benji is also having a bad day and his mom is busy. This means Sammy won’t get any attention, which makes him feel even worse. But when Benji brings over his big blue blanket and wraps Sammy up like a burrito, Sammy knows that everything will be okay. | 32 pages | braille eBook | English Spanish | -- | Unspecified race (brown skin and dark hair) | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1025362030 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sally-j-pla/benji-the-bad-day-and-me/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781620143452 | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2019 Delaware Diamonds Award, 2019-2020, Grades K-2 | ||||
32 | Benny Doesn’t Like To Be Hugged | Zetta Elliott | Purple Wong | Rosetta Press | 2017 | 978-1-5481-8489-6 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 4-7 | Intellect/Cognition | ASD | friendship, preferences, sensory processing, personality traits, thoughtfulness | In rhyming verse, a young girl describes her best friend Benny, who is autistic. According to his friend, Benny likes trains, seedless grapes, and playing with the quiet kids. He doesn’t like hugs, but he does like cupcakes without sprinkles and wrinkle-free clothing. She shares that he knows a lot about stars, but sometimes gets upset when things get too loud. But the girl likes Benny just the way he is and is happy that he is her friend. | 42 pages | -- | English | -- | Black, varied skin tones in secondary characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1007770371 | https://www.slj.com/review/benny-doesnt-like-to-be-hugged | -- | American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL): Lists of Best Books, Picture Book Selection, 2017 | Benny Doesn't Like to be Hugged Miami Children's Museum Bi-lingual Story Time for Kids video | |||
33 | Ways to Play | *Lyn Miller-Lachmann | *Gabriel Alborozo | Levine Querido | 2023 | 978-1-6461-4259-0 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 4-7 | Intellect/Cognition | ASD | neurodiversity, play, social situations, common ground, interests, fun, cousins, dogs | When Riley’s cousins Emma and Violet come over to play, he doesn’t care for the noise they make or the way they flit from toy to toy. Riley would prefer to quietly play at just one thing. But Emma, who is older and a bit bossy, tells Riley his way of playing is wrong. She even disagrees with the way he colors, making pretty swirls with extra sharp crayons. Riley decides to get some help from his dog Charlie to show his cousins that there are many ways to play. When what Emma thinks is a game of fetch turns into a fun chase around the yard, Riley is able to point out that everyone’s way can be the right way to play. An author’s note shares what play was like for her as an undiagnosed autistic child. | 32 pages | audiobook eBook | English | -- | Light skin tones | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1392341661 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lynn-miller-lachman/ways-to-play/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781646142590 | -- | ||||
34 | Penguin Days | Sara Leach | Rebecca Bende | Pajama Press | 2019 | 978-1-7727-8053-6 | Transitional Chapter Book | Fiction | Realistic | 1-4 | 6-9 | Intellect/Cognition | ASD | car trip, wedding, new situations, family, love, acceptance, friendship, autism spectrum disorder, misunderstandings, frustration, communication | There’s a wedding taking place at Auntie Joss’ North Dakota farm and eight-year-old Lauren, who has autism spectrum disorder, is going to be a flower girl—which she is finding to be a lot to deal with. Between her high-spirited cousins, a scratchy dress, a mishap with a cow, and a confusing rehearsal, Lauren may just “flip her lid.” Instead, she finds understanding and friendship in her extended family. | 104 pages | eBook | English | father jokes that Lauren's teacher deserves a break after having her for a student, lack of support in a new environment | White, unspecified biracial | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1077249371 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sara-leach/penguin-days/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/Penguin-Days-Rebecca-Bender/pid=9711254 | Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, Selection, 2020 | ||||
35 | Tornado Brain | Cat Patrick | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers | 2020 | 978-1-9848-1531-6 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Mystery | 5-8 | 10-13 | Intellect/Cognition | Attention deficit disorder, Asperger syndrome, sensory processing disorder | attention-deficit and sensory-processing disorders, Asperger syndrome, family, twins, friendship, growing apart, communication, coming-of-age, anger, hope, fear, loss, death | Thirteen-year-old Frankie (short for Frances) is neurodivergent and finds it hard to make and have friends. She had been best friends with Colette since kindergarten, but things are different in middle school and Frankie believes Colette betrayed her. When Colette goes missing, it turns out that Frankie is one of the last people who saw her—along with Frankie’s twin sister Tess, who Frankie also believes betrayed her. Even though she’s still hurt, Frankie, with help from Tess, figures out that Colette is playing their old “dare-or-scare” game. When Frankie realizes that Colette is doing the biggest dare, she and Tess tell the police everything they suspect, but it is ultimately too late to save Colette. | 304 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | missing person, death, references to kissing | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1113221535 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cat-patrick/tornado-brain/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/Tornado-Brain-Patrick-Cat/pid=9732514 | ||||||
36 | A Boy Called Bat | Elana K. Arnold | Charles Santoso | Walden Pond Press : HarperCollinsPublishers | 2017 | 978-0-0624-4582-7 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 2-5 | 7-10 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | friendship, social cues, misunderstandings, animals, skunks, kindness, veterinarian, divorced parents | Bat is what almost everyone calls third-grader Bixby Alexander Tam. Those are his initials. But like a bat, he also has sensitive hearing and sometimes when he’s excited or nervous, he flaps his hands. Bat doesn’t mind his nickname. He loves animals, and wants to be a veterinarian like his mom. When she brings home an orphaned baby skunk which needs care, Bat immediately bonds to the tiny kit. The skunk is only supposed to stay for a month until the wild animal rescue center can take him in, but Bat is determined to convince his mom that he is capable of caring for him. | 198 pages | audiobook braille eBook large print talking book | English Spanish | eBook | animal death, ableism, derogatory language (dumb, stupid) | multiracial Asian, White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/990366801 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elana-k-arnold/a-boy-called-bat/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062445827 | Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award, 2020, for Grades 2-4 Delaware Blue Hen Book Award, 2021 -- Middle Readers Hawaii Nēnē Award, 2019, 2020, 2021 for Grades 4-6 Illinois Bluestem Award, 2020, for Grades 3-5 Young Hoosier Book Award, 2020-2021, for Grades 4-6 Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2019-2020, Grades 3-6 Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2020, Grades 3-5 Maine Student Book Award, 2018-2019 Massachusetts Children's Book Award, 2018-2019, Grades 4-6 Nevada Young Readers' Award, 2021 -- Young Reader Division for Grades 3-5 North Carolina Children's Book Award, 2020 - Junior Books for Grades 2-5 Ohio Buckeye Children's Book Award, 2019, Grades 3-5 Rhode Island Children's Book Award, 2019, for Grades 3-5 South Dakota Prairie Bloom Award, 2019-2020, Grades 2-3 Virginia Readers' Choice, 2018-2019, Elementary, Grades 3-5 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2017/10/20/review-a-boy-called-bat-by-elana-k-arnold/ | ||
37 | A Kind of Spark | *Elle McNicoll | Crown Books | 2021 | 978-0-5933-7425-2 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, school, teachers, bullying, family, sisters, witches, 16th century Scottish witch trials, friendship, civic engagement, being true to yourself | Autistic eleven-year-old Addie is not happy that her teacher this year is Ms. Murphy, who also taught—and bullied—her older autistic sister Keedie. In Ms. Murphy’s class, Addie learns about—and is horrified by—the witch trials and executions that took place in her Scottish village. Concerned that the women who were put on trial were neurodiverse like her, Addie campaigns for the village to erect a memorial to the women, making a new friend along the way. | 179 pages | braille audiobook eBook talking book | Chinese Dutch English French German Hebrew Italian Japanese Lithuanian Polish Spanish Swedish Turkish | audiobook eBook | torture of women accused of witchcraft, bullying, name calling | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1273556124 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elle-mcnicoll/a-kind-of-spark/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780593374252 | Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2022 Charlotte Huck Award, Commended, 2022 Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2024, Grades 3-5 Massachusetts Children's Book Award, 2023-2024, Grades 4-6 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Awards, 2023 - Children's, for Grades 3-5 Rhode Island Middle School Book Award, 2024, for Grades 6-8 Washington Sasquatch Reading Award, 2024, Grades 3-6 | ||||
38 | All the Small Wonderful Things | *Kate Foster | Candlewick | 2023 | 978-1-5362-2580-8 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 3-6 | 8-11 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, friendship, family, acceptance, dealing with change, human-animal relationship, dogs, drawing | Alex, who is an autistic eleven-year-old boy, is on a quest to make a friend before he starts middle school. But so far, trying to impress his classmate Jared with his OrbsWorld playing or running his fastest isn’t working so well. Alex sets his sights on winning a trophy with his cockapoo Kevin in the PAWS Dog Show and becomes so focused, he doesn’t realize he is making friends with Derek, who just moved to his street and is also entering PAWS, or with Angel, his classmate who, like his art teacher Ms. Frisp, is super supportive of Alex’s artistic endeavors. When it is time for trophies to be awarded at PAWS, Derek and his dog win, but so does Alex, who receives a new special award and learns that his best drawing of Kevin, entered by Ms. Frisp in the PAWS art contest, will be the PAWS logo next year. | 240 pages | audiobook eBook | English | bullying | Unspecified race (brown skin) | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1362500385 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kate-foster/all-the-small-wonderful-things/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/All-the-Small-Wonderful-Things/pid=9776924 | -- | |||||
39 | Can You See Me? | *Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott | Scholastic | 2020 | 978-1-3386-0891-5 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, sensory-processing issues, new experiences, feeling overwhelmed, worries, sisters, family, coping strategies, masking, middle school, melt downs, secrets, fitting in | As summer ends, eleven-year-old Tally Adams is anxious about starting sixth grade. Tally is autistic, but other than her parents and her older sister Nell, no one else knows except for her best friend Layla. Tally keeps a diary to record her stress and anxiety levels about what’s happening along with “Tally’s Autism Facts,” her explanations of autism, which she hopes to share one day with her family so that they will understand autism as an experience. When Layla and their friends Lucy and Ayesha start acting differently than they did last school year, Tally tries to act “normal” at school and feigns interest in makeup and their conversations about boys. But she can’t seem to fit in and one boy, Luke, is always taunting her and calling her “weirdo.” The situation is exhausting for Tally which leads to frequent melts down at home. When Layla, Lucy, and Ayesha steal the tiger mask she sometimes wears so she doesn’t have to make eye contact and gives it to Luke, Tally feels completely friendless and spirals out of control when she gets home. She refuses to go to back to school but before her parents can get to the bottom of the problem, her father is rushed to the hospital with appendicitis. A week later, Layla, Lucy, and Ayesha come to apologize to Tally and to share that they all know—as does their entire class—that she is autistic. While Tally tells Layla it wasn’t her place to let everyone know, Tally does feel relieved that she can finally be herself. | 368 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English French Hungarian Spanish | eBook | ableism, bullying | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1102795269 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/libby-scott/can-you-see-me-scott/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781338608915 | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2021 | ||||
40 | Get a Grip Vivy Cohen | *Sarah Kapit | Dial Books for Young Readers | 2020 | 978-0-5255-5418-9 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Sports | 4-8 | 9-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | epistolary format, letter writing, baseball, autism, neurodiversity, family, overprotective mother, friendship, sportsmanship, teammates, Jewish culture, hero worship | Eleven-year-old Vivy Cohen wants nothing more than to pitch her knuckleball for a team. But first she has to convince her mother, who is worried that something will happen to her autistic daughter. Vivy shares her efforts to become part of the Flying Squirrels and be accepted by her teammates through letters and email with her baseball hero, major-league pitcher VJ Capello, who offers advice Vivy can use both on and off the field. | 326 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | English | bullying, name calling, discrimination, microaggressions, internalized ableism, injury (concussion) | White, Jewish, Black, Latino, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1099546956 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-kapit/get-a-grip-vivy-cohen/ | https://www.slj.com/review/get-a-grip-vivy-cohen | Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2021 Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award, 2024, Intermediate List, for Grades 4-6 Garden State (NJ) Children's Book Award, 2023 -- Fiction Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award, 2021-2022, Grades 3-6 | Educator's Guide | ||||
41 | Planet Earth Is Blue | *Nicole Panteleakos | NA | Wendy Lamb : Penguin Random House | 2019 | 978-0-5256-4657-0 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-8 | 9-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | nonverbal, communication, advocate, special education, sisters, foster care, mental illness, Challenger shuttle launch, love, loss, hope, historical fiction (1986) | Living at Billy and Francine’s house is the first time autistic twelve-year-old Nova has been in a foster home without her big sister Bridget. Nova misses Bridget. She’s the only one who knows that even though she doesn't speak, Nova is smart. Nova is counting down the days that Bridget will come, since she promised they would watch the launch of the space shuttle Challenger together. When Bridget isn’t there to watch, and Nova sees the Challenger explode, she realizes that Bridget is really gone too, having died in a car accident while trying to run away with Nova. | 240 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | Dutch English Japanese Persian | eBook | ableism, dismissive social worker, car crash resulting in injury and death, mental illness, death of mother, death of sister, space shuttle explosion | White, Black, biracial | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1124917833 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nicole-panteleakos/planet-earth-is-blue/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780525646570 | Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, Winner, 2022 Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award, 2022, Intermediate List, for Grades 4-6 Sunshine State (FL) Young Readers Award, 2020-2021, Elementary School, Grades 3-5 Georgia Children's Book Award, 2020-2021, for Grades 4-8 Kansas William Allen White Award, 2021-2022, Grades 6-8 Michigan YouPer Award, 2014-2023, for ages 13-18 New Hampshire Great Stone Face Book Award, 2020-2021, Grades 4-6 Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award, 2021-2022, Grades 6-8 South Dakota Prairie Pasque Award, 2021-2022, Grades 4-5 Virginia Readers' Choice, 2021-2022, Middle School, Grades 6-8 Charlotte Huck Award, Commended, 2020 | |||
42 | Dear Mothman | *Robin Gow | Rebecca Harry | Amulet : Abrams | 2023 | 978-1-4197-6440-0 | Middle Grade Novel in Verse | Fiction | Magical Realism | 5-9 | 10-14 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, grief, friendship, family, gender identity, alienation, loneliness, self-discovery, acceptance, fear, coming-of-age, middle school, communication, supernatural, cryptids | Noah, an autistic sixth grader, is missing his best friend Lewis who was recently killed in a car accident. The only transgender boys at school, Noah and Lewis had a special relationship, sharing all kinds of secrets, hopes, and beliefs—including believing in the existence of Mothman. As Noah works through the loss of the one person who understood him, he pours out his anxieties and fears in letters he writes to Mothman. He also works to honor Lewis by going forward with Lewis’s idea for a science project that proves the existence of Lewis's favorite cryptid. Noah risks everything—even the new friendships he’s building—and heads into the woods hoping to find Mothman and the acceptance he wants for them both. | 320 pages | audiobook eBook | English | death, missing children, misgendering, bullying, being outed | White, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1338833226 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/robin-gow/dear-mothman/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781419764400 | SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2010 - 2023, Selection, 2023 Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Meadowlark (Novel), 2024-2025, Grades 6-8 | ||||
43 | Moonwalking | Zetta Elliott and *Lyn Miller-Lachmann | David Cooper | Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers : Macmillan Publishing Group | 2022 | 978-0-3743-1437-8 | Middle Grade Novel in Verse | Fiction | Historical Fiction | 5 and up | 10-14 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | neurodiversity, class, friendship, music, art, graffiti, mental health, prejudice, racism, parent mental illness, family, responsibility | In this verse novel told in alternating voices set in 1980s Brooklyn, new Polish American middle school student JJ Pankowski, an autistic punk rock lover, befriends Pie Velez, an Afro-Latinx math geek and graffiti artist. Since JJ’s father hasn’t been able to get a job after taking part in the air traffic controllers strike, things are even more tense at home for JJ, especially now that he and his family are living with his grandmother. Pie, who takes care of his mentally ill mother and his younger half sister, has to navigate his neighborhood of drug users and deal with his sister’s abusive father. As JJ and Pie share their artistic passions with each other, it helps them both get through some of the challenges at home and school. But a confrontation with the police reveals the differences in their situations and threatens their friendship. | 244 pages | audiobook eBook | English | bullying, mental illness, police encounter, racism, abuse, physical and emotional violence, discussion of drug overdose | Puerto Rican/Congolese, Polish American, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1237252575 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/zetta-elliott/moonwalking/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780374314378 | Notable Books for a Global Society, Selection, 2023 Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, Selection, 2022 NEA's Read Across America Recommended Read 2023-24 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | |||
44 | A Day with No Words | *Tiffany Hammond | Kate Cosgrove | Wheat Penny Press | 2023 | 978-1-7369-4979-5 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-3 | 4-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | nonspeaking communication, AAC device (tablet), autism, sensory joy, mother/child relationship | Follow an autistic boy and his mother as they go through their day, first to the park and then to get something to eat. They use a tablet to communicate with others and each other. At the park, the boy jumps and flaps, and attracts attention from other mothers and children, one of whom sneers, “That boy is handicapped.” Using her tablet, Mama lets them know, “My son does not speak, but his ears work just fine. The words that you say go straight to his mind.” Mama encourages him to spin barefoot in the grass, which feels soft from the recent rain. When he’s tired, they go to restaurant and the boy knows exactly what he wants. | 48 pages | eBook | English | ableism, prejudice | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1377728532 | https://www.booklistonline.com/A-Day-with-No-Words-Kate-Cosgrove/pid=9775527 | https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/25/books/review/a-day-with-no-words-tiffany-hammond.html | Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, Selection, 2023 | ||||
45 | My Rainbow | Trinity Neal and *DeShanna Neal | Art Twink | Kokila : Penguin Random House | 2020 | 978-1-9848-1460-9 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-3 | 5-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, gender diversity, family, self-expression, empowerment, love, respect | When playing with her doll one day, Trinity, who is autistic, tells her mom that she needs to have long hair because she is a transgender girl. Trinity’s mom listens and she and Trinity’s sibling Lucien head to the wig store to find something perfect to help Trinity express her true self. They gather supplies and Trinity’s mom stays up late to make a rainbow wig that Trinity loves and is as vibrant as she is. Based on the lived experience of the authors. | 32 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | -- | Black, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1137811799 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/trinity-neal/my-rainbow/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781984814609 | Rainbow List: Top Ten LGBTQ Books for Children and Teens, Commended, 2021 | My Rainbow - Read Aloud With The Authors | Brightly Storytime | |||
46 | The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin | Julia Finley Mosca | Daniel Rieley | Innovation Press | 2017 | 978-1-9431-4730-4 | Picture Book | Nonfiction | Biography | 1-4 | 6-9 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, passion, education, communication, speech therapy, animal science, farms, advocate | This picture book biography in rhyming verse celebrates Dr. Temple Grandin, born Mary Temple Grandin in Boston in 1947. As a young girl she loved to spin, didn’t like hugs, or loud noises, and even at age three, had yet to start speaking. She was misdiagnosed with brain damage and her mother was advised to “send her away.” Her mother instead advocated for her, getting her speech therapy and other services. At school, Temple was frustrated with her classmates who frequently taunted her. After she was kicked out of school for throwing a book at a student, Temple went to live with relatives out west on their ranch. This sparked her passion for animals and science, and at her new school, she began to follow that passion and got the support she needed to be successful. Temple went on to earn three college degrees and is a renowned animal scientist and a speaker on autism and animal behavior. | 40 pages | braille eBook talking book | Chinese English German Korean Portuguese Turkish | eBook | bullying, getting kicked out of school | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1223098175 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/julia-finley-mosca/the-girl-who-thought-in-pictures/ | https://www.slj.com/review/the-girl-who-thought-in-pictures-the-story-of-dr-temple-grandin | Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, Winner, 2018 NSTA Best STEM Books, Selection, 2018 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, Commended, 2018 Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award, 2020 -- Non-fiction category Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2018-2019, Picture Book Category, Grades K-3 | |||
47 | Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic | *Michael McCreary | None | Annick Press | 2019 | 978-1-7732-1257-9 | Young Adult Memoir | Nonfiction | Memoir | 7-12 | 12 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | ASD, aspie, autism, performing, comedy, coping, community, school, friendships, stereotypes, bullies, fixations, family, girlfriends, misconceptions, stimming | After several psychological assessments, Michael McCreary was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was five. His younger brother Matthew had been previously diagnosed, but they were “as far apart on the autism spectrum as it’s possible to be.” Michael starts his humor-filled memoir at this point, offering stories about moments in his life where he learned something about himself or how others view him all while offering answers to the question, “what is autism?” in factual asides. He shares his sensory issues, fixations, passions, and quirks, including his early love of performing which led to some acting roles and performing stand-up. And he offers advice gained from both his successes and embarrassments about navigating school, friendships, relationships with girls, and becoming independent. An epilogue talks about the death of his brother. | 176 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | bullying, insensitive behavior, death | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1049789881 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/michael-mccreary/funny-you-dont-look-autistic/ | https://www.slj.com/review/funny-you-dont-look-autistic-a-comedians-guide-to-life-on-the-spectrum | Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award, 2021 -- Tween Nonfiction category Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice: Snow Willow Award, 2020, Grades 7-9 | ||||
48 | On the Edge of Gone | *Corinne Duyvis | Amulet Books : Abrams | 2016 | 978-1-4197-1903-5 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Science Fiction | 8 and up | 13 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, apocalypse, survival, space colonies, family, proving yourself, self-worth, humanity, hope | Sixteen-year-old, autistic Denise Lichtveld and her drug-addicted mother waited for Iris, Denise’s transgender older sister, so they could leave together for their assigned shelter for riding out the impact of an approaching comet. As they head for safety when Iris doesn’t appear, they encounter Denise’s former teacher and her injured wife who need help getting not to a shelter, but to the last self-sustaining generation ship on the planet. Denise and her mother are able to take refuge in the ship during the initial impact but are not welcome to join the colony for their journey. Denise, determined to earn spots for herself and her family, works to prove herself, and must decide what she’s willing to do in order to survive. | 456 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | Dutch English Spanish Turkish | ableism, apocalyptic destruction, injury, death, addiction, drug abuse, exploitation by mother of autistic child, confinement, gore, self-harm, panic attack | Biracial Dutch/Surinamese; racial diversity among supporting characters, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/921864053 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/corinne-duyvis/on-the-edge-of-gone/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781419719035 | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2017 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Selection, 2017 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/03/24/review-on-the-edge-of-gone-by-corinne-duyvis/ | ||||
49 | The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester | *Maya MacGregor | Astra Young Readers | 2022 | 978-1-6359-2359-9 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Mystery | 8 and up | 13 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | autism, gender identity, hate crime, trauma, healing, adoption, chosen family, high school, friendship, romance, grief, queer joy | Approaching their nineteenth birthday, autistic, nonbinary Sam Sylvester and their adoptive father Junius, move from Montana to Astoria, Oregon for a fresh start after Sam is nearly killed in a violent hate crime. Their new house is the former home of Billy Clement, a teen who died of anaphylaxis thirty years ago. Sam feels a connection to Billy and to other teens whose lives ended too soon. When Sam finds community at their new school in a student group for LGBTQ+ and allies, they also find others who are interested in finding out how Billy died, including Shep, who Sam soon sees as more than a friend. But someone is determined to keep Sam and their friends from digging into the past. As Sam gets closer to the truth, Junius is nearly killed and Sam must again fight for their own life. | 360 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English Polish | hate crime, homophobia, misgendering, racism, attempted murder, murder, anaphylaxis, death, PTSD, anxiety, toxic friendship | White, Latina, Black, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1286675764 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/maya-macgregor/the-many-half-lived-lives-of-sam-sylvester/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781635923599 | Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, Finalist, 2023 ALA Rainbow List: Top Ten LGBTQ Books for Children and Teens, Commended, 2023 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, Finalist, 2022 | |||||
50 | Unseelie | *Ivelisse Housman | Inkyard Press | 2023 | 978-1-3354-2859-2 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Fantasy | 8 and up | 13 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Autism | neurodiversity, acceptance, self-acceptance, self-doubt, reflection, responsibility, sisters, twins, power, revenge, quest, treasure, magic, faeries | Teenage twins Isolde and Iselia "Seelie" Graygrove have been on their own for the past three years. They left their home and parents when Seelie, who believes she is a changeling (and presents as neurodivergent), lost control of her magic and caused a deadly accident. Isolde, who has been picking pockets to keep them afloat on the run, has the idea to rob the manor of the extremely wealthy and powerful shapeshifter Leira Wildfall during the chaos of Revelnox. But their burglary attempt is bungled by two others who have the same idea: Raze, a relative of Leira’s, and Olani, who was once in Leira’s employ. They all argue over their find—a compass which contains a trapped faerie, who makes a connection with Seelie and offers to be a guide to Mortal’s Keep and the Wildline legacy. The twins escape the manor but are soon cornered again by Raze and Olani. The four form an uneasy alliance, and as Seelie works with Raze to learn to control her magic, they make their way through faerie realms to Mortal’s Keep with Leira in hot pursuit. An author’s note discusses the theory that the changeling myth developed to describe autistic children. | 432 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | ableism, mentions of child abuse, self-harm for magical purposes, violence/blood, mild body horror, fighting, murder, knife violence, captivity | cued Latina, Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1350382270 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ivelisse-housman/unseelie/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781335428592 | -- | |||||
51 | The Luis Ortega Survival Club | *Sonora Reyes | Balzer + Bray: HarperCollins | 2023 | 978-0-0630-6030-2 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 9-12 | 14-18 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism Selective mutism | autism, selective mutism, consent, rape, trauma, survival, family dysfunction, friendship, trust, communication, revenge, social media | Sixteen-year-old Ari (Ariana) Ruiz is selectively mute. As her parents don’t believe in psychiatrists, she’s diagnosed herself as autistic with selective mutism. Since she doesn’t talk and is rarely noticed at school, she’s pleased when popular, athletic Luis Ortega pays attention to her. This attention turns into going to a party where they have sex that Ari “hated every second of” and never consented to. Ari asks Luis to please not tell anyone what they did, but boys are soon approaching Ari and harassing her. Ari’s not sure of what to make of the “me too” note left in her locker, but she checks out the tlosc Tumblr from the note and is soon connected to others who have been preyed upon by Luis, including Luis's ex-girlfriend, Shawni. As the members of the Luis Ortega Survival Club seek retribution, new friendships are born, and Ari begins exploring her sexual identity, ultimately finding love with Shawni. While some of their attempts fail, ultimately the harm and abuse Luis has inflicted on many is exposed by the Club and he is brought to justice. | 320 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | ableism, bullying, slut shaming, sexual harassment, rape culture, aftermath of rape, swearing | Latinx, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1345215500 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sonora-reyes/the-luis-ortega-survival-club/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063060302 | -- | |||||
52 | This Beach is Loud! | *Samantha Cotterill | *Samantha Cotterill | Dial Books | 2019 | 978-0-5255-5345-8 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 3-7 | Intellect/Cognition | Autism Sensory processing disorder | autism, sensory-processing issues, new experiences, feeling overwhelmed, worries, father/son relationship, coping strategies, beach | A little boy and his father have been planning a trip to the beach. The boy is excited for this big day, getting ready to go before his father even wakes up. His enthusiasm for what’s to come continues during the drive to the beach. But upon arrival, the beach is not exactly what the boy was expecting. It is crowded with people and busy and loud. And sand is everywhere—in the boy’s boots, bathing suit, and even on his toy Sharkie. It is all too much, and the boy wants to go home. His father helps him breathe and count and puts up a sun tent fort so the boy can have a quiet space. Soon the boy is watching his father build a sandcastle and joins in, which leads to more exploration of the beach. On the drive home, the boy’s enthusiasm for the beach is back and he’s eager to know when they can return. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | Light brown skin | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1054834616 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/samantha-cotterill/this-beach-is-loud/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780525553458 | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2020 | ||||
53 | Before the Ever After | Jacqueline Woodson | Nancy Paulsen Books : Penguin Random House | 2020 | 978-0-3995-4543-6 | Middle Grade Novel in Verse | Fiction | Realistic | 5-10 | 10 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Chronic traumatic encephalopathy | chronic traumatic encephalopathy, concussions, friendship, family, love, loss, brain injury, football, music, father/son relationship, moving forward, resilience | Twelve-year-old Zachariah Johnson Jr. (ZJ) loves his dad, who, even though he is a pro football star and a hero to many, has always had time for ZJ and his trio of best pals. But years of head injuries on the field are now causing his father to have severe headaches, angry outbursts, and to forget things, including the name of his own son. In this non-linear novel in verse, ZJ shares his happy memories of his father in the “Before,” and chronicles what’s happening in the “Ever After” as his father has good days and bad, friends step up or fade away, and the family searches for answers and treatment. The book is set in 1999-2000, as the consequences of sports-related brain injuries were emerging. An author’s note shares additional information about chronic traumatic encephalopathy. | 161 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | English | physical injury, mood swings, shouting | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1141984564 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jacqueline-woodson/ever-after-woodson/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399545436 | Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Author Winner, 2021 ALSC's Notable Children's Books, Selection, 2021 ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults, Selection, 2021 2021 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens | |||||
54 | I Am a Masterpiece! | *Mia Armstrong with Marissa Moss | Alexandra Thompson | Random House Children's Books | 2024 | 978-0-593-56798-2 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 4-7 | Intellect/Cognition | Down syndrome | Down syndrome, autobiographical, self-advocacy, self-expression, self-acceptance, patience, individuality, Individual differences, school, art | Mia has Down syndrome and likes herself as she is. She tries to be patient when people “forget their manners” and stare at her because she looks different from them. Or politely assert herself if they act like she isn’t there and talk to her mom instead. Mia doesn’t expect anything like that to happen at school with her friends, but when her classmates criticize her Back-to-School Night self-portrait, Mia remembers to again be patient, explaining that her picture is a “double self-portrait,” and shows both how she feels and how she sees the world. When her parents visit school, they recognize her work immediately and Mia knows “they love me exactly as I am, which means I can be exactly who I am.” Backmatter includes Mia answering questions about Down syndrome in cartoon-style panels. | 32 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | -- | White, racial diversity among secondary characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1381208007 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mia-armstrong/i-am-a-masterpiece/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780593567975 | |||||
55 | Out Into the Big Wide Lake | Paul Harbridge | Josée Bisaillon | Tundra Books : Penguin Random House | 2021 | 978-0-7352-6559-2 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-3 | 5-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Down syndrome | Down syndrome, facing challenges, responsibility, independence, resilience, grandparents, family, boats, dogs | It's Kate's first time visiting her grandparents on her own at their lakeside home and grocery store. She's nervous but excited. Things are different from home, but Kate finds a friend in Parbuckle, her grandparents black and white dog. She helps Grandpa deliver groceries by boat, and Grandma teaches Kate to pilot the boat all by herself. She makes other friends of neighbors around the lake, all except for the grumpy Walter, who complains that she bruises his fruit, even though she doesn’t. One day, just as Kate and Grandpa are getting ready to make deliveries, Grandpa feels sick. Her grandparents head to the hospital, leaving Kate with Parbuckle and the undelivered groceries. Kate decides to make the deliveries herself, even to grumpy old Walter, who upon hearing about Grandpa’s illness, rides back to the boat dock with her to check on Grandpa, who is his brother. While Grandpa recovers, Kate’s mother comes to stay and together she and Kate make the grocery deliveries. When summer is over, Grandma, Grandpa, and even Walter, wave goodbye to Kate and her mom at the train station. Inspired by the author's younger sister who has Down syndrome. | NA | eBook | English | sudden illness | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1146039828 | https://www.slj.com/review/out-into-the-big-wide-lake | https://www.booklistonline.com/Out-into-the-Big-Wide-Lake-Jose-Bisaillon/pid=9745526 | 2022 Ezra Jack Keats Award winner for Writer | ||||
56 | Figure It Out, Henri Weldon | Tanita S. Davis | Katherine Tegen : HarperCollins | 2023 | 978-0-0631-4357-9 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 3-7 | 8-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyscalculia | dyscalculia, accommodations, tutoring, time management, organizational skills, family dynamics, found family, foster care, siblings, friendship, pets, soccer, poetry, middle school | Henrietta “Henri” Weldon is starting seventh grade at a new school, leaving behind the special education program that provided accommodations for her learning disability that makes math challenging to understand and process. Her older sister Kat won’t give her any useful advice about Alterra Junior/Senior High. She just gets mad when Henri does things Kat doesn’t approve of, like making friends with kids in the Morgan family. Henri really likes Vinnie Morgan, her math tutor and friend who, like Henri, has an unusual pet. Vinnie has a pet rat and Henri has a pet snake. With encouragement from new friends and her teachers, Henri starts to figure things out for herself and tries new things, writing poetry and playing soccer. Henri's mother would prefer that she keep her focus on schoolwork instead of extracurricular activities, but Henri’s Aunt Tori helps convince her that Henri needs to be her own person with her own interests. Henri does struggle to juggle everything, and while she forgets to enter her poem in the Arts Festival, she does get a chance to collaborate with her sister’s nemesis, and discovers that her sister—and her whole family—does have her back after all. | 336 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | snakes, rats, bullying | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1344378480 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tanita-s-davis/figure-it-out-henri-weldon/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063143579 | -- | |||||
57 | The Swag Is in the Socks | Kelly J. Baptist | Crown Books | 2021 | 978-0-5933-8086-4 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 3-7 | 8-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Dysfluency | dysfluency, stuttering, speech therapy, family, socks, service projects, clubs, school dances, community, incarcerated parents, braces, sewing, self-discovery, facing challenges | Xavier Moon is starting seventh grade and while his braces and stutter leave him pretty contented to watch the world from his bedroom window and play video games, he would like to get into the elite Scepter League, a boys’ service club. Xavier’s parents are incarcerated, and he and his sister live with his great aunt Kat. Frankie Bell, Kat’s brother, is a touring musician who sends Xavier a pair of wild-looking socks and some advice to find his own thing. When Xavier isn’t picked for Scepter League for not demonstrating leadership skills, Xavier is discouraged but thanks to more socks and leaning into ongoing advice from Frankie Bell, starts to find his own thing, showing leadership in sewing class and starts the Sole Crew, setting up the Sock ‘n Sole fundraiser dance to collect socks for House of Hope. Xavier is invited to join the Scepter League, but without Frankie Bell there, he’s in no hurry for his initiation. | 240 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | mild profane language | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1237102107 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kelly-j-baptist/the-swag-is-in-the-socks/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780593380864 | Arkansas Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, 2023-2024, Grades 4-6 Michigan YouPer Award, 2014-2023, for ages 13-18 New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Awards, 2024 -- Fiction | |||||
58 | I Talk Like a River | *Jordan Scott | Sydney Smith | Holiday House : Neal Porter Books | 2020 | 978-0-8234-4559-2 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-3 | 5-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Dysfluency | stuttering, communication, father/son relationship, isolation, expressing yourself, self-esteem | After he wakes, a young boy explains how each morning the sounds of words surround him and make him think of the difficulties he has in making those sounds himself. Sounds tangle and get stuck in his throat. So, he stays quiet, sits in the back of the classroom, and is frightened to speak when called on. He can’t get the words out to answer his teacher’s question about his favorite place in the world. When his dad picks him up from school, he tells his son, “It’s just a bad speech day,” and takes him for a walk along the river. The boy appreciates the quiet, but his mind is still full of his classmates’ reactions to his way of talking. His dad tells him that the way he talks is like the river and the boy thinks of both the “bubbling, churning, whirling, and crashing” of the water and the calm, flat stretches. Thinking of this helps him go to school the next day and talk like and about his favorite place—the river. An author’s note discusses the author’s own stutter. | 40 pages | audiobook braille eBook talking book | Catalan Chinese Dutch English French German Italian Japanese Korean Spanish Swedish | isolation, teasing | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1103537346 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jordan-scott/i-talk-river/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780823445592 | Schneider Family Book Award, Winner, 2021 2021 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner Charlotte Zolotow Award, Honor, 2022 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2021 | I Talk Like a River Educator Guide | |||
59 | Golden Arm | Carl Deuker | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 2020 | 978-0-3580-1242-9 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Sports | 7-12 | 12-18 | Intellect/Cognition | Dysfluency | baseball, poverty, stuttering, learning difficulties, family, brothers, classism, racism, school zoning, affordable housing crisis, gentrification, loyalty, community, sportsmanship, teamwork, self-reliance, privilege, overambition | Nineteen-year-old Laz Weathers lives in a Seattle trailer park with his mom and his half-brother Antonio. But he lives for baseball. Baseball is something Laz is good at—not like talking, because of his stutter, or school, because he just doesn’t get math. When North Central High ends their baseball program before Laz can pitch his senior year, he believes his final summer community center team game was his last. But then Laurelhurst High, a school on the wealthy side of town, gives him the opportunity to pitch for a winning team—restarting his dreams of getting drafted by the major leagues. Playing for Laurelhurst means moving in with a host family and leaving Antonio, who is getting too tight with the neighborhood drug dealers, behind. But with Antonio’s dad back in the picture, Laz doesn’t see a place for himself anymore in the family or their small new apartment. Navigating the world of baseball scouting and the media on his own, Laz makes a few missteps, but he continues to do well on the mound, and with the championship within his grasp, feels like he could actually make his dream come true. Until game day comes, and he has to abandon his team to rescue Antonio from a drug deal gone bad. | 354 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | drug dealing, gangs, gang violence, shooting | Undetermined | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1088599623 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carl-deuker/golden-arm/ | https://www.slj.com/review/golden-arm | Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Commended, 2021 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Selection, 2021 | |||||
60 | How to Find What You’re Not Looking For | Veera Hiranandani | Kokila : Penguin Random House | 2021 | 978-0-5255-5503-2 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Historical Fiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Dysgraphia | dysgraphia, learning difficulties, accommodations, typewriters, school, teachers, religious differences, parental disapproval, parental expectations, friendship, interracial marriage, assimilation, self-expression, poetry, family, family-owned business, racial identity | In 1967, almost twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg lives with Jewish family in Connecticut where her parents operate a bakery. Responsible, talented older sister Leah is keeping a secret only Ariel knows—she’s fallen in love with Raj, a Hindu college student. When Ariel’s parents find out, they disapprove of the relationship, but Leah follows her heart and elopes. Without Leah, tensions rise at home, growing as the bakery faces financial trouble. At school, Ariel is taunted by an antisemitic bully, and she has difficulty with school assignments because of the trouble she has with handwriting. Her teacher, Miss Field, believes that she has dysgraphia, while her mother just thinks she’s lazy. Miss Field brings a typewriter for her to use, and Ariel writes short poems to practice writing. Cut off from her sister, Ariel enlists her best friend Jane to help her find Leah and reunite her family, though the baby that’s on the way may help heal the rift. Ariel finds her voice through poetry and helps her mother see how the typewriter helps her, even making it possible for her to write a poem accepted for publication in a magazine. | 380 pages | audiobook braille eBook large print talking book | English | bullying, antisemitism, religious bigotry | Jewish, Hindu | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1235949514 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/veera-hiranandani/how-find-what-youre-not-looking/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780525555032 | ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2022 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards, Winner, 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award, Winner, 2022 Georgia Children's Book Award, 2024, for Grades 4-8 | |||||
61 | Here's Hank: Bookmarks Are People Too! (series) | *Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver | Scott Garrett | Grosset & Dunlap | 2014 | 978-0-448-48239-2 | Chapter Book | Fiction | Humor | 1-3 | 6-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia (not identified), learning difficulties, reading, friendship, school, school play, support, being included, embarrassment, disappointment, disorganization, sense of humor | When Hank Zipzer’s second grade teacher Ms. Flowers announces that the class will be performing her original play, “A Night at the Library,” for Children’s Reading Week, Hank is excited, but concerned. He’s not very good at reading and even reading the script through to decide on the part he’d like would be too big a challenge. His friend Frankie is there to help him, and Hank chooses to audition for Aqua Fly. But when audition day comes, all Hank’s preparation goes out the window. To recognize his effort, Ms. Flower’s creates a special role for Hank as a bookmark, a part with no lines. In rehearsals, Hank is quick to improvise to give his role a little more character. When the big performance takes place, Hank saves the day when Nick, who is playing Aqua Fly, freezes up, delivering the lines he’d memorized while listening at rehearsal. | 122 pages | audiobook braille eBook | English Dutch Persian Turkish | teasing, bullying | White, Black, Asian | https://search.worldcat.org/title/852221949 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/henry-winkler/bookmarks-are-people-too/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780448479972 | Christopher Award for Young People, 2001-2023, Winner, 2015 Delaware Blue Hen Book Award, 2017 -- Middle Readers | dyslexia-friendly font | |||
62 | Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life | *Jerry Pinkney | Jerry Pinkney | Little, Brown | 2023 | 978-0-3163-8385-1 | Middle Grade Memoir | Nonfiction | Memoir | 3-7 | 8-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia, learning difficulties, family, friends, school, discrimination, racism, art, drawing, self-esteem, self-confidence | Jerry Pinkney begins his memoir in 1949 when he was nine years old with details about his community on East Earlham Street, the Philadelphia block that he, his family, and his grandparents lived on. As he raced around the neighborhood with his friends, Jerry took everything in so that he could draw it later—sometimes on his bedroom wall. School was hard for Jerry, especially reading and writing, but his teacher Mrs. Miller helped find ways to incorporate drawing into his schoolwork, made him the class artist, and showed him that his drawing was a way to learn. His father took him along on home-repair jobs where Jerry learned the value of hard work. At age 13, Jerry, anxious to contribute to his family income, got a part-time job selling newspapers. His boss, who appreciated Jerry’s artistic talent, told him it was okay to draw when business was slow and soon Jerry was selling as many drawings as he was newspapers. One of his customers was John Linney, a cartoonist, who invited Jerry to visit his studio to learn what it was like to be a working artist. That meeting changed everything for Jerry, who believed now that he too could make his passion his living. Back matter includes an epilogue and timeline. | 141 pages | audiobook talking book | English | accidental killing of a bird | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1332789036 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jerry-pinkney/just-jerry/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780316383851 | dyslexia-friendly font | ||||
63 | Fish in a Tree | Lynda Mullaly Hunt | Nancy Paulsen Books : Penguin Random House | 2015 | 978-0-3991-6259-6 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 5 and up | 10 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia, learning difficulties, school, teachers, military deployment of a parent, financial struggles, bullying, cliques, friendship, chess, self-esteem, self-confidence | Sixth-grader Ally Nickerson creates distractions and misbehaves at school to hide the fact that even though she’s good at math and art, she really struggles with reading and writing. Since her dad is in the military, she has been to seven different schools in the past seven years, and this has helped her keep her secret. Ally’s mom, a busy waitress, doesn’t have time to look over Ally’s homework, and her brother Travis has his own learning difficulties. At her current school, Ally’s teacher Mrs. Hall is going on maternity leave, leaving Ally to face yet another new teacher, Mr. Daniels. Though she continues to try to get out of assignments, even faking a broken arm, Ally realizes that she wants Mr. Daniels to like the real her and becomes more enthusiastic about the lessons he creates that play to his students’ unique strengths. As Mr. Daniels starts to draw Ally out, she begins to connect with some of her classmates, particularly Kesiha and Albert, developing a friendship that inspires Albert to stand up to the bullies that have been tormenting him. Having gained her trust, Mr. Daniels helps Ally understand that she has dyslexia, and they work together so that she can become a reader and a writer. Motivated by her successes, Ally introduces her brother to Mr. Daniels so that he too can become a reader. | 288 pages | braille audiobook eBook large print talking book | Chinese Dutch English Farsi French Georgian German Italian Korean Latvian Lithuanian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Spanish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese | eBook large print | fighting, name calling, bullying | White, Black, Japanese | https://search.worldcat.org/title/881093239 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lynda-mullaly-hunt/fish-in-a-tree/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399162596 | ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2016 Schneider Family Book Award, Winner, 2016 Children's Book Council, Teacher Favorites Award, Selection, 2016 SLJ Best Books of the Year, Selection, 2015 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/01/09/review-fish-in-a-tree-by-lynda-mullaly-hunt/ | |||
64 | Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen | Kate McGovern | Candlewick | 2021 | 978-1-5362-1558-8 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia, learning disabilities, literacy, friendship, school, families, repeating a grade, peer pressure, creating writing, resilience, self-esteem, bullying | Eleven-year-old Maple Mehta-Cohen loves words. She loves the bedtime stories her father reads to her. And she loves creating her own stories, dictating the adventures of a heroic Indian and Jewish sleuth to a voice recorder. But when it comes to reading any words herself, Maple has a lot of problems. Mrs. Littleton-Chan, Maple’s fifth-grade teacher noticed Maple’s struggles, and, after screening tests indicate dyslexia, Maple learns she has to repeat fifth grade. Maple gets why, but feels frustrated and embarrassed, keeping the news from her best friends Aislinn and Marigold all summer. When school starts, Maple’s friends abandon her, and Maple is assigned to show the new kid Jack around. Ever the storyteller, she tells him that because of school budget issues, she’s back in fifth grade on a secret assignment, serving as a special assistant to overworked teachers. Her placement in Ms. Fine’s reading group makes it difficult to maintain her cover story but Maple manages until she crashes Aislinn’s birthday party and things start to spin out of control. As her worries about disappointing her parents and fixing her friendship problems grow, Maple works to recognize her strengths and learn how to love herself the way she is. | 288 pages | audiobook eBook large print | English | bullying | Indian American/Jewish | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1184680563 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kate-mcgovern/welcome-back-maple-mehta-cohen/ | https://www.slj.com/review/welcome-back-maple-mehtacohen | -- | |||||
65 | Flipping Forward Twisting Backward | *Alma Fullerton | Sarah Mensinga | Peachtree | 2022 | 978-1-6826-3366-3 | Middle Grade Novel in Verse | Fiction | Sports | 3-6 | 8-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia, learning disabilities, testing, gymnastics, reading, mother/daughter relationship, sisters, friendship, divorce, stigma, self-advocacy, asking for help | While Claire is the best gymnast on her team, her wins in fifth grade are few. Claire can’t read and the only person who knows is her best friend Emma Lea who helps Claire with her homework. In class, Claire tries to do what her teacher Mrs. Rose wants, but nothing is good enough. Embarrassed and taunted by some classmates, Claire frequently acts out and is sent—or sends herself—to see vice principal Mr. McCay. When Mr. McCay tells Claire he suspects she has a learning disability, Claire is relieved to know that there could be help for her. But her mother refuses to let the school test Claire or believe Claire when she admits again and again that she can’t read. Claire seeks help for herself. Emma Lea, her older sister, and her gymnastics teammates all offer support, as do her teachers. After papering the house with portraits and descriptions of successful people with learning disabilities, Claire confronts her mother and is finally able to get attention, acceptance, and an apology. | 135 pages | audiobook braille eBook talking book | English | bullying, name calling, ableism | cued White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1337415382 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alma-fullerton/flipping-forward-twisting-backward/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781682633663 | Rhode Island Children's Book Award, 2024, for Grades 3-5 | dyslexia-friendly font | |||
66 | A Walk in the Words | *Hudson Talbott | Hudson Talbott | Nancy Paulsen Books : Penguin Random House | 2021 | 978-0-3995-4871-0 | Picture Book | Nonfiction | Autobiography | K-3 | 5-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | slow readers, self-acceptance, self-esteem, drawing, learning disabilities, going at your own pace, challenges, triumphs | Author and illustrator Hudson Talbott loved to draw when he was a young boy. Drawing was his thing, but reading was a struggle. He couldn’t stay away from words though. He loved stories too much. So, he decided that it was okay to just do the best he could. He wouldn’t be afraid or ashamed and would keep trying. It didn’t matter how slowly he read because, he learned, lots of people are slow readers. And the unique way that Hudson reads and draws is what made him the storyteller he is today. An author’s note shares more about Hudson’s experiences learning to read. | 32 pages | eBook talking book | Chinese English | author's note discusses memories of shame | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1233030205 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/hudson-talbott/a-walk-in-the-words/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399548710 | Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2022 SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2010 - 2023 SLJ Best Books of the Year, Selection, 2021 | ||||
67 | Ben & Emma’s Big Hit | *Gavin Newsom | Alexandra Thompson | Philomel Books : Penguin Random House | 2021 | 978-0-5932-0411-5 | Picture Book | Fiction | Sports | K-3 | 5-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia, empathy, encouragement, perseverance, support, helping others, friendship, school, baseball | Everything about baseball makes sense to Ben. But his dyslexia made reading a different story. Ben’s teacher, Ms. Kim, coached him in reading, but it was nothing like Little League and he feels far behind his classmate and teammate Emma, who always had a big chapter book when she wasn’t throwing strikes on the baseball field. When he can’t even get words like bat, ball, and hit, Ben runs out of the classroom. Ms. Kim provides gentle support and brings Ben back to class, where he shares his frustrations with Emma. Emma then tearfully admits that she’s just pretending to read those books she carries. Ms. Kim encourages them both to keep trying, practicing reading just like they practice baseball. When Ms. Kim returns to working with Ben and Emma on reading, she admits that she’s never been able to hit a baseball. The teammates offer to coach her at recess and eventually Ms. Kim makes a hit. Ben recognizes how his teacher took her own advice about never giving up and decides he will take it too and try hard every day to learn to read. Back matter includes an author’s note and dyslexia-related resources. | 32 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | -- | White, Black, racial diversity among supporting characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1224589092 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gavin-newsom/ben-emmas-big-hit/ | https://www.slj.com/review/ben-and-emmas-big-hit | California Reads Teacher Recommended Books 2021-2022, Grades PreK-12 | ||||
68 | Brilliant Bea | Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich | Fiona Lee | Magination Press : American Psychological Association | 2021 | 978-1-4338-3741-8 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-3 | 5-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia, learning differences, reading challenges, coping mechanisms, storytelling, collaboration, school | Bea is an excellent storyteller, but reading and writing are hard for her. At school, she is always the last one to finish her work and looks for ways to avoid having to read aloud. Her understanding teacher recognizes her brilliance and gives her an “ancient device”—a tape recorder so she can record her stories. Her classmate Rudy takes an interest in what she’s doing and offers to draw pictures for her stories. Soon they are creating comic books and building a friendship. Reader’s note defines dyslexia and talks about how to evaluate it. | 36 pages | audiobook eBook | English | -- | Black, white | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1226074667 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/shaina-rudolph/brilliant-bea/ | https://www.slj.com/review/brilliant-bea | Alabama Camellia Award, 2022-2023, Grades 2-3 Fiction | dyslexia-friendly font | |||
69 | Jack Horner, Dinosaur Hunter! | Sophia Gholz | David Shephard | Sleeping Bear Press | 2021 | 978-1-5341-1119-6 | Picture Book | Nonfiction | Biography | 1-4 | 6-9 | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | passion, dinosaurs, fossils, perseverance, dyslexia, learning difficulties, school, education, reading, hands-on learning | When Jack was a little boy, he loved to dig. As he grew older, he started to find interesting things in the dirt and became fascinated by fossils—especially dinosaur fossils. He was constantly asking his parents to take him places where he could hunt for fossils. His knowledge of fossils grew and grew, and Jack hoped to one day become a paleontologist. But school was hard for Jack. He didn’t learn the same way his other classmates did. So, he spent time learning science and experimenting on his own. His science projects won awards, which helped him get into college. But his problems with reading forced Jack to drop out during his first year. Soon after, he was drafted into the military and sent to fight in the Vietnam War. After his return from Vietnam, Jack was determined to still work with fossils. He got a job with Princeton University’s Museum of Natural History, where his knowledge and passion eventually put him in the field to hunt dinosaur fossils. His experience and expertise led to advising Hollywood on dinosaur movies, and Jack himself inspired a character in Jurassic Park. | 32 pages | eBook | English French | -- | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1231956211 | https://www.slj.com/review/jack-horner-dinosaur-hunter | -- | -- | ||||
70 | Maybe An Artist, A Graphic Memoir | *Liz Montague | Liz Montague | Random House Studio | 2022 | 978-0-5933-0782-3 | Young Adult Graphic Memoir | Nonfiction | Memoir | 7 and up | 12 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Dyslexia | dyslexia, communication, passion, track, coming-of-age, self-awareness, social awareness, navigating perception | Black cartoonist Liz Montague looks back at her school years and her path to career success in this graphic novel memoir. | 159 pages | eBook | English | racism, September 11 terrorist attacks (mentioned) | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1284920733 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/liz-montague/maybe-an-artist-a-graphic-memoir/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780593307823 | NEA's Read Across America Recommended Read 2023-24 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | |||
71 | Meena Meets Her Match (series) | Karla Manternach | Rayner Alencar | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | 2019 | 978-1-5344-2817-1 | Chapter Book | Fiction | Realistic | 3-5 | 8-10 | Intellect/Cognition | Epilepsy | epilepsy, seizures, diagnosis, monitoring, independence, friendship, overprotective parents, creativity, | Artistic third-grader Meena Zee wants to be the best—make the best Presidential Portrait, be at the top of the classroom behavior chart, and create the greatest Valentine’s Day box. She’s in competition with everyone, but especially her former best friend Sofia. Meena has been angry with Sofia ever Sofia began choosing to stay inside for recess to do schoolwork instead of playing with Meena. But before Meena can get started on her on her Valentine’s Day box project, she has seizure at home during breakfast. Meena wakes up in the hospital, unsure of what has happened. Her parents comfort her, but she’s not clear about what a seizure is, and as more medical testing takes place, gets increasingly worried about “the thing” in her head that doctors keep talking about. Seeing how differently her parents and teacher are treating her now, Meena doesn’t share what’s happening with any of her classmates. When Meena and her relieved parents learn that she doesn’t have a tumor, but probably has epilepsy, Meena realizes that it wasn’t just worrying about her health that was taking all the color out of her life. Meena apologizes to Sophia, who shares that she’s been struggling in math and that’s why she’s had to work during recess. Recognizing that not everything is as it seems and that everyone has their own problems to deal with, Meena makes up with Sophia, who is happy to have her friend back. | 186 pages | eBook | English | seizures, hospitalization, medical tests | White, Latina | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1029791316 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karla-manternach/meena-meets-her-match/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/Meena-Meets-Her-Match-Karla-Manternach/pid=9708628 | Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Awards, 2021 - Children's, for Grades 3-5 | ||||
72 | How Are You, Verity? | *Meghan Wilson Duff | Taylor Barron | Magination Press : American Psychological Association | 2023 | 978-1-4338-4151-4 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-3 | 4-8 | Intellect/Cognition | Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD) | neurodiversity, marine animals, societal norms, conversation, communication, sibling relationship | Verity, who uses they/them pronouns, responds to their neighbors’ “How are you?” with a long series of facts about sea life. Their brother suggests that people might not want to hear such a long response. As an experiment, Verity begins to ask others, “How are you?” to see how they respond. When the class fieldtrip to the aquarium is canceled, Verity’s brother helps them set up an aquarium in their home, and they finally get to teach neighbors about sea life. With a note about neurodiversity and the author’s own experiences growing up. Includes tips for supporting young people. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | Black, racial diversity among supporting characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1363104226 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/meghan-wilson-duff/how-are-you-verity/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781433841514 | -- | Hear the author read How Are You, Verity? Aloud | |||
73 | Too Much! An Overwhelming Day | *Jolene Gutiérrez | Angel Chang | Abrams | 2023 | 978-1-4197-6426-4 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-2 | 4-7 | Intellect/Cognition | Sensory processing disorder | SPD, sensory needs, self-calming techniques, embracing who you are, asking for help | A little girl shares her feelings of being overwhelmed when the world gives her too much sensory input. Her day starts with a loud alarm clock, overly bright sunlight, cold water on the scratchy washcloth, itchy tag in a shirt, and a jacket that’s too tight. At least there are soft, quiet bananas to eat! At the playground, the chaos of kids playing crowds the girl, and when one gives her a hug, that is too much for her. She hides from everything that is overwhelming her, then asks her mother for a “sheet-hug” to help calm down. The pair heads home so the girl can get what she needs to settle herself: quiet, dark, and personal space, along with some deep breathing. An author’s note for caregivers and educators explores sensory systems, sensory processing issues, and specific information about how to support kids in learning to soothe themselves. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | Unspecified race (light brown skin, dark hair) | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1370127908 | https://www.booklistonline.com/Too-Much-An-Overwhelming-Day-Angel-Chang/pid=9781020 | https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4197-6426-4 | -- | ||||
74 | Stanley Will Probably Be Fine | Sally J. Pla | Steve Wolfhard | Harper : HarperCollins | 2018 | 978-0-06-244579-7 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Superheroes | 3-7 | 8-12 | Intellect/Cognition | Sensory processing disorder, anxiety | anxiety, sensory processing disorder, carcinoid cancer, friendship, family, school, growing apart, comics, trivia contest, superheroes | Stanley Fortinbras lives with his older brother, mother, and grandfather in San Diego. With his father overseas doing humanitarian work, Stanley’s anxiety is getting worse. He attends Peavey Middle School, but it's hard to get through the day of commotion and crowds with his sensory processing disorder. At one of the frequent and unscheduled safety assemblies, Stanley faints and his mother decides to share Stanley’s sensory processing challenges with the school guidance counselor, who offers Stanley a place he can go when he’s feeling overwhelmed. In this safe space, Stanley starts drawing a new comic hero, John Lockdown, whose adventures he finds have been mysteriously added to each time Stanley uses the room. A comics trivia expert, Stan and his best friend Joon are gearing up for Trivia Quest to win tickets to Comic Fest, but Joon has been making new friends and abandons Stanley to do the quest with Dylan. That leaves Stanley to partner with his new fearless neighbor Liberty, and they do well until Liberty’s overprotective mom shows up and whisks her away to Los Angeles. Stanley manages to finish the quest on his own and invites Joon to go with him to Comic Fest, where Stanley discovers that Doc, the school custodian, has been drawing John Lockdown with him. | 278 pages | eBook | English | accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound, vomiting, fainting, bullying | Biracial Moroccan/White, Korean | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1021282031 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sally-j-pla/stanley-will-probably-be-fine/ | https://www.slj.com/review/stanley-will-probably-be-fine | -- | Educator's Guide | |||
75 | Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 | *Richard Paul Evans | Mercury Ink/Simon Pulse | 2011 | 978-1-4516-5650-3 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Science Fiction | 7 and up | 12 and up | Intellect/Cognition | Tourette syndrome | superhuman powers, Tourette syndrome, tolerance, acceptance, control, family, friendship, loyalty, cliques, fitting in | Fourteen-year-old Michael Vey has Tourette’s syndrome—and he has electrical powers. He tries not to attract attention to himself, but when bullies go too far, Michael zaps them, drawing the attention of his crush, Taylor, who soon seeks him out. When Michael learns that Taylor too can manipulate electricity, they band together, along with Michael’s best friend Ostin, to look for answers about the origin of their powers. They soon discover that Michael and Taylor are being tracked by Elgen, an organization linked to the accident that killed dozens of newborns on the day that Michael and Taylor were born at that hospital. When Elgen kidnaps Taylor as well as Michael’s mother, Michael, Ostin, and bullies Jack and Wade set out to rescue them, while Taylor, captive at the Elgen Academy, discovers the Glows, others with electrical powers who are being manipulated so that Dr. Hatch and Elgen can use their powers. When the rescue party arrives, they are captured and Dr. Hatch tries to manipulate Michael into joining the academy, sending him to Cell 25 to be tortured. During another attempt to persuade him, Michael manages to get free, and he and his friends are able to rescue the Glows who refused to bend to Dr. Hatch’s will, but not Michael’s mother, who is still captive somewhere. | 326 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | Chinese Czech Dutch English French German Hebrew Hungarian Italian Persian Polish Spanish Turkish | eBook | bullying, manipulation, torture, violence, captivity, solitary confinement | https://search.worldcat.org/title/719429333 | https://www.booklistonline.com/Michael-Vey-The-Prisoner-of-Cell-25-Richard-Paul-Evans/pid=4920414 | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781451656503 | NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, Commended, 2012 Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award, 2014, Teen List, for Grades 7-8 Georgia Children's Book Award, 2014-2015, for Grades 4-8 Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2014, Intermediate Division Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, 2016, for Grades 4-8 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award, 2013-2014, Grades 6-8 Iowa Teen Award, 2013-2014, Grades 6-9 2013 Kentucky Bluegrass Award -- Middle School Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2014, Grades 6-8 Missouri Truman Readers Award, 2013-2014, Grades 6-8 Nebraska Golden Sower Award, 2013-2014 -- Young Adult Book 2013 Nevada Young Readers' Award--Intermediate Division Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Awards, 2014 -- Intermediate SCASL Young Adult Book Awards, 2013-2014, Grades 9-12 Wyoming Soaring Eagle Book Award, 2012-2013, Grades 7-12 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/03/15/review-the-prisoner-of-cell-25-by-richard-paul-evans/ | ||||
76 | Each Tiny Spark | Pablo Cartaya | Kokila : Penguin Random House | 2019 | 978-0-4514-7972-3 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-12 | Intellect/Cognition Mental Health | ADHD, PTSD | ADHD, family, friendship, race, gender, empathy, standing up for yourself, respect, helping others, learning, welding, history of the Atlanta Olympics, immigration, PTSD | Twelve-year-old Emilia Torres, who has ADHD, is trying to focus on rebuilding her relationship with her Marine father, who is back from his deployment, and avoiding her overbearing grandmother, all while trying to manage without her mother who is on a business trip. At the same time, she’s deciding how to handle the injustice and prejudice she discovers in her Atlanta suburb while working on her school project about the town’s history. | 315 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | English | uncertain immigration status, name calling, prejudice, microaggressions | Cuban American | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1065874846 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pablo-cartaya/each-tiny-spark/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780451479723 | ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2020 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2020 Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2020 NEA's Read Across America Recommended Read 2020-21 Georgia Children's Book Award, 2020-2021, for Grades 4-8 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | ||||
77 | Smaller Sister | *Maggie Edkins Willis | *Maggie Edkins Willis | Roaring Brook Press : Macmillan | 2022 | 978-1-250-76742-4 | Middle Grade Graphic Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-12 | Mental Health | Anorexia nervosa | anorexia nervosa, disordered eating, anxiety, depression, treatment, recovery, family, sisters, middle school, self-confidence, body image, confidence, friendship, toxic relationships, peer pressure | Twenty months apart in age, Lucy and her older sister Olivia have always been close, sharing a bedroom, a secret language, and a special bond. But when they start a new school, Olivia becomes more interested in how she looks and what other people think than she does in playing or talking to Lucy. Lucy can tell Olivia is unhappy and learns that Olivia is anorexic. Their parents are getting Olivia all the help they can, and Lucy wants her to get better, but doesn’t know how to help and feels ignored and alone. Just as Olivia is beginning to recover, their parents move the whole family from Indiana to Massachusetts, another tough transition for Olivia and for Lucy. Lucy tries to start fresh at her new school with a fun, colorful image, but doesn’t fit in and every attempt to make friends leads to more self-doubt and body shame. Olivia and their parents notice what’s happening and are able to intervene, and Olivia and Lucy are able to renew their special bond. To further help Lucy’s confidence, their parents send her to theater camp between sixth and seventh grade, and Lucy starts the new school year with the attitude to be the best version of herself. An author’s note shares the author’s lived experiences and resources. | 320 pages | eBook | English | suicidal thoughts, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, bullying | White, racial diversity among secondary characters | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1237252439 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/maggie-edkins-willis/smaller-sister/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781250767424 | ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2023 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2023 SLJ Best Books of the Year, Selection, 2022 South Dakota Teen Choice Award, 2023-2024 -- Middle School, Grades 6-8 | ||||
78 | Stuntboy, in the Meantime | Jason Reynolds | Raúl the Third | Caitlyn Dlouhy : Atheneum : Simon & Schuster | 2021 | 978-1-5344-1816-5 | Middle Grade Illustrated Novel | Fiction | Adventure | 2-7 | 7-12 | Mental Health | Anxiety | anxiety, stress management strategies, meditation, breathing exercises, community, parents, divorce, superheroes, family problems, friendship | Portico Reeves loves living in the castle-size apartment building of Skylight Gardens, which is full of kind and caring folks—except for Herbert Singletary the Worst. Having his best friend Zola Brawner just one and a half doors away helps Portico navigate his “frets,” the debilitating anxiety he often feels, and which is getting way worse as his parents argue their way to separation and possible divorce. To help, Zola teaches him how to breathe and meditate and together they come up with an alter ego for Portico to channel. Portico deals with his frets by imaging himself as Stuntboy, a superhero with the power to keep other superheroes—the people in his community—safe. This looks like Stuntboy rolling down the stairs to prevent an older neighbor from falling or flipping over furniture to distract his parents from fighting. As his parents split the household possessions and move to separate apartments, Portico realizes neither he nor Stuntboy can save the situation, and Portico starts to see himself as split in half, too. Fully illustrated with comic book-style panels, the book ends cliffhanger-style, waiting for a great explosion or divorce. | 257 pages | braille audiobook eBook talking book | English German Italian Spanish | eBook | bullying, teasing, parents fighting | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1245959980 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jason-reynolds/stuntboy-in-the-meantime/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781534418165 | Odyssey Award, 2008-2023, Winner, 2023 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2022 Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2022 Publishers Weekly Best Books, Middle Grade Selection, 2021 Massachusetts Children's Book Award, 2023-2024, Grades 4-6 New Hampshire Cochecho Readers' Award, 2022-2023, Grades 3-4 New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Awards, 2024 -- Fiction Tennessee Volunteer State Book Awards, 2022-2023 -- Intermediate Division, Grades 3-5 | |||
79 | Forever Is Now | Mariama J. Lockington | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 2023 | 978-0-3743-8888-1 | Young Adult Novel in Verse | Fiction | Realistic | 8 and up | 13 and up | Mental Health | Anxiety, agoraphobia | anxiety, agoraphobia, panic disorder, panic attacks, insomnia, depression, therapy, coping skills, sexuality (bisexual), family, support, community, Black joy, activism, social media, romance, self-expression, poetry, cycling | Sixteen-year-old Sadie has been managing her generalized anxiety disorder for years. After she witnesses police violently attack another Black girl at Lake Merritt, Sadie’s anxiety keeps her from going no further than her own front door. She resigns from her dream internship, spending time going to virtual therapy, where she receives a diagnosis of agoraphobia. When her therapist suggests that she journal, Sadie takes it a step further, livestreaming on an activist version of TikTok called Ruckus, talking about BLM and mental health. Her best friend Evan inspires Sadie to add focus to her livestreams by also talking about finding and sharing joy. Among her viewers is Sadie’s new neighbor Jackson, who Sadie feels safe with, much as she did—and maybe even more so—with her ex, Aria. With help from her family, therapist, Evan, and Jackson, Sadie begins to take steps beyond the safety of home, advancing enough through the summer to help organize and take part in a public Open Mic for Joy at Lake Merritt and bring joy to her own heart as her feelings for Jackson bloom. An author’s note shares the author’s own mental health journey and provides a list of mental health resources for Black and LGBTQ+ kids. | 398 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | police brutality, racism, death, panic attack, agoraphobia, biphobia, profane language, underage drinking | Black, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1335410241 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mariama-j-lockington/forever-is-now/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780374388881 | Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year, Selection, 2023 | |||||
80 | Small Things | *Mel Tregonning | *Mel Tregonning | Pajama Press | 2018 | 978-1-77278-042-0 | Wordless Picture Book | Fiction | Graphic Novel | 2-7 | 7-12 | Mental Health | Anxiety, depression | anxiety, depression, sadness, isolation, shame, worry, school, peers, feeling left out, family, connectedness, resilience | In this wordless graphic picture book, a young boy is having trouble at school. He’s not welcomed by his peers and his grades keep getting lower. As his anxiety builds, it becomes visible to the reader in the artwork and causes him to express anger towards anyone who shows him compassion or kindness. When his sister reveals her own visible anxiety to him, he realizes that it is okay to open up to his family and shares his grades with his parents. The support of his family gives him strength. Going to school the next day, he’s suddenly able to see that stress and anxiety are attached to many of his classmates and stops to offer some compassion of his own. Back matter discusses childhood anxiety. | 40 pages | eBook | English Korean Spanish | eBook | visual depictions of people cracking apart may disturb some readers | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/989968244 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mel-tregonning/small-things/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781772780420 | USBBY Outstanding International Books, Grades 6-8 Selection, 2019 | |||
81 | The Words We Keep | *Erin Stewart | Delacorte | 2022 | 978-1-9848-4886-4 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 9 and up | 14 and up | Mental Health | Anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder | mental health, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, medication, therapy, self-harm, cutting, diagnosis, stigma, grief, family, sisters, friendship, romance, art, poetry | Sixteen-year-old Lily Larkin was the one who found her older sister Alice, razor in hand, bleeding all over the bathroom floor. Now after two months, Alice is coming home from the Fairview Treatment Center with a bipolar disorder diagnosis, and Lily doesn’t know how she’s going to keep everything in her life from unraveling. Lily is already severely anxious about having to be the perfect daughter, student, and track star, and under too much pressure—pressure that has her compulsively scratching herself until she bleeds. When she is paired for a school project with Micah Mendez, who was in treatment with Alice and is now a classmate of Lily’s, she starts to see how powerful and how needed exploring and expressing her truths is. Micah, who has depression and is grieving for his father who committed suicide, is Lily’s partner in creating anonymous art installations to provoke conversations and human connection. But Lily needs more help than getting in touch with her emotions, her new feelings for Micah, and being a guerrilla poet can provide. Events that shatter the illusion of perfect Lily lead Lily to believe that everyone would be better off without her. When her attempt to jump off a cliff is stopped by Micah, Alice, and her father, Lily is at last willing to ask for help, and gets it. | 400 pages | audiobook braille eBook talking book | English German Italian Polish Romanian Spanish | eBook | self-harm, cutting, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, hospitalization, Harry Potter | White, Mexican American | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1333920523 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/erin-stewart/the-words-we-keep/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781984848864 | Schneider Family Book Award, Winner, 2023 Michigan Thumbs Up! Award 2023 for Grades 7-12 | ||||
82 | Up and Down Mom | Child’s Play | Summer Macon | Childs Play Intl Ltd | 2020 | 978-1-7862-8340-5 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | K-3 | 5-8 | Mental Health | Bipolar disorder | mental illness, caregiver with bipolar disorder, mother/child relationship, grandfather/grandchild relationship, medication, hospitalization, strategies for safety, support system | A child explains what day-to-day life is like living with a parent with bipolar disorder. Some days, Mom is full of energy and fun. On other days, Mom might do something that is loud and embarrassing or even a little scary. And there are days when Mom is sad and doesn’t do anything. Granddad and friends help on the sad days and when Mom has to go away for treatment. It is good when Granddad comes to stay because he helps answer questions about what is happening with Mom, explaining that the ups and downs she has are more intense than what most people have. The child also talks about visits to a family therapist, how medication helps keep Mom well, and things that are important to know, such as contact numbers in case of an emergency. Through all the ups and downs, the child expresses love for Mom. Back matter includes further explanation about bipolar disorder. | 36 pages | -- | English Welsh | discusses concerns about a parent hurting themselves | Unspecified race (light skin/dark hair, brown skin/dark hair) | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1119748641 | -- | -- | The English 4-11 Awards, Longlisted, 2020 | ||||
83 | When We Collided | Emery Lord | Bloomsbury | 2016 | 978-1-6196-3845-7 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Romance | 9 and up | 14 and up | Mental Health | Bipolar disorder | bipolar disorder, depression, medication, mania, hypomanic episodes, grief, therapy, family, responsibility, family-owned business, relationships, summer love, art | Seventeen-year-old Jonah Daniels finds nothing is the same since his father died of a heart attack and his mother has fallen into deep depression. Trying to hold himself, his siblings, and the family restaurant together, Jonah is drawn to the vivacious, carefree, and attractive Vivi Alexander, who is staying in his beachside town for the summer. Vivi, who has been throwing her medication for bipolar disorder into the ocean daily, is immediately attracted to Jonah and soon brings fun and games to the Daniels’ household. But responsible Jonah has concerns about some of Vivi’s behaviors, which she explains as putting a high value on experiencing life. After an attempt to connect with the father she’s never known fails, Vivi feels like the universe has something else in store for her and is searching everywhere for clues. Jonah agrees to go with her but gets off her Vespa when she starts speeding through stop signs. She loses control and ends up in the hospital with a compound fracture. A visit in the hospital from Jonah’s best friend Ellie turns into a frank discussion about mental illness. After this conversation and a session with a psychiatrist, Vivi starts to believe that she can enjoy a full life with help and the right medication. She meets Jonah to let him know that she’s going back home to Seattle to get the help she needs, promising to say goodbye before she goes. But all Jonah finds at their meeting place is a note and a parting gift of love. | 344 pages | audiobook braille eBook talking book | English French German Hungarian Polish Russian Spanish Swedish | eBook | profane language, cutting, underage drinking, underage consensual sex, injury, hospitalization, sudden death | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/948337506 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/emery-lord/when-we-collided/ | https://www.slj.com/review/when-we-collided | Schneider Family Book Award, Winner, 2017 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Selection, 2017 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Social Interactions & Relationships Selection, 2017 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/04/15/review-when-we-collided-by-emery-lord/ | |||
84 | The Memory of Light | *Francisco X. Stork | Levine : Scholastic | 2016 | 978-0-5454-7432-0 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 8 and up | 13 and up | Mental Health | Clinical depression | clinical depression, bipolar disorder, anger management, schizophrenia, treatment, therapy, group therapy, grief, death, poetry, self-advocacy, support, community, friendship, found family, asking for help, helping others | After swallowing a bottle of her stepmother’s sleeping pills, sixteen-year-old Vicky Cruz wakes up in the psychiatric wing of the local public hospital thanks to her beloved nanny Juanita, who found her and called 911. Dr. Desai tells Vicky she is going to recommend to her father and stepmother that she stay at the hospital for a couple of weeks of daily therapy and daily group therapy. Her high-achieving father is more concerned that she’s missing school and that she’s in a public hospital than he is with her actual state of mental health, but Vicky advocates for herself and gets to stay for treatment. As treatment continues, Vicky gets to know Mona, Gabriel, and E.M. as they work together with Dr. Desai on anger management, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and schizophrenia. When the two weeks of treatment are complete, Vicky asks for more, and despite her father’s negative attitude, goes to Dr. Desai’s ranch with her group. There, Vicky begins to want for herself and want to help others. When the return to home and school puts Vicky in crisis, she finds support in her sister Becca and the resolve to put her own mental health care and what’s best for herself, first. | 325 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | suicide ideation, suicide attempt, near drowning, violent altercation, smoking, morphine overdose | Mexican American | https://search.worldcat.org/title/898092766 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/francisco-x-stork/the-memory-of-light/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780545474320 | Américas Award, Commended, 2017 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Selection, 2017 International Latino Book Awards, First Place Winner, 2017 Tomás Rivera Book Award, Winner, 2017 Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2017-2018 -- Grades 9-12 Washington Evergreen Teen Book Award, 2018-2019, Grades 7-12 | |||||
85 | Finding Junie Kim | Ellen Oh | Harper : HarperCollins | 2021 | 978-0-06-298798-3 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-8 | 9-13 | Mental Health | Depression | depression, family, grandparents, family history, history, friendship, teamwork, gratitude, self-confidence, bullying, racism, treatment, therapy | Twelve-year-old Korean American Junie Kim, who’s kept quiet about the bullying and racism she encounters at school, is diagnosed with depression but is later inspired to speak out after learning about her Korean grandfather's experiences during the Korean War. The book moves back and forth between what's happening to Junie in the present and the stories her grandfather share about his younger years, until her grandfather suffers a series of strokes and dies. Her grandmother, who has been unwilling to share her history, opens up to Junie in her grief and finally shares her own stories which helps them both heal. | 368 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | English | wartime violence, graphic deaths, implied sexual assault, racism, racist language, bullying, suicidal ideation, death, vague sexual joke | Korean | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1182600371 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-oh/finding-junie-kim/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062987983 | Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Honor, 2022 Freeman Book Awards, Winner, 2021 NEA’s Read Across America Recommended Read, 2021-22 Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Junior Division, for Grades 4-6 California CDE Recommended List 2022 CDE Recommended List 2022, Grades 6-8 Georgia Georgia Children's Book Award, 2022-2023, for Grades 4-8 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, 2022-2023, for Grades 6-8 Idaho Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Junior Division, for Grades 4-6 Michigan MISelf in Books, 2021, Middle School Nevada Young Readers' Award, 2024 -- Intermediate Division for Grades 6-8 Washington Evergreen Teen Book Award, 2023-2024, Grades 6-8 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | ||||
86 | A Blue Kind of Day | Rachel Tomlinson | Tori-Jay Mordey | Kokila : Penguin Random House | 2022 | 978-0-5933-2401-1 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-4 | 4-9 | Mental Health | Depression | depression, describing feelings, processing emotions, listening, family, self-reflection, patience, empathy | Coen is not having a good day. He doesn’t want to get out of bed. He can describe the physical sensations of feeling blue but can’t figure out how to describe why he feels that way. His mom, dad, and sister don’t quite understand what he’s going through, and each try to encourage him to get out of bed. But Coen wraps himself tighter in his blanket. His family offers him their love and support, patiently waiting and snuggling with him. Eventually, Coen asks for a story, which helps him further reach out to his family who is there for him and whatever comes next. Author's note includes information about depression and young children. | 32 pages | audiobook eBook | English | -- | Indigenous Australian | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1308944618 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rachel-tomlinson/a-blue-kind-of-day/ | https://www.slj.com/review/a-blue-kind-of-day | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2023 | ||||
87 | Pockets Full of Rocks | Yair Engelberg | MacKenzie Haley | Magination Press : American Psychological Association | 2021 | 978-1-4338-3109-6 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-3 | 4-8 | Mental Health | Depression | depression, questions about depression, depression symptoms, treatment, father/daughter relationship | Ella doesn’t understand her father’s depression and questions him about his sadness and his behavior. She wants to know why he stays in bed and doesn’t play with her like he used to. When he explains that he doesn’t feel well, she looks for things that are physically wrong with him and ways she might help him feel better. Then he explains that he has depression and how that makes him feel. Ella thinks that feeling like your “pockets [are] full of big rocks that are so heavy you can’t move” sounds frightening. Her father reassures her not to be scared and shares what he does to manage his depression: seeing a therapist, getting exercise, and taking medication. He also assures her that it's not her job to make him better, but Ella gives him big hugs hoping that it helps. Back matter includes more information about talking about depression with children. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | White | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1158505220 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/yair-engelberg/pockets-full-of-rocks/ | -- | |||||
88 | Darius the Great Is Not Okay | *Adib Khorram | Dial Books : Penguin Random House | 2018 | 978-0-5255-5296-3 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 7 and up | 12 and up | Mental Health | Depression | depression, diagnosis, Iran, extended family, friendship, travel, tea, Star Trek, coming-of-age, bullying, soccer, father/son relationship | Darius’ life of dealing with depression and high school bullies takes an unexpected turn when he travels to Iran to meet his grandparents for the first time. He makes a real friend in Sohrab, the boy who lives next door to his grandparents and learns that he's pretty good at soccer. He also gets more comfortable with understanding his feelings and expressing them, finally finding the love and validation he deserves. | 320 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | Dutch English French German Italian Japanese Polish Portuguese Russian Spanish | eBook | ableism, bullying, death, depression, fatphobia, homophobia, terminal illness, Islamophobia, racism, suicidal ideation, profane language | Iranian, White, biracial | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1014374590 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/adib-khorram/darius-the-great-is-not-okay/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780525552963 | Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, Finalist, 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Winner, 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Top 10 Selection, 2019 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, Honor, 2019 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2019 Indies Choice Book Awards, Honor, 2019 Lambda Literary Award, Finalist, 2019 Middle East Book Award, Winner, 2019 Rainbow List: Top Ten LGBTQ Books for Children and Teens, Commended, 2019 William C. Morris Debut Award, Winner, 2019 Publishers Weekly Best Books, Young Adult Selection, 2018 NEA's Read Across America Recommended Read, 2019-20 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | |||
89 | Silhouetted by the Blue | Traci L. Jones | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 2011 | 978-0-3743-6914-9 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 6-9 | 11-14 | Mental Health | Depression | depression, school plays, loss of a parent, grief, family responsibilities, seeking help, romantic crushes | For ages, seventh-grader Serena Shaw has wanted nothing more than to star in her middle school musical. When she gets the lead in The Wiz, she is thrilled. But she quickly realizes what a challenge it will be to take care of herself, her little brother, and the home they share with their father, get all her homework done, and get to rehearsal every day. Her father is no help. Since her mother died eighteen months ago, her father’s case of the blues seems to get worse every day. Realizing that she’s in over her head, Serena slowly starts to accept help from a classmate. She also reaches out to her Uncle Peter, who doesn’t understand how serious the situation is, even when Serena’s dad is trying to give his brother some of his most prized possessions. When Serena interrupts her father’s suicide attempt and Peter arrives on the scene at last, her dad is finally able to get the help he needs. | 208 pages | eBook talking book | English | attempted suicide, mild violence, mild language | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/609871059 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/traci-l-jones/silhouetted-blue/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780374369149 | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2012 Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2014, Grades 6-8 Missouri Truman Readers Award, 2013-2014, Grades 6-8 | |||||
90 | Symptoms of Being Human | Jeff Garvin | Balzer + Bray : HarperCollinsPublishers | 2017 | 978-0-0623-8286-3 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 9 and up | 14 and up | Mental Health | Depression, anxiety, PTSD | depression, anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, genderfluid, nonbinary, blogging, coming out, relationships, family dynamics | High school junior Riley Cavanaugh is starting over at a new school. Riley is gender fluid, but only Dr. Ann, Riley’s therapist, who is treating Riley for anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, knows this. One of Dr. Ann’s prescriptions is that Riley start an anonymous journal blog, something that Riley resisted until the first day at Park Hills High doesn’t go so well. Under the name “Alix,” Riley writes about gender identity and quickly gains a large number of followers after giving advice to readers with their own gender identity questions and coming out issues. Riley also makes a couple of friends in real life, the compassionate football player Solo and the nonconformist Bec, who Riley would like to be more than just friends with. Just as Riley is feeling more confident and ready to come out to family and friends, Riley is outed by the media at a campaign event for his father. Distraught, Riley seeks out Bec, but instead finds the bully responsible for the public outing. Riley is assaulted and reluctant to speak to the police, but eventually finds the courage to speak up and public speak out about not hiding anymore. | 352 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English Spanish Portuguese Turkish | eBook | bullying, verbal and physical violence, suicide, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, skin-picking, anxiety, panic attacks, breakdowns, institutionalization, transphobic language and misgendering, sexual violence against a trans/NB character, references to sexual violence against trans people | White, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/968552061 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeff-garvin/symptoms-of-being-human/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062382863 | |||||
91 | Iveliz Explains It All | Andrea Beatriz Arango | Alyssa Bermudez | Random House | 2022 | 978-0-5935-6397-7 | Middle Grade Novel in Verse | Fiction | Realistic | 5-9 | 10-14 | Mental Health | Depression, PTSD, Alzheimer's disease | depression, trauma, therapy, medication, stigma, grandmother, family, grief, anger, forgiveness, coping strategies, bullies, friendship, compassion, healing, middle school | While facing serious mental health challenges, seventh grader Iveliz must find her voice to advocate for the help and understanding she deserves. She's keeping from her mother the fact that she still talks to her father, something Iveliz knows would worry her given her father died in a car accident. And she just can't deal with her grandmother Mimi who is critical of her for taking medication and going to therapy. By working things out in her journal, Iveliz comes to understand that she can't do it alone and that it is okay to trust others and ask for help. An author’s note provides resources for mental health support. | 272 pages | braille audiobook eBook large print talking book | English Spanish | audiobook | ableism, bullying, fighting, uses of "crazy," medication getting thrown away, stigmatization of mental illness, suicidal ideation, self-harm, serious car crash, death of a parent | Puerto Rican, Afghan, Japanese-American | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1294919902 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/andrea-beatriz-arango/iveliz-explains-it-all/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780593563977 | Newbery Medal, Honor, 2023 ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2023 Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2011-2023 Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2011-2023, Selection, 2023 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2023 CBC Children’s Favorites Award, Selection, 2023 Golden Kite Awards, Young Reader and Middle Grade Fiction Honor, 2023 Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2023-2024, Grades 6-8 Rhode Island Middle School Book Award, 2024, for Grades 6-8 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | ||
92 | Just Roll with It | Lee Durfey-Lavoie | *Veronica Agarwal | Random House Graphic | 2021 | 978-1-9848-9699-5 | Middle Grade Graphic Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-7 | 9-12 | Mental Health | Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) | obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD); fear, anxiety, making friends, friendship, family, tabletop role playing games, middle school, community, support, therapy | Maggie Sankhar is a little worried about starting sixth grade, making friends, and doing as well in school as her two older sisters did. Happily, she meets Clara right away, who shares her enthusiasm for the Chosen: Adventures in Therendia (CAT) series. Maggie is also into the CAT tabletop role playing game, though the d20 (a 20-sided die) Maggie carries with her everywhere is about more than an RPG. She uses it to help her make almost every decision, including how to feel about things. Maggie is constantly afraid of making mistakes but believes if she rolls the right number, nothing can go wrong. But she’s also really worried about what might happen if she rolls the wrong number. Maggie’s sisters and parents are starting to worry too—about how Maggie is acting—but hearing them even talk about her behaviors as obsessive–compulsive disorder makes Maggie even more anxious. If that wasn’t enough to be worried about, there also seems to be some kind of monster lurking on school property. When the RPG club decides to catch the monster (a baby albino alligator meant for the animal sanctuary), Maggie goes against her roll to help, realizing that she can work to understand and even embrace her fears. She lets her parents know that she’s ready to see a therapist, sharing that she thinks things would be easier if she wasn’t always feeling afraid. | 318 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | English | bullying | South Asian, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1236090743 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lee-durfey-lavoie/just-roll-with-it/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781984896995 | Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2022-2023, Graphic Novels, Grades 4-6 New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Awards, 2024 -- Graphic Novels | ||||
93 | History Is All You Left Me | *Adam Silvera | None | Soho Teen | 2018 | 978-1-6169-5692-9 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 9 and up | 14 and up | Mental Health | Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) | mental health, OCD, compulsions, secrets, self-deception, death, grief, mourning, romance, sexuality, coming out, long-distance relationships, heartbreak, trust, friendship, college, therapy | As he mourns the sudden drowning death of Theo, his best friend and first love, seventeen-year-old Griffin is holding on desperately to the past. Through flashbacks he shares the evolution of his relationship with Theo from the “three-dude squad” of friends made up of Theo, Griffin, and Wade to Theo and Griffin coming out to each other and happily dating to Griffin breaking up with Theo to give him space when Theo leaves for college. In an attempt to hold on to Theo, Griffin connects with Jackson, Theo’s college boyfriend. But Griffin is not being honest with himself about the past, which is making his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices get worse. | 304 pages | audiobook eBook talking book | Danish Dutch English French German Hungarian Polish Portuguese Romanian Spanish Swedish Turkish | audiobook eBook | abortion, biphobia, compulsions, cursing, death, drowning, homophobia, panic attacks, consensual sex | White, Black, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/986875727 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/adam-silvera/history-is-all-you-left-me/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781616956929 | ||||
94 | The Rest of Us Just Live Here | Patrick Ness | HarperTeen | 2016 | 978-0-0624-0316-2 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Fantasy | 9 and up | 14 and up | Mental Health | Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety | obsessive–compulsive disorder, anxiety, anorexia, therapy, medication, dysfunctional parents, alcoholism, Alzheimer's disease, high school, relationships, self-absorption, supernatural worlds, demi-gods, cats, coming-of-age | High school senior Mike Mitchell doesn’t face the same kind of problems the “indie” kids have—supernatural showdowns with Immortals—but he is dealing with quite a bit: worsening obsessive–compulsive disorder, ongoing worry about his older sister Mel and her eating disorder, concern about heading to college and leaving his younger sister Meredith, his alcoholic father, and his ambitious mother, who is running for office. Mike’s friends give him support, especially his best friend Jared, who is descended from the Goddess of Cats. But Mike is looking for more, especially from his friend—and Mel’s best friend—Henna, who seems to have taken a liking to Nathan, a new student, but is also interested in “exploring” with Mike. With “indie” kids start dying and zombie deer roaming adding to all that, Mike lets his mother know that he needs to see a psychiatrist and get back on medication. He’s surprised at her understanding and also surprised later to find out that his friends have been keeping things from him to lessen his anxiety, particularly Jared, who has started dating Nathan. Though Jared does help save the day—and the planet—Mike does the work to save himself. | 336 pages | braille audiobook eBook | Bulgarian Czech Danish English French Georgian German Greek Hungarian Indonesian Italian Russian Serbian Slovak Spanish Turkish | eBook | alcohol consumption, alcoholism, consensual sex, profane language, cigarette smoking, car accident, death | White, biracial, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/935985741 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/patrick-ness/the-rest-of-us-just-live-here/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062403162 | YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Selection, 2016 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2016 Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award, 2018, High School List, for Grades 9-12 Illinois Abraham Lincoln High School Award, 2018, for Grades 9-12 Read for a Lifetime, 2017-2018, Grades 9-12 Rhode Island Teen Book Award, 2017, for Grades 7-12 | https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/03/20/review-the-rest-of-us-just-live-here-by-patrick-ness/ | |||
95 | Malik's Number Thoughts: A Story about OCD | Natalie Rompella | Alessia Girasole | Albert Whitman & Company | 2022 | 978-0-8075-4950-6 | Picture Book | Fiction | Realistic | PreK-3 | 4-8 | Mental Health | Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety | OCD, anxiety, counting, father/son relationship, friends, therapy, centering strategies, social situations, party | When Malik is invited to Cora’s miniature golf birthday party, he wants to go but is worried. He’s concerned that his “Number Thoughts,” which compel him to try and make everything he does end on a count of four, will keep him from having fun or even cause others to laugh at him. He shares his anxious thoughts with his father and his therapist, who suggest that he practice before the party and focus on his breathing techniques. Malik and his friend Jason have fun setting up their own course but even after practicing, Malik is still worried. At the party, Malik decides he wants to win more than letting his Number Thoughts win. He uses all the strategies his therapist taught him to score a hole-in-one on his final putt and wins the round. | 32 pages | eBook | English | -- | Black | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1296165897 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/natalie-rompella/maliks-number-thoughts/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/Malik-s-Number-Thoughts-A-Story-about-OCD-Alessia-Girasole/pid=9765582 | |||||
96 | Trowbridge Road | *Marcella Pixley | Candlewick | 2020 | 978-1-5362-0750-7 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Historical Realism | 5-9 | 10-14 | Mental Health | Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, anxiety | mental illness, family dysfunction, death, grief, AIDS, music, imagination, escapism, friendship, bullying | June Bug Jordan is hungry. Not just for food, of which she gets very little because her mother, who hasn’t left the house since they lost June Bug’s father to AIDS, only lets Uncle Toby bring food once a week and won’t go into the kitchen since she fears the germs that might come in through the outside door. June Bug craves escape. When bullied and neglected Ziggy, with his long red hair and pet ferret, comes to live on Trowbridge Road with his Nana Jean, he and June Bug find refuge in each other and the magical Majestica that springs from their imaginations. As June Bug gets closer to Ziggy and Nana Jean, she recognizes that she needs to tell the truth about what’s happening at home, get help for her mother, and start her own healing. | 320 pages | audiobook eBook large print | English | child neglect, child abuse, domestic violence, bullying, name calling, adult characters drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, historically accurate ignorance about AIDS | White, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1112898091 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/marcella-pixley/trowbridge-road/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781536207507 | CCBC Choices, Selection, 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Longlist, 2020 Massachusetts Book Awards Must Reads, 2020 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, 2021-2022, Grades 4-8 | |||||
97 | (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health | *Kelly Jensen (editor) | Algonquin Young Readers | 2018 | 978-1-6162-0781-6 | Young Adult Essay Collection | Nonfiction | Essays | 8 and up | 13 and up | Mental Health | Obsessive–compulsive disorder, anxiety, misophonia, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, trichotillomania, borderline personality disorder, PTSD, addiction, anorexia, body dysmorphic disorder | depression, trichotillomania, imposter syndrome, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, misophonia, autism, suicidal thoughts, drug use, alcohol use, fear, mania, representations of mental illness in culture, panic attacks, gun violence, mass shooting, PTSD, trauma, eating disorder, anorexia, addictive behaviors, body dysmorphia, alcoholism, stress, grief, delusions, paranoid schizophrenia, diagnosis, therapy, medication, comorbidity, rehabilitation, meditation, asking for help, support, community, coping mechanisms, identity, stigma | Thirty-three actors, athletes, authors, and artists share their perspectives on and personal experiences with mental illness through essays, lists, comic panels, and graphics. With diverse contributors representing different genders, ethnicities, and sexual orientations, the spectrum of voices also addresses intersectionality and marginalization. Individual experiences, support, listening, and seeking help are stressed in these entries, which also address many misconceptions about mental health. Backmatter includes a reading list and resources for those seeking help. | 240 pages | eBook | English Spanish | ableism, panic attacks/disorders, addiction, gun violence, mass/school shootings, mental illness, schizophrenia, psychosis, transphobia, domestic abuse, suicidal ideation, depression, suicide attempt, racism, alcoholism, body shaming, bullying, forced institutionalization, medical trauma, self-harm, homophobia, drug use, drug addiction, rape, sexual assault, eating disorder, dead naming, some cursing | Racial and LGBTQ+ diversity among essayists | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1029095331 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kelly-jensen/dont-call-me-crazy-jensen/ | https://www.booklistonline.com/-Don-t-Call-Me-Crazy-33-Voices-Start-the-Conversation-about-Mental-Health-Kelly-Jensen/pid=9561086 | Schneider Family Book Award, Honor, 2019 Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2019-2020, Grades 9-12 | |||||
98 | Challenger Deep | Neal Shusterman | *Brendan Shusterman | HarperTeen | 2016 | 978-0-0611-3411-1 | Young Adult Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 9 and up | 14 and up | Mental Health | Schizophrenia | schizophrenia, sea navigation, hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, reality, hospitalization, therapy, medication, support systems, family, friends, stigma | Fifteen-year-old Caden is living in two worlds, the real world and one that is real in his mind. In the real world, he’s a high school student, an artist, and a good brother. His friends and family are starting to notice that Caden can’t focus on anything, constantly needs to walk, and is anxious and paranoid. In the world that’s in Caden’s mind, he’s on a mission to explore Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, and is unsure if he can trust the ship’s captain, who promises riches to loyal crew members, while his parrot calls for mutiny and life ashore. When his parents commit him to Seaview Hospital’s psychiatric unit, the patients and staff join the crew of the Caden’s ship. Progress then setbacks have Caden hospitalized for nine weeks until medications and therapy bring him “within striking distance” of becoming “one with the real world once more,” and he returns home to his family. | 320 pages | audiobook eBook large print talking book | Chinese English Estonian French Georgian German Hungarian Italian Japanese Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Spanish Turkish | audiobook eBook | bullying, mild profane language, social drinking, suicide attempt, hospitalization | unspecified | https://search.worldcat.org/title/918590518 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/neal-shusterman/challenger-deep/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780061134111 | National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Winner, 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, 2009-2023, Finalist, 2016 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Top 10 Selection, 2016 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2016 Golden Kite Awards, Young Adult Winner, 2016 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, Honor, 2015 Horn Book Fanfare, Selection, 2015 Publishers Weekly Best Books, Young Adult Selection, 2015 SLJ Best Books of the Year, Selection, 2015 | Discussion Guide for Challenger Deep | ||
99 | Thanks a Lot, Universe | Chad Lucas | Amulet : Abrams | 2021 | 978-1-4197-5102-8 | Middle Grade Novel | Fiction | Realistic | 4-8 | 9-13 | Mental Health | Social anxiety | social anxiety, panic attacks, basketball, friendship, family, brothers, running away, foster care, parental abandonment, coming out, trust | With his father on the run from the police and his mother hospitalized for attempted suicide, thirteen-year-old Brian’s anxiety quickly grows worse. Brian and his younger brother are put in foster care and Brian copes by acting out, getting in fights, and running away. Ezra, his fellow basketball teammate, notices Brian is going through something but is slow to help out of fear that his friends will discover that he has a crush on Brian. But Ezra makes the effort and he and Brian forge a friendship that helps them learn more about each other and discover themselves. | 288 pages | audiobook eBook | English | attempted suicide by overdose, depression, social anxiety, panic attacks, hospitalization, parental involvement in drug dealing, incarceration of a parent, bullying, discrimination, racial microaggressions, crude humor, foster care | White, Trinidadian and Polish | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1200495281 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chad-lucas/thanks-a-lot-universe/ | https://www.slj.com/review/thanks-a-lot-universe | ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2022 CCBC Choices, Selection, 2022 Jean Little First-Novel Award, Finalist, 2022 Rainbow List: Top Ten LGBTQ Books for Children and Teens, Commended, 2022 SLJ Best Books of the Year, Selection, 2021 NEA's Read Across America Recommended Read, 2021-22 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, 2022-2023, Grades 4-8 Washington Evergreen Teen Book Award, 2023-2024, Grades 6-8 | Activity and Discussion Guide from NEA's Read Across America | ||||
100 | Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes | *Nora Shalaway Carpenter and *Rocky Callen (editors) | Candlewick | 2023 | 978-1-5362-2414-6 | Young Adult Anthology | Fiction | Short Stories | 8 and up | 13 and up | Mental health | Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), PTSD, anxiety, schizophrenia, ADHD, depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder | mental illness, grief, trauma, support, asking for help, empathy, perseverance, hope, family, friendship, toxic relationships, therapy, medication, coping mechanisms, body image, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks | Sixteen authors draw on their own experiences for this anthology which includes short stories, verse, a play, and a graphic novella, and cover a wide range of mental health struggles, including severe anxiety, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Among the diverse characters readers will meet are a socially anxious vampire who when tasked by a to save his town will have no choice but to talk to people, a girl who is writing letters to win back her ex-boyfriend and revealing that her angry outbursts are related to premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and a teen who jumps in front of a car to save his brother who died of cancer five months ago. Each author wrote a note that appears after their entry to speak to readers about their own lives with mental illness. Back matter includes author biographies, mental health resources, and writing prompts. | 324 pages | audiobook eBook | English | each story includes its own content warning for suicidal ideation, body image struggles, obsessive thoughts, cutting, PTSD, anxiety, schizophrenia, gender dysphoria, rejection sensitive dysphoria, hallucinations, disordered eating, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, obsessive thoughts, racial slurs, sexual assault; rape, reference to past oral sex, Hand holding, flirting, kissing, making out occur between opposite, same gender, and nonbinary characters, some swearing, sexist comments, smoking, drinking, selling prescription drugs | Racial diversity among story characters, LGBTQ+ | https://search.worldcat.org/title/1369856962 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nora-shalaway-carpenter/absolutely-normal/ | https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781536224146 | -- |