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The inclusiveness of a book collection can be viewed through the lens of this quote: whose experiences are being left out of the collection and, as a result, whose experiences are being highlighted?

The development of children's literature is not a socially neutral process. Systemic, societal structures privilege some voices over others. When reviewed through an inclusion lens, children's book collections will likely reveal a biased representation that favors those who hold power in a society. A recent study done in the US, for example, showed a persistent over-representation of white males in children's books.

Inclusion in books matters because literature conveys sociocultural norms that can shape children's beliefs and aspirations, and influence how they see and understand themselves and their place in the world. As a source of learning, children's books offer a "means through which we either address, perpetuate, or entrench structural societal inequalities" (Adukia et al, 2021).

Besides, having children's lived experiences portrayed in the books they read is good for learning overall. An emotional connection to a book can motivate readers, especially reluctant ones.

Inclusive book collections also build global citizenship and foster empathy, contributing to target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals: to promote a "culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity".

Books are a window to the world. As Rudine Sims Bishop put it: "books may be one of the few places where children...may meet people unlike themselves. If they see only reflections of themselves, they will grow up with an exaggerated sense of their own importance and value in the world - a dangerous ethnocentrism".

4 suggestions for inclusive children's book collections

To develop children's books with an inclusive lens, there are a few things to keep in mind during book creation:

1. Avoid tokenism: The inclusion of characters from marginalized communities should involve them having meaningful roles in the story. It is not inclusive to have these characters as inactive observers. In an analysis of more than 1,100 award-winning children's books in the US, female characters were "seen more than heard", indicating a symbolic inclusion in pictures without a substantive inclusion in the story (Adukia et al, 2021).

In the South African story, The Suitcase, by Mbongeni Nzimande, illustrated by Elizabeth Pulles, the protagonist, Lwazi, needs something to wear to participate in a dance competition. Not only is Lwazi an albino child, but the reader would not know this without the illustrations.

The story focuses on something universally relatable: wanting something that one does not have. This emphasis on the humanity we all share, regardless of our differences, builds empathy for marginalized communities.

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How to make children's book collections more inclusive

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Inclusion in books matters because literature conveys sociocultural norms that can shape children's beliefs and aspirations, and influence how they see and understand themselves and their place in the world. Here are some suggestions to make children's book collections more inclusive.

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Ingredients for Inclusion Lessons from the Literature

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Diverse books in the classroom, all year round

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Books serve as mirrors for children to see characters who look like themselves and have feelings and experiences similar to their own. Books also serve as windows through which children learn about their world by looking beyond their immediate surroundings and seeing characters and events that occur in other communities or other parts of the world (Rudman & Pearce, 1988; Rudman, 1995).

Children with disabilities or illnesses need to see people similar to them. Perhaps no group has been as overlooked and inaccurately presented in children's books as individuals with disabilities. Most often they were not included in stories and when they were, many negative stereotypes prevailed such as characters who were pitiful or pathetic, evil or superheroes, or a burden and incapable of fully participating in the events of everyday life (Biklen and Bogdan, 1977). Often the difference or disability was the main personality trait emphasized to the reader, not a balance of strengths and weaknesses (Blaska & Lynch, 1994).

In 1992, a study by Blaska and Lynch reviewed 500 award-winning and highly recommended books for children from birth through age eight, and published between 1987-1991, for the inclusion and depiction of persons with disabilities. Of the books that were reviewed, ten (2%) included persons with disabilities in the storyline or illustrations. Within the ten books, persons with disabilities were integral to the storyline in only six of the books. The limited presence of persons with disabilities points out the need for more stories that represent the diversity of society, which includes persons with varying abilities. While more books with characters with disabilities are published today, the percentage is still very small when compared to the total number of children's picture books published each year (Blaska, 1996).

All young children need to have the opportunity to learn about diversity of ability much as they learn about cultural diversity. Yet, often this does not happen. When Blaska conducted an informal survey of parents and professionals about their knowledge and use of children's literature with characters with disabilities, she found they didn't know what literature was available or how to use it appropriately. Many professionals indicated they would include literature about a disability only when a child with a disability became a member of their class. However, it is important that children learn about disabilities and illness throughout the curriculum and throughout time so when children have the opportunity to interact or be classmates with someone with a disability, they have some previous knowledge and understanding (Blaska, in press).

In another study, Blaska examined 40 early childhood programs in Minnesota for literacy rich environments. These programs included Head Start, nursery schools, early childhood special education and center-based childcare that were serving children 3-5 years of age. She used a checklist of 17 criteria identified in the literature to assess if the environment was rich in literacy, which included looking at the diversity of the literature available to children for independent reading. She found a total of 1,677 books were placed for children to look at independently; these were reviewed for the inclusion of disability or illness. Of these books, 24 had some inclusion, representing 1.4% of the literature available for children's independent use. While most of the classrooms had an ample supply of books representing diversity of culture (73% had 1-10 multicultural books available for students), few had books available that had characters with disabilities. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the classrooms had no books with characters with disabilities or illness. The remaining 42% had one or two books available (Blaska, 2000).

To assist parents and professionals in the use of this genre of literature, Blaska has identified more than 250 children's picture books that include a character with a disability or illness. She has read and analyzed each book using the Images & Encounters Profile, a tool developed by Blaska and Lynch (Blaska, 1996; Blaska, in press) with ten criteria for reviewing books with characters with disabilities.

The Images & Encounters Profile invites reviewers to examine storyline, language or illustrations and to indicate if the criteria listed below are present. Reviewers should check YES if the criterion was addressed positively, NO if the criterion was addressed negatively, and NP if the criterion was not present. YES is the preferred response. The reviewer is cautioned to be aware of the NO responses when reading and / or discussing each book as these responses may influence how they choose to use the book.

The ten criteria are:

1. Promotes empathy not pity.

2. Depicts acceptance not ridicule.

3. Emphasizes success rather than, or in addition, to failure.

4. Promotes positive images of persons with disabilities or illness.

5. Assists children in gaining accurate understanding of the disability or illness.

6. Demonstrates respect for persons with disabilities or illness.

7. Promotes attitude of "one of us" not "one of them."

8. Uses language which stresses person first, disability second philosophy, i.e. Jody who is blind.

9. Describes the disability or person with disabilities or illness as realistic (i.e., not subhuman or superhuman.)

10. Illustrates characters in a realistic manner.

When in doubt about using a particular book which includes a person with a disability or illness, the reviewers are cautioned to ask themselves, "Would this story embarrass or humiliate a child with a disability?" (or illness). If the answer is YES, they should consider carefully how to best use the book.

Blaska has also developed strategies for incorporating this genre of literature into the curriculum through text-set development, theme- and literature-based approaches, and inclusionary units or webs. She has incorporated most of this information into the second edition of her book: Using Children's Literature to Learn About Disabilities & Illnesses (In press at Educator's International Press, Inc.).

References:
Biklen, D. and Bogdan, R. 1977. Media portrayals of disabled people: A study in stereotypes. Interracial Books for Children Bulletin, 8(6 & 7) 4-9.

Blaska, J.K. (in press). Using children's literature to learn about disabilities and illness (2nd Ed.). New York: Educator's International Press, Inc.

Blaska, J.K. 2000. Literacy richness in early childhood environments. Your Link, Summer, p. 7. MNAEYC (Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children, 1821 University Ave., Suite 298-S, St. Paul, MN 55104).

Blaska, J.K. 1996. Using children's literature to learn about disabilities and illness. Moorhead, MN: Practical Press.

Blaska, J.K., and Lynch, E.C. 1994. Inclusion and depiction with disabilities in award-winning and highly recommended children's books. Unpublished manuscript.

Rudman, M.K., and Pierce, A.M. 1988. For the love of reading: A parent's guide to encouraging young readers from infancy through age 5. Mount Vernon, NY: Consumers Report.

Rudman, M.K. 1995. Children's Literature: An Issues Approach. 3rd Edition. New York; Longman.

Biographical note:
Dr. Joan K. Blaska is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a Professor Emeritus of St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota. She was a teacher trainer for teachers working with young children, birth to grade three, with her speciality working with young children with disabilities. Her areas of research are designing literacy rich environments in early childhood programs, children's literature with characters with disabilities or illness, methods for including diverse literature in the early childhood curriculum, and the emotional response to parenting a child with a disability. Dr. Blaska can be reached at her email: jblaska@stcloudstate.edu

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Children's Literature That Includes Characters With Disabilities or Illnesses | Disability Studies Quarterly

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Books serve as mirrors for children to see characters who look like themselves and have feelings and experiences similar to their own. Books also serve as windows through which children learn about their world by looking beyond their immediate surroundings and seeing characters and events that occur in other communities or other parts of the world (Rudman & Pearce, 1988; Rudman, 1995).

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I began this piece out of frustration. Despite the many initiatives to make children's books more diverse and representative of everyone instead of a select white, able-bodied, cis het population, it's still hard to find disability representation in children's books, particularly ones written by disabled folk, and particularly ones that depict multiple identities (Black and disabled, for example). What's happening in the children's publishing industry? I wondered. Are there truly so few books with disabled characters being published? Are things getting any better? What are children's publishing companies doing to be more inclusive of disabled folk?

I decided to find out, and spoke to numerous authors and publishers about disabled representation in the children's book publishing industry. What I discovered is both heartening and worrying. Yes, in many respects, things are improving in terms of disabled representation in children's books. But there are still many gaps in representation and a lack of both understanding and specific initiatives among some (though not all) publishers.

The Stats On Disabled Representation In Children's Books

According to the Cooperative Children's Book Center's 2019 study, only 3.4% of children's books have disabled main characters. Compare this statistic with the CDC's finding that 26% of Americans have disabilities, and it's easy to see there's a problem. The children's book industry is failing to portray the many myriads of ways bodies and people exist and interact with the world. These are ways that many children experience themselves or will experience in the future.

This lack of representation extends to publishing companies as well. Since 2015, Lee & Low Books has tracked diversity within the publishing industry. Their 2019 study had 11% of responders identifying as disabled. This is a marked improvement from their 2015 study, which had only 4% of responders identifying as disabled. But they note this is most likely due to their rephrasing of the question and because of changes in how society in general looks at and defines mental-health issues, not necessarily because the publishing industry is hiring more disabled folk. Even with this increase, the number of disabled folk working in the publishing industry is less than half of the percentage of people who have disabilities in the United States.

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

Barriers Of Entry For Disabled Writers And Illustrators

In my interviews with various authors and illustrators, a few main themes came up when discussing barriers of entry into publication: Ableism, narrative stereotypes industry professionals have, characters with multiple identities, accessibility at writing conferences, and pushback from readers.

Ableism

Ableism is the intentional and unintentional discrimination against disabled people. These practices often make it difficult for disabled writers to break into the industry and, even once published, thrive and continue publishing. I spoke with Alaina Lavoie, the communications manager for We Need Diverse Books and adjunct professor at Emerson College, about the ways ableism presents itself in publishing.

"Literary agents and editors often turn down books with disabled main characters because they explain they 'can't connect to the story' or don't think the book has marketing potential," she explained. "Once disabled creators do get a book deal, they often face ableism at other levels throughout the process. It may be that they're challenged on book jacket copy, or not given a large promotional budget, or assumed to be a niche book for just a niche audience that isn't seen as 'mainstream.' A lot of the ways that ableism shows up in publishing are subtle microaggressions, and disabled creators often have to continue to advocate for themselves and their work: To get printed ARCs [advanced review copies] made for accessibility reasons, to request accessible event venues for their in-person readings and events, to push for accessibility for online events, to have their work submitted for awards and to the media for promotion."

At every step in the publishing process, from the initial spark to write to the accessibility of ARCs, disabled creators might face a challenge to their work and their disabled identities.

Stereotyping Disabled Narratives

One major ableist hurtle disabled writers face is, even once they've written a stellar book, having non-disabled publishing gatekeepers (from literary agents to editors) reject their book for not following certain stereotyped narrative arcs included in many popular books written by non-disabled writers.

Jen Malia, author of Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism and Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing Coordinator at Norfolk State University, elaborates on the ableist, stereotyped narratives many readers - including publishing professionals - expect to see in books with disabled characters:

"[A] harmful stereotype that reappears over and over again in disabled literature is that disabled people are a burden to their families. It's hard for disabled authors to publish authentic and positive representations in an industry that expects to see these stereotypes from non-disabled authors."

This is why publishing narratives by disabled authors is so important.

An anonymous dyslexic author told me she's had many editors ask her to include dyslexic stereotypes into her picture book manuscript. When she explains that what they want her to include are stereotypes and mostly untrue, they tell her they have trouble connecting to her work and reject it.

Another stereotyped narrative non-disabled readers expect to find is stories where the disabled person "overcomes" their disability. Kati Gardner, the author of Finding Balance, is currently battling this stereotype. "They [publishers] aren't interested in messy, true-to-life, disabled stories," she explained in a group chat of online disabled creators in the kid lit community. "They are only interested in the familiar tropes of overcoming adversity or death. There's no in-between."

Her statement was corroborated when I spoke to the VP of a major publishing house and she expressed the importance of readers, disabled and non-disabled alike, reading stories of people overcoming their disabilities. "How much better that person is after reading such a book," she told me. As a gatekeeper in the publishing industry, she has the important job of determining which books by disabled creators get published. What happens to the disability narratives, then, where the disabled character has no desire to "overcome" their disability? Many in the disabled community embrace their disabled identities as part of their essential self. Also, what happens to the narratives where the disabled person doesn't overcome their disability? Or where the story has nothing to do with their disability? Disability narratives are nuanced and complex and cannot and should not be forced into narrow narrative arcs. What she and other editors like her consider a "good" book with disability representation may be because it has the stereotyped narratives they enjoy. At the same time, they reject more nuanced books by disabled creators for failing to follow these ableist arcs.

Multiple Identities

Speaking of nuanced narratives, what happens when characters are, in addition to being disabled, also non-white and/or LGBTQ+?

"There still needs to be a lot more improvement, especially at the intersections of marginalized identities; most disability books still often feature the white, straight, cis perspective," said Alaina Lavoie.

"It's time we stop saying whiteness in every single category is the default," added Keah Brown, the author of The Pretty One and the 2022 picture book Sam's Super Seats. After the publication of The Pretty One, she received pushback within the disabled community for centering race in addition to disability. While The Pretty One is not a children's title, with 85% of editorial boards in children's publishing comprised of white folk, it's no surprise that when children's books are published with disabled main characters, those characters are almost always white.

James Catchpole, children's book literary agent and author of What Happened to You?, told me he thinks "a lot of the barriers have to do with class, with social background, and who might be expected to be a children's writer (and who can afford to be one...). And that intersects with disability and with race in various ways, meaning some communities are definitely underrepresented in the industry - some drastically so. Whereas if you're an upper-middle-class white person with a good degree and a disability, like me, then that's often not a hindrance." While he was speaking specifically of the UK children's publishing industry, in the United States, BIPOC are also less likely to earn a livable income, and considering the slow growth of racial diversity that's also present in the children's book industry, it's safe to assume that disabled, non-white children's book creators face additional hurdles to publishing their children's books.

It does seem like some publishing companies are attempting to correct the "single identity" focus by actively seeking works from disabled creators like Jessica Lewis, who wrote the novel Meow or Never for Scholastic as an IP work under the name Jazz Taylor. The preteen main character in this charming middle grade novel is disabled, Black, and a lesbian.

Accessibility in Writing Conferences

Writing conferences are considered essential tools for many new writers. Conferences can provide craft lectures, sources for feedback, networking with agents and editors. This is the place many new writers find agents or feedback groups. Yet, many conferences are inaccessible for disabled writers in a variety of ways.

Deaf disability activist and prospective YA author Jenna Beacom told me that conferences remain largely inaccessible for her. She misses out on essential networking. While she's asked for accessibility at some of the conferences she's attended, she fears antagonizing the very people she's supposed to be cultivating a writing relationship with. Instead, she's turned to Twitter to make writing connections, but it takes a lot of her time and energy. She did applaud DVCon as being one of the only accessible conferences she'd ever attended and a source of inspiration for her current writing project. "[O]ne panel in particular," she explained, "was so great that I credit it specifically with the fact that I've written about 50K words since, and am now very close to finishing my book."

If she had been unable to attend that conference due to accessibility issues, then she would've missed out on much-needed inspiration.

While my disability doesn't require many accommodations, I've experienced negative feedback from writing peers at conferences I've attended when I asked for accommodations. I was told by one writer multiple times that I was lazy for using the elevator. Another writer mocked me when I requested food changes at a conference banquet to prevent an allergic reaction, then spent the entire meal complaining I had better food than her and demanding the waiter serve her meals like mine. These scenarios, while minor, create discomfort and added stress to what should be a networking and craft-building experience. They also show ableism in the industry. Would a literary agent overhearing me discuss food allergies with a waiter assume I was "whining" and thus avoid signing me as a client? (To be clear, I wasn't seeking an agent at the time.) Are writers who request accommodations for their disabilities perceived as being high maintenance and not worth working with? These are all issues that need to be addressed.

Photo by Danny Nee on Unsplash

Improvements In Disabled Representation

Most of the writers and illustrators I spoke to have noticed improvements in disability representation. Jen Malia cited the increase in the number of #OwnVoices books leading to more authentic disabled representation. Alaina Lavoie talked about how the publishing industry is "expanding the scope to beyond just books centered around trauma and education (explaining disability at a 101 level) to books about disabled characters going on adventures, solving mysteries, playing sports, and more."

Sarah Allen, middle grade author of What Stars Are Made Of, agrees. "In my opinion," she explained, "disability representation is centered on giving writers with disabilities space to tell their stories. Whether those stories focus on the particular disability directly or incidentally, whether the genre is contemporary, fantasy, or something else entirely. While I'm just one person with one point of view, from what I've seen in the last several years, the space for these stories has only grown and grown. Children's publishing as a whole seems to be more and more aware of the need for these stories and these authors, and the value of disability representation."

In my own experience covering children's books, it seems like 2020 and especially 2021 have seen a marked increase in disabled #OwnVoices children's books. I'm interested in seeing what the Cooperative Children's Book Center's 2021 and 2022 studies will reflect.

As both an agent and an author, James Catchpole has a unique perspective from both sides of the industry.

"I think the industry is changing quickly to keep up with what feels like the rapid pace of change in society, in terms of making space for marginalised voices. I would say disability tends to lag behind race and gender, but there are signs of things shifting nonetheless," he told me.

"To take an example I've recently heard, ten years ago a very celebrated picture book writer in the UK, with some personal experience of disability, had to twist her publisher's arm to accept a story she'd written about disability.

"In contrast, four years ago, when I started showing an early draft of my book What Happened to You? to editors, they were receptive at least in theory, not because I had any pedigree as an author, but because I understood the craft as an agent, and because I had direct personal experience of my subject. (I think the book struggled to sell at that point because Karen and I hadn't got it right yet!)

"Now that my book's here and gaining some traction, a year on from the summer of Black Lives Matter (which really pushed the call for marginalised voices into the mainstream), I'm being actively asked by editors to send them stories by disabled writers. That's quite a change in ten years."

It's interesting and important to note that he's seen a marked increase in interest since the Black Lives Matter Movement. Uplifting marginalized voices for one group does help to uplift other marginalized voices, though specifically addressing some of the unique problems groups of people face is also important.

While it does seem like there's an increase in the number of #OwnVoices children's books with disabled main characters, there's still a lot of room for improvement. As Raymond Antrobus, author of the picture book Can Bears Ski?, told me, "It still seems the industry is generally at pre-school level in how they think and talk about disability." He did express hope, however. "People like Joyce Dunbar, Jillian Weise, Alice Wong, San Alland, Shelia Black, Ilya Kaminsky, Daniel Sluman, Khairani Barokka (just to name a few) have been present and engaged with the issues of ableism and writing and speaking against it for years. There is hope."

Hopefully, publishers will be open to listening to these voices.

What Publishers Are Doing

To better understand what's going on behind the scenes, I emailed 16 children's book publishers. I asked them the same question: "I'm curious about what the people at X PUBLISHER are doing to promote disabled voices and to prevent ableism? Sensitivity readers, a commitment to publishing more disabled voices, and/or hiring more disabled voices?"

Only six publishers responded: Sourcebooks, Holiday House, Candlewick, Orca, Quarto, Running Press, and Delacorte. Five more responded they would relay my message to others, but I never heard back.

I received a variety of answers.
All six expressed a commitment to publish more disabled voices and listed some of their books with disabled main characters.
"We are thoughtful in representing kids with disabilities in our illustrated books and have worked closely with our authors and artists to make sure kids of all abilities and backgrounds are represented in our illustrations. We also welcome and look for books written by disabled voices and hope to increase our offerings there in future lists." -Julie Matysik, Editorial Director at Running Press Kids

"Holiday House, along with our sister companies Peachtree Publishing and Pixel+Ink, continues to seek authors and illustrators who can illuminate the experiences of the neurodiverse and disabled communities." -Derek Stordahl, the Vice President and General Manager of Holiday House Publishing Inc
Three publishers mentioned a commitment to depicting disabled characters even when the book isn't specifically about disability (Orca, Running Press, Candlewick).
"I think the first and most immediate or visible places Orca is working to prevent ableism, promote disabled voices and increase disabled visibility in the children's book industry is through incidental yet intentional representation in our books. And by this I mean our authors, illustrators, and designers are always making a concerted effort to ensure people with disabilities are present on the page. I am not referring only to books like The Disability Experience ... but also picture books like When We Are Kind or We Wear Masks and others. We know how important it is for children - and adults - to see themselves reflected on the pages of the books they're engaging with and we do not want anyone to miss that opportunity." -Kennedy Cullen, Marketing Coordinator at Orca

"Because many Running Press Kids books include versatile texts that speak to groups of children, one way that we have been able to increase disability representation is through art direction. Our Creative Director, Frances Soo Ping Chow, has been instrumental in making sure that group scenes always include characters with a range of mobility enjoying themselves, playing, and engaging with the theme of the book." -Running Press Kids
Three publishers mentioned working with sensitivity readers (Orca, Quarto, Delacorte).
"[A]ll of our titles (whether or not they center disabled characters) are run by sensitivity readers who make sure we are accurately reflecting the experiences of the people we are featuring. This specifically includes sensitivity readers who specialize in disability and ableism." -Mel Schuit, Quarto Group

Both of the people I communicated with from Orca and Delacorte said they utilize disabled sensitivity readers on their books with disabled characters. Beverly Horowitz, Senior Vice President & Publisher at Delacorte, added that she frequently finds herself learning new things from her sensitivity readers.
Three publishers spoke of making the workplace more accessible (Orca, Candlewick, Delacorte).
"As for in office, we always hope that we can make the accommodations necessary to make working with Orca possible for anyone. It is important to us that we work to employ staff from a diversity of backgrounds so that all of our unique ways of engaging with the world can contribute to making books that serve a wide readership and illuminate the breadth of the human experience for all of our readers. Though our actual office, being a heritage building with lots of stairs, may present some accessibility issues for people, we do make sure that remote access is possible for anyone who requires it." -Kennedy Cullen, Marketing Coordinator at Orca

"We are constantly striving to foster and maintain a mutually supportive work community where all individuals feel safe, welcome, and equally free to participate fully and express themselves, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, background, or any other protected and/or distinguishing characteristic with which they may identify." -Candlewick Press

On the phone, Beverly Horowitz of Delacorte told me she imagines - now that it's been proven that remote work is possible - that even once the company can return to the physical workplace they'll remain remote, enabling more disabled people to work with the company. But she cited no specific initiatives or advocacy of remote work.
Two publishers mentioned making their books more accessible to everyone (Orca, Candlewick).
"We also believe the experience of reading should not be missed by anyone and so we continue to work on making our books as accessible as possible - in all meanings of the word. For us, that means additional features in several series of our print books like dyslexia-friendly fonts and cream-based paper to decrease the contrast for those with language-based learning difficulties, as well as a new collection of accessible audiobooks that include image descriptions." -Orca

"We have licensed large print publishers to publish some of our books. And we have also licensed specialty publishers to create combination braille and illustrated editions of some of our picture books." -Candlewick

Since my initial question did not mention making books accessible to readers, I imagine other publishers might also have similar initiatives.
Quarto mentioned disability-themed book lines.
"I also wanted to call attention to our SEN Superpowers series, which celebrates the positive traits associated with a range of common SEN (Special Education Needs) conditions, boosting the confidence and strength-awareness of children with those conditions, while also allowing for better understanding and positivity among their peers."-Quarto
Candlewick mentioned staff training about ableism and disability.
"We were pleased to send 10 staff members including editors and designers to a Highlights Foundation month-long symposium this past October, which addressed ableism and where attendees deconstructed colonial thinking processes using youth literature, and discussed misrepresentations in books to develop action plans for resisting them. We've also provided groupwide deaf awareness training for Candlewick and Walker staff to coincide with the release of our book Can Bears Ski?." -Candlewick

While I did not email Kokila, a division of Penguin Random House, Keah Brown told me she's had a wonderful experience working with them on her forthcoming picture book Sam's Super Seats, with every single editor from the Kokila team giving feedback on her book and listening to her responses and ideas. Publishers tend to focus on mobility aids in depicting disability, Keah told me, but when she suggested her picture book display disability without mobility aids, like her own, the team embraced the idea.

Albert Whitman did not respond to my email queries, but Jen Malia told me she had a wonderful experience publishing her picture book Too Sticky! with them:

"What I really loved about working with my book editor, Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman, is that she was really patient with me when I made mistakes. For example, I didn't track my changes on my draft of Too Sticky! one time. This included me deleting a scene from the manuscript. I had second thoughts and didn't feel like the scene was an authentic interaction between my main character, an autistic girl, and her classmate. My editor said she thought it was important to show the interaction between them. When I told her what I thought the problem was and suggested a different approach to the scene, she said that worked even better. I felt like we truly collaborated on my book, and she really listened to what I had to say."

I've also noticed an increase in the number of books with disabled main characters published by Albert Whitman, which suggests similar experiences to Jen's and in-house initiatives to increase disabled diversity. Though I want to add that Albert Whitman has a history of failing to pay authors.*

Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

How The Children's Book Publishing Industry Could Be More Inclusive Of Disability

"Nothing about us without us." -Raymond Antrobus

Hire More Disabled People

"The book publishing industry needs to hire more disabled people who are gatekeepers - from agents to editors to publicists to the highest positions within publishers - so disabled authors can be give the space to publish authentic books." -Jen Malia

"I believe the biggest problem in publishing is that decisions on what titles are published and which ones are not are made in a closed room of cis-gendered, temporarily able-bodied, White people. What if the decision-makers decided what books were published based on what titles were missing (especially when looking at global demographics) and what people were asking for?" -Brittany Murlas, Founder of Little Feminist and publisher of We Are Little Feminists: On-the-Go

While all publishers claim to be open to hiring disabled people, few initiate specific protocols that would welcome disabled writers. Topping the list is allowing workplaces to be remote. The past year has proven that remote work is possible, yet every new job listing in publishing states "currently remote, but must live in NYC for when the company returns to office" (or another city, but usually NYC). Alaina Lavoie discusses this issue in a recent article for Publisher's Weekly:

"If there's a lesson that publishers can learn from this pandemic, it's that our industry needs more remote-friendly opportunities if we want to address the widespread ableism and inequality in publishing. We need more remote opportunities in book publishing. Of 166 recent job listings for positions at Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster, only two specify that they are open to remote candidates, and one of those two is a contract position, not a full- or part-time job."

Remote work is the best and most inclusive way to open up publishing to disabled people. If publishers aren't open to remote work, then they're not creating a welcome environment for disabled folk.

And hiring disabled people will mean having their much-needed perspective on disabled narratives.

Have An Individualized Approach For Working With Disabled People

"I think asking their authors what they need is key. As long as the industry is attentive and willing to bend according to what each individual needs, we'll be in good shape! There's no one size fits all approach to disability; everyone has a unique experience. So being open and willing to work with the author is very important." -Jessica Lewis/Jazz Taylor, author of Meow or Never

"Often, people are looking for a checklist of things they can do to make sure they're being accessible, but the reality is that it varies from person to person and even two people with the same disability aren't the same. So it makes more sense to have a flexible attitude at your publishing house with an individualized approach: Do your processes actually have to be identical for all employees, or all authors and illustrators? Or can you accommodate, for example, phone conversations for someone if email doesn't work for them?" -Alaina Lavoie

Both Keah Brown and Jen Malia shared how having an individualized approach to their books made the publishing experience so much better. Listening, valuing each individual, respecting their needs, these should all be basic tenants of working with disabled people (and really every person), whether they're employees in the publishing industry or authors and illustrators.

Publish More Books With Disabled Characters That Aren't "About" Disability

"I would love to see more disability representation in books that aren't specifically about disability. Of course books that help kids learn about disability are so important and needed, but it would also be great for kids to see disabled characters (especially disabled main characters) with storylines about friendship or magic or monsters too!" -Tyler Feder, author and illustrator of Bodies Are Cool

While many of the authors I spoke to mentioned they're seeing more books with disabled characters that aren't "about" disabled characters, it's still rare. I also cover fantasy and science fiction, and I can attest to how rare it is to see a disabled main character fighting dark magic or riding dragons.

Publish More Books By Disabled Creators

This is a very long excerpt from my conversation with disabled literary agent and children's book author James Catchpole, but I thought he perfectly described why #OwnVoices creators are necessary in diversifying publishing, and how they can bring more to publishing than disability-adjacent creators. That doesn't mean that disability-adjacent creators can't write good and nuanced books with disabled main characters, but that disabled creators should be a bigger part of the story, and they're also less likely to use harmful stereotypes in their books.

"I think the best thing the industry could do would be to start taking disability seriously, as a subject. By this I mean: stop allowing it to be used by writers as a literary device (as crude metaphor or a tool for emotional manipulation, be it for pity or malice or inspiration) and start thinking of it as a specialist subject, on which a level of expertise is required on the part of the writer.

"Where an author writes about a brain surgeon, then assuming they're not a brain surgeon, we expect them to do their research. Where they write about a wheelchair user, then assuming they're not a wheelchair user, we expect them to wing it, and make up any old clichéd rubbish from the accumulated stereotypes knocking around in their unconscious.

"This used to be the attitude with white authors writing characters of colour, and I'd say there's been a long-overdue reckoning on that score. Could we have the same for non-disabled writers writing disabled characters, please?

"Maybe one more thing, as a continuation of the above. Perhaps the reason things have been slower to change with disability than with race, in that regard, is that the industry tends to give non-disabled people who may be disability-adjacent an unearned degree of authority, both as creatives and as so-called 'sensitivity readers' (dreadful term!). I think this happens because of the role of groups around disability - whether charities, the medical profession, or families of disabled people.

"I need to be clear that I'm not saying non-disabled people should never be writing books about disabled characters. It's not as simple as that. As an agent, though, I regularly receive stories on submission from disability-adjacent people. I completely understand the impetus and the good intentions that drive them to write these stories. They want disabled children to feel represented in the books they read, and they quite rightly see how thin the selection currently on offer is - so of course they wish to address this...

"But being adjacent is not the same thing as having that experience yourself, and the great majority of stories I've read by disability-adjacent people follow the same path as books by well-meaning professional writers who are not themselves disabled: almost always, the disabled child either isn't centred in the story, or they aren't given real agency in the plot...or there just isn't a plot, but a slightly empty message instead (usually something like: disabled kids are kids too! Which honestly I'd hope we could take as read).

"My wife Lucy is a wheelchair user, and as a disabled couple we have waded through a great many picture books that touch on disability - the great majority by non-disabled authors - and there are so few that, for all their good intentions, don't actively perpetuate harmful stereotypes. She's posted about those happy few on our Instagram @thecatchpoles, under the hashtag #KidLitCripCrit, for anyone interested." [On a personal note, I love their Instagram]

"It is possible to address the subject of disability well in writing for children, as a non-disabled writer. We've an old favourite from the 90s, Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen-Fletcher, where a non-disabled child delights in riding on his mother's wheelchair - something we well know to be true!

"But what we really need is stories from the perspective of disabled children - stories that centre disabled characters. We'd like to see the industry heed the call for #OwnVoices, by finding and supporting writers who were those disabled children, to write those books."

Work With Disability Organizations

"I think it would be incredibly exciting to see increased coordination between publishing and the many wonderful national and international organizations out there dedicated to disability rights and advocacy. I think everyone in publishing is always looking for positive ways to expand and reach outside the publishing 'bubble,' and when it comes to disability representation, this might be one way of doing that!" -Sarah Allen

Publishing companies could work with disability organizations in numerous ways: conducting anti-ableist training like Candlewick; publishing books together; accessibility discussions for both in-house hiring and in printing books; having a book series chosen by these organizations. The possibilities are endless.

Hire Sensitivity Readers

"After I finished the initial round of illustrations, I worked with a wonderful disability sensitivity reader, Rabbi Ruti Regan, who gave me so much helpful feedback on how to refine my depictions of disability (like adjusting how a wheelchair fit a particular character's legs). Rabbi Regan also completely opened my eyes to ways of including autism representation in the book, like having a character on the 'hands' page drawing a repetitive pattern. I feel really grateful for her help!" -Tyler Feder

I was actually surprised more of the creators I interviewed didn't mention sensitivity readers, and I think that's because sensitivity readers are one way to be inclusive, but it shouldn't be the only way a publishing company ensures their books don't contain harmful stereotypes. I take work sometimes as a sensitivity reader, and I've had mostly positive interactions, particularly with individual authors. Authors have been very happy to implement my suggestions and to do additional research. I've worked with publishing companies twice, and in both instances I felt like they did the minimum after receiving my feedback. It feels more, from my limited perspective, that when a publishing company hires sensitivity readers, it's to check a box, while when individual authors hire me, it's to ensure their books are accurate and in no way cause harm to the disabled community.

Tyler's experience working with a sensitivity reader shows how they can add to the process. Her picture book Bodies Are Cool depicts many different types of bodies and disabilities, so it was necessary for her to do a lot of research into many different disabilities to portray them in her illustrations accurately.

Literary Agents: Be Willing To Work With Disabled Creators

I'm a member of several groups of disabled creators, and, over the past year, I've heard many horrifying stories of literary agents declining to work with an author after discovering they were disabled. This is particularly the case for neurodiverse authors. This should not have to be said, but neurodiverse authors offer a multitude of creative potential for literary agents. Their books offer a unique and needed perspective on the world.

Once again, having an individualized approach is best. Here is Jen Malia describing working with her agent:

"When I was working on a different picture book manuscript also with an autistic girl as the main character, my agent, Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary, suggested making some cuts to a scene to clarify why my character had an autistic meltdown. I explained why I thought the meltdown probably wouldn't have happened at all without the complexity of what was going on in the scene. She agreed with me, and we left it in with some other tweaks. My agent knows my perspective as an autistic person is important to making my books authentic."

Literary agent Eric Smith recently conducted a Twitter survey about how literary agents can better serve neurodiverse writers. His blog on the results can be found here. I highly recommend all agents read it.

Make Conferences Accessible

This has already been mentioned above, but I also wanted to note that inaccessible publishing industry conferences are also barriers for disabled folk who want to work in the industry. All conferences need to be made accessible, and people who run conferences need to investigate how they can make that happen.

What Are The Implications For Readers?

Readers, whether you're disabled or not, you need to read books with disabled characters. I think readers know and already want that!

When I spoke with Brittany Murlas, the founder of Little Feminist, about her book On-the-Go (which Book Riot editor and contributor Kelly Jensen discusses here), she told me that when the Little Feminist company began trying to find diverse books for their children's book box, they found zero board books featuring disabled characters. Zero. "And 100% of children's books we found featuring people with disabilities were about how they overcame/survived their disability (the one exception is Mama Zooms), portraying disability as a problem to be solved, as opposed to showcasing people with disabilities living their lives and thriving just like any other story would," she added. Considering that 26% of the population is disabled, this is ridiculous.

Readers want and need disabled characters in their books. Readers, while you're not in charge of who publishing companies hire, you can show them you want more disabled representation in your books by buying #OwnVoices children's books by disabled main characters, asking your library to purchase these books if you're unable to afford them yourself, and even writing emails to your favorite publisher, or tweeting them, that you want #OwnVoices disabled representation.

If you're needing some book suggestions, check out all the books I've mentioned in this piece, my list of children's and middle grade titles, and these two lists of YA novels with disabled characters.
*Editors Note: Information about claims against Albert Whitman for failure to pay authors came to light, and was added to the piece, shortly after its publication.

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The Current State of Disability Representation in Children's Books

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I began this piece out of frustration. Despite the many initiatives to make children's books more diverse and representative of everyone instead of a select white, able-bodied, cis het population, it's still hard to find disability representation in children's books, particularly ones written by disabled folk, and particularly ones that depict multiple identities (Black and disabled, for example).

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In this guest blog post, Monica Kleekamp, a PhD candidate in the department of Learning, Teaching & Curriculum at the University of Missouri-Columbia, discusses the importance of inclusive children's literature and how to critically select texts with regards to representations of disability experiences. What is inclusive children's literature? What is it not? Why is it important?
As students look to the shelves in their classrooms and school libraries, they seek representations of themselves-characters who look, feel, and experience the world in similar ways. The field of children's literature continues to problematize the ways our bookshelves perpetuate representations of white, cisgender, heterosexual, and middle-class characters. A term often added to the end of this list is "able."

Inclusive children's literature that features characters who are either physically and/or intellectually diverse-characters who have been labeled as disabled-remain few and far between. Additionally, those texts that do exist often follow tropes of pity or dehumanization. These texts have also been heavily critiqued for their over-representation of white male characters who access prosthetics.

Educators, librarians, parents, and others interested in getting high quality literature into the hands of children must give critical attention to representation in texts that feature characters with disability labels. Disability labels placed on children by school or medical professionals are never neutral. Rather, these labels bring with them histories of exclusion and a tendency to universalize the disability experience. "Disability" is an umbrella term that carries many different meanings to those in the larger public and individuals with labels. However, we tend to use the word often-without really unpacking what we mean by it, which ends up suggesting that there is only one experience of disability.

Sharing high quality inclusive literature offers an opportunity to talk with and through books that challenge ableist norms-or the standards that have been normalized over time for how bodies and minds "should" function and perform. If we seek to thoughtfully select children's literature with characters who may look, know, and act in diverse ways, it is first imperative to describe what this kind of literature is.

Inclusive children's literature is not necessarily designed to teach children about what a disability is. Instead, this literature serves as an opportunity for those with disability labels to see representations of experiences like theirs in the books they pull from our shelves. These texts also provide opportunities for students who live without labels-those who are deemed educationally typical-to see characters who experience the world in different ways. Immersed in these texts are varied and multiple bodies and minds playing active roles as main characters who tell their own stories through their engagement in authentic relationships.
How can I make an informed decision about which books to select that include disability experiences?
Here, I offer 4 Guiding Questions to consult in your selection process. They are meant to guide your interrogation of the written and illustrated narrative. These questions are not exhaustive, but they do offer entry into making informed decisions when critically selecting inclusive children's literature.

Does the author/illustrator present the character with a disability label as multidimensional?

A disability label is one identity marker-and often not one a character has necessarily chosen for themselves. Memorable main characters are multidimensional and complex. Additional layers of identity are presented in a variety of ways over the course of a story. This might be through decisions characters make, the situations they find themselves in, or the relationships they build. If characters with labels do not develop over the course of the story or do not demonstrate themselves as dynamic and varied, the reader is left with little information other than a label itself.

Whose story is this and who gets to tell it?

There is currently an over-abundance of texts that feature disability from the perspective of a sibling or friend. These characters speak for the individual with a label. In these instances, the story does not belong to the character with a disability label but rather is a narrative about them. Humanizing texts are written from a first-person perspective, centering the voice of the character with a label. There are instances when a third person narrator might also offer the character's thoughts through ideas embedded in the story.

As a reader, how have you been positioned to think about feel about the character with a disability label in this book?

Representations of disability experiences often position characters as individuals worthy of pity who need to be cared for, without offering any insight into the contributions the character makes to their community. This is especially true in texts that feature school settings, where characters with disability labels may be positioned as class pets while other students take turns supervising the individual. Humanizing inclusive children's literature may tackle moments of marginalization, but they do so in complex ways. These texts acknowledge lived moments of exclusion but also include character agency and perseverance in addressing difficult circumstances.

What opportunities does the character with a disability label have in the book to engage in authentic relationships?

Many texts with disability experiences feature one-dimensional friendships-such as the idea of individuals as class pets. In these instances, the character with a disability label is positioned as having a flat identity whose only role is to require support from those around them. This is dehumanizing and suggests that individuals with disability labels do not and cannot contribute in meaningful ways to the relationships in their lives. High quality texts offer representations of relationships in which both individuals contribute to fostering or maintaining that relationship. Humanizing literature may tackle complicated relationships in which characters grapple with peers or adults in moments of exclusion, bullying, or adversity but might also serve as models for friendships that do exist and are possible for individuals with labels.
But if I want to start selecting humanizing inclusive literature to add to my collection, where can I turn for high quality titles?
Each year, the Schneider Family Book Award, in partnership with the American Library Association, awards inclusive literature winners in the categories of teen books, middle grade texts, and books for young readers. While this is a great starting place if you are just beginning your collection, there are other places you can go to read important reviews by #ownvoices such as Disability in KidLit, or the Indigo Project, sites and blogs reserved for inclusive book reviews by individuals who identify as disabled. You might also check out the Disability Visibility Project, which addresses issues of disability representation across media including news, film and television series, etc.

About the Author: Monica Kleekamp is currently a PhD candidate in the department of Learning, Teaching & Curriculum at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her research centers the literature responses of students who have historically been classified as having significant disabilities in an effort to disrupt what counts as literacy and who counts as literate.

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How to Critically Select Children's Books with Representations of Disability Experiences

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In this guest blog post, Monica Kleekamp, a PhD candidate in the department of Learning, Teaching & Curriculum at the University of Missouri-Columbia, discusses the importance of inclusive children's literature and how to critically select texts with regards to representations of disability experiences. What is inclusive children's literature? What is it not?

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A Checklist to Evaluate Children`s Books that Address

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Free essays, homework help, flashcards, research papers, book reports, term papers, history, science, politics

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Representation Matters: 10 Children's Books With Disabled Characters

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Children's books with disability representation is important becasue

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A Disability Awareness Booklist for Children

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Disability Awareness Books (Spring 2021) – Children’s Book Council

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This list will feature books about disability and people with disability, spreading awareness for readers wanting to find representation and/or educate themselves further on the topic

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Books shelved as disability-awareness: Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Rules by Cynthia Lord, El Deafo by Cece Bell, Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories ...

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A wonderfully simple story that will help grow the conversation about disabilities, accessibility, social justice, and building a community. This book also has a fully accessible ebook with read-aloud function as well as captions with alt-text and zoom-in function.

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The Best List of 18 Children's Books about Disabilities - Teaching Expertise

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The world will live in is so diverse and children especially need to see themselves represented in different aspects of life. Choosing the best book can

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As a teacher, or parent, who works in education... we meet a lot of students with different abilities and specialties. And sure, we have Autism Awareness month and disability awareness... but it's so much more than just being aware.

(This post contains affiliate links.)

Below you'll find a curated list of books on special needs, acceptance, and tolerance. There are also books that describe children who have other differences that may make life a little challenging, like walking, hearing, seeing, understanding social cues, and more.

These are books that you can use to introduce the topics presented to other children, teachers, and adults. You'll want to read them over and over again after eagerly adding them to your ever-growing classroom library.

Uniquely Wired: A Story About Autism and Its Gifts tells us about Zak, a boy with autism. As Zak describes his point of view, young readers gain a better understanding of his behaviors and learn valuable lessons about patience, tolerance and understanding.

Who Are You?: Ella The Enchanted Princess is a story about a young princess named Ella who was different from other princesses, she has no hair. Join along this sweet story about this adorable princess!

The Invisible Boy is a gentle story that shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find this book a valuable and important resource.

Why Am I Me? is a lovely book celebrating humanity and diversity, inviting readers of all ages to imagine a world where there no you or me, only we.

A Friend Like Simon is a special educational book to help introduce children to autism.

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin is a book about the inspirational lives of amazing scientists!

I See Things Differently: A First Look at Autism will help children to understand what autism is and how it affects those who have it.

Emmanuels' Dream is the inspring true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg. He was dismissed by most people-but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams.

All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism is an encouraging story about being different from your peers, a mother who guides sweet Zane the zebra to help him understand that differences are only one of the many qualities that make him special.

Where Oliver Fits is a sweet and funny story that explores all the highs and lows of learning to be yourself and helps to show children that fitting in may not always be the best fit.

The Friendship Puzzle: Helping Kids Learn About Accepting and Including Kids with Autism is a lively and upbeat book that sends and encouraging message about the importance of friendship and inclusion.

Howie Helps Himself is about Howie, a child with cerebral palsy. Though he enjoys life, he wants nothing more than anything else... and to be able to move his wheelchair by himself.

Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome is a heart warming story that tells the challenges of living with Asperger Syndrome.

Waiting For Benjamin: A Story about Autism is a story about a boy named Benjamin and how his family learns that he has autism. When they learn this, they hire special teachers to teach him how to listen and talk and play.

Don't Call Me Special explores questions and concerns about physical disabilities in a simple and reassuring way. Younger children can find out about individual disabilities, special equipment that is available to help the disabled, and how people of all ages can deal with disabilities and live happy and full lives.

Ian's Walk: A Story about Autism is a sweet read about a sister who takes a walk with her brother who has autism and how he sees the world different than she does.

I'm Here reminds us that children and the friendships they make can take flight in unexpected ways!

A Rainbow of Friends is a story in verse about how all friends are special and valuable regardless of differences or difficulties.

It's Okay to Be Different targets young children first beginning to read. This book will inspire kids to celebrate their individuality through acceptance of others and self-confidence-and it's never to early to develop a healthy self-esteem.

A Different Little Doggy is a heart warming story that teaches kids important lessons about acceptance and friendship through it's beautiful and colorful illustrations and rhyming story line.

Thank You, Mr. Falker is about a girl named Trisha who realizes that the letters get jumbled when she tries to read! Her teacher, Mr. Falker sees this and helps her prove to herself that she can read and will!

Sara's Secret tells the story about Sara, who has a secret. Her younger brother has cerebral palsy.

Keep Your Ear on the Ball is a sweet story about a blind boy named Davey who tries to play kickball! Sure, he misses and tramples a base keeper at first and everyone thinks he should not play, but maybe there is a solution that will work for everybody!

Lemon the Duck is a story about a duck that was born with Neurological issues and is taken care of by a classroom of students. They learn through caring for Lemon the duck about acceptance, love, and how extra special care can go a long way!

The Pirate of Kindergarten shares the story of Ginny, a kinder girl who sees doubles of everything. With the help of her pirate patch, Ginny can read, run, and even snip her scissors with double the speed!

The Black Book of Colors is an extraordinary book giving young readers the ability to experience the world in new ways. It includes Braille letters to accompany the illustrations and a full Braille alphabet to offer sighted readers help reading along with their fingers!

Spaghetti Is Not a Finger Food is a heartwarming and charming book about (and told from the point of view of) a child with Asperger Syndrome.

Moses Goes to a Concert introduces hearing children to the ASL signs for some of the key words and ideas, in this story about Moses and his friends, who are deaf and use American Sign Language to communicate.

Leah's Voice tells the story of two sisters facing the challenges and difficulties children encounter when they meet a child with special needs, such as autism.

Tom's Special Talent encourages other children to be mindful of the differences that exist between their friends and classmates and to be aware that all children, regardless of their talents, learn differently.

The Name Jar is a sweet story about being the new kid in school and a girl named Unhei.

Strictly No Elephants is an imaginative and lyrical sweet story that captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet!

The Brand New Kid is a heartwarming story about tolerance and the need to give others a chance! This sweet book will entertain and inspire all children in this area!

The Seeing Stick is the story of a little girl who is born blind. The emperor tries to find a cure for his daughter. Then, one day a wise old man with a mysterious seeing stick visits the princess.

My Friend Has Down Syndrome is a reassuring story about two children (one with Down Syndrome and one without) that learn that they are both good at different things by helping each other overcome their fears and difficulties they can accomplish a great deal together!

Susan Laughs follows Susan through a series of familiar activities. She swims with her father, works hard in school, plays with her friends - and even rides a horse. Not until the end of the story is it revealed that Susan uses a wheelchair.

47 Strings. Tessa's Special Code is an invaluable tool to help talk about Down syndrome with children as it describes in easy-to-understand language as well as with sensitivity towards the challenges.

We'll Paint the Octopus Red is a heartwarming story about Emma and her anticipation of the birth of her new baby sibling. Soon, she finds out that her little brother has Down Syndrome. Throughout the story kid will get answers to some of the commonly asked questions about down Syndrome.

Special People Special Ways combine delightful rhymes and beautiful watercolor illustrations to take the reader on a journey of discover and positive images of children with various disabilities.

Some Kids Use Wheelchairs is a great book on teaching diversity and tolerance to young readers on the topic of kids using wheelchairs. This book also helps them understand and appreciate those who have health differences.

Why Does Izzy Cover Her Ears? tells readers about Izzy, a feisty first grader, whose behavior is often misunderstood as she tries to cope with sensory overload in her new surroundings. This book creates an environment that is accepting of students with sensory modulation difficulties, including many on the autism spectrum.

Some Kids Wear Leg Braces: A 4D Book is an engaging text and full-of color photos where readers learn how leg braces can help and what daily life is like for someone who wears them.

Some Kids Are Blind is a great book on teaching diversity and tolerance to young readers on the topic of blindness. This book also helps them understand and appreciate those who have health differences.

Some Kids Are Deaf is a great book on teaching diversity and tolerance to young readers on the topic of deafness. This book also helps them understand and appreciate those who have health differences.

The Alphabet War is a realistic depiction of the long, slow process that leads to Adam's eventual success as a reader. He sees "p" as "q" and "b" as "d" ... and Adam would rather play with clay than read. His teacher wants him to practice, and so begins the alphabet war.

Hooway for Wodney Wat shares the story of Rodney Rat, who can't pronounce his R's and the other rodents tease him mercilessly. Read along with Wodney as he surprises himself and his classmates by single-handedly saving the whole class from the big bad bully.

Those Shoes is all about Jeremy, who wants a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. This story is great for teaching perspective and how it's okay to be different.

Daniel's New Friend (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood) is a story about Daniel Tiger making a new friend, regardless of their differences!

My Friend Has Autism is a sweet book about two friends, one with autism and one not. But that doesn't matter because they are friends! They enjoy talking about all sorts of fun things. This sweet book brings a fresh light to accepting each other, just as we are.

You're All Kinds of Wonderful is a delightful book encouraging kids to embrace the things that make each one of them unique.

We All Have Different Abilities (Celebrating Differences) is a sweet book on celebrating the many talents and abilities that each one of us has.

Just Because is an amusing and touching story that encompasses the issue of disability in a charming celebration of sibling friendship.

What's Inside of You Is Inside Me Too is a book that informs people about Down syndrome in a fun, illustrative way. In the process, it also explains chromosomes and their role in making every living thing special.

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay is a sweet story about a blind girl who, with the help of her friends, enjoys a fun race at school!

Whoever You Are is a beautiful book that urges us to accept our differences and to recognize our similarities - but most importantly, to rejoice in both!

My Brother Charlie is a story about Charlie, a young boy with autism, told through the eyes of his older sister.

Our Stripy Baby tells the story of Zara waiting for her new baby sibling to arrive, but when Zack finally arrives, something isn't right - he has stripes instead of spots, and he doesn't look anything like Max. It's a warm, gentle story about learning to love difference in others.

Taking Cerebral Palsy to School is written from Chad's perspective, a young boy with cerebral palsy. Children, teachers, school nurses, parents, and caregivers will learn about what cerebral palsy is, the different kinds of cerebral palsy, and special equipment that is available to help kids with cerebral palsy.

My Brother is Autistic encourage preschool-age and early-grades children to explore their feelings, deal with problems that trouble them, and understand others who have problems of their own.

I Have Asthma is the story of a child who suffers from asthma, a chronic condition that sometimes produces frightening attacks. But kids learn that with proper medical supervision and treatment, asthma can be kept under control, and kids who are affected by it can live happy, active, and normal lives.

Other books recommended by teachers:
* Benji, the Bad Day, and Me by Sally J. Pla
What other children's books would you add to this list?
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

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60 Books about Disabilities and Differences for Kids - Mrs. D's Corner

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A list of 60 books about disabilities for kids, on special needs, acceptance, and tolerance. Use these books to educate and teach others about disabilities, beginning the conversation about awareness, respect, and acceptance of all others with disabilities. List at Mrs. D's Corner.

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46 YA Books Showcasing Disability Representation

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Here are 46 books that center disabled and neurodivergent characters, with a reminder that there’s no one singular experience when talking about disability.

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July is Disability Pride Month. Being proud to be disabled is a complicated proposal. Disabled folk like me often feel chronic pain, and the lack of accessible spaces is a constant headache (often in a very literal sense). Yet, there is something empowering about claiming the space, in acknowledging the beautiful variety of the human body, in celebrating how our disabled bodies interact with the world. It's not an easy pride to come by, for sure. But today, this disabled body of mine watched a blue jay leap from tree to mailbox and back again, sweated through a tank top in the summer heat, untangled my daughter's hair. Every day I am here, I am disabled, I am participating in this world, and I am proud.

On July 26th, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. Every July since has been unofficially celebrated as Disability Pride Month. Though I attended school mostly in the years following this act, the negative perception of disability still permeated my childhood. I never saw disabled characters on TV unless they were villains. I never read books with disabled characters, and disabled children in my elementary school were sectioned off into separate classrooms.

When I started having health problems in junior high school, it never occurred to me to seek answers or request accommodations. I suffered in silence, as I thought was the norm, until I finally sought and received a diagnosis in my twenties (and several more diagnoses following). I was an adult before I embraced the term disabled and realized I had been told a lie my entire life about what it means to be disabled. I did not know it was possible to be joyful, creative, powerful, competent, AND disabled at the same time. In a thousand and one ways, I had been sold a lie as a child.

That's what makes disabled representation in children's books so absolutely vital. Children's books can help normalize disability and accessibility, can show the nuance and joy in the disability experience. Yet, good disability representation in picture books is rare. 26% of U.S. Americans are disabled , yet disabled main characters make appearances in just 3.4% of children's picture books . Despite there being more picture books with disabled representation than there were when I was a child, it's still far from the number it should be. How can disabled children be proud of themselves when they rarely see people like them, if at all? The support of family and friends is of course essential, but so is media representation.

I tried to choose a variety of disabilities and approaches in these with disabled characters, but there could be so many more, needs to be so many more.

Many kids (and adults) with physical disabilities get bombarded with questions about their disability by strangers. In this book, disabled author James Catchpole centers a child's discomfort when other children continuously ask him, "What happened to you?" at the playground. The child just wants to play! And by the end, that's exactly what the kids do together. This is a vital picture book to begin a discussion with kids about what is and isn't polite to say when talking to disabled folk. The backmatter provides helpful information for parents and caregivers. There's even to go with it for classrooms.

Ali Stroker is a disabled Broadway star, and she wrote this joyful picture book based on her childhood. A young Ali longs to be an actress on stage, and with the encouragement of a lifeguard, decides to put on the play Peter Pan at the beach where she lives. She and her friends and Dad make costumes and sets and have many rehearsals in preparation, but on the big day, there's a terrible storm, and their costumes and set are ruined. However, with a bit of clever thinking, Ali repurposes debris after the storm and they're still able to put on the play. This book is such a fun read! I also highly recommend reading Ali's middle grade novel, The Chance to Fly.

A child with cerebral palsy enjoys a day at the beach with her mom in this vibrantly illustrated and poetic picture book. This picture book contains incidental disability representation, which means the text never mentions the main character has cerebral palsy, nor does the story revolve around her cerebral palsy, yet the child is illustrated as being disabled and uses a mobility aid. It's a perfect read before heading to the beach. The author and illustrator recently won the Schneider Family Book Award for their picture book My City Speaks, which also has incidental disability representation. The main character, a young girl, is visually impaired. Both books are equally lovely!

In this fun and sweet picture book, a young boy and his dog are having the best day ever until things start going wrong. When the dog rolls in mud and jumps on the boy, they both end up dirty and smelly. However, the boy can't stay disappointed for long with such a sweet companion, and the boy and dog are soon having fun together once more. I love how this picture book shows a wheelchair user living his normal life!

In this absolutely stunning picture book, the author describes his childhood experiences with stuttering through rich, poetic language. In class, the narrator's teacher asks him to describe his favorite place, but he's unable to respond. His father picks him up from school and takes him to a river, where the father tells him he talks like a river. This becomes a moment of epiphany for the boy as he realizes his voice can be as strong and beautiful as the river. From the beautiful language to the gorgeous illustrations, this picture book is a work of art and one of my all-time favorites.

This vibrantly illustrated picture book celebrates disabled bodies, accessibility, and disability justice. Each page spread joyously presents disabled bodies moving in the world, whether they're moving fast, waiting in line, or marching for justice. It doesn't shy away from some of the frustrations in navigating inaccessible spaces, and calls for accessibility to be a priority while still focusing on the child reader. It's such a fun read that generates lots of discussion with young readers.

Little Bear doesn't understand why everyone keeps asking him, "Can bears ski?" When Dad Bear takes him to an audiologist, Little Bear is fitted with hearing aids and realizes people were asking him, "Can you hear me?" not whether he could ski or not. While before he had hearing aids, Little Bear experienced the world through vibrations, he now has to cope with how LOUD everything is. Thankfully he has a supportive father to help him. Written by an award-winning deaf poet, this is an adorable picture book.

This is one of my favorite birthday picture books. Laila, who is autistic, has planned the perfect small unicorn birthday party. Schedules are essential for Laila; however, soon things start going wrong. First, it begins raining, and they can't do unicorn races outside. Then her mother accidentally drops the unicorn cake. Everything is going wrong, but with some readjustments to the schedule, doggy snuggles, and a little alone time, Laila has a blast at her birthday party. This is one book in Samantha Cotterill's Little Senses picture book series, which helps children process sensory overload. I love every book in the series so far.

In this STEM picture book, Holly, an autistic child, feels a little put off by the idea of making slime at school that day, even though science is her favorite class. Sometimes strange textures make her feel uncomfortable, but with the support of her family, teacher, and accommodations, she participates in and enjoys the slime-making activity. This book includes a recipe to make slime in the back.

All three children in this rhyming search-and-find picture book are illustrated as disabled: one wears a cochlear implant, one wears glasses, and one has a prosthetic leg. The three children take a walk around their neighborhood with Ranger Hamza, and along the way they play an "I spy" game. They go to the playground, the city, a garden, and notice so many things about the world around them. It's such a fun interactive book to read with kids, and I love the incidental disability representation!

The mission of the Kids Books About... series is to help empower children and powers to have meaningful conversations about diversity. This book, written by a disabled author, demystifies and normalizes disability. It provides helpful information about how common disability is and how to talk to people with disabilities. Every book in the series uses neat typography that centers on the information rather than illustrations. It's an excellent book for caregivers and children alike to start thinking more critically about disability.

Childhood depression is not often addressed in picture books, and this beautiful picture book does an excellent job of showing how depression feels and how family members can respond. Coen is depressed. Everything feels murky and heavy and blue. Instead of getting up and playing, he goes back to bed. One by one, his family tries to cheer him up and get him out of bed, but nothing works. All Coen wants to do is cocoon himself under the covers and feel his emotions. When his family gives him the space and support to do so, his feelings eventually dissipate, and he gets out of bed to play with his family.

The newest picture book in The Questioneers series (Ada Twist, Scientist) depicts a dyslexic main character, Aaron. Aaron loves stories and dreams of being a writer one day. However, Aaron has trouble reading and writing. The letters just won't hold still! Aaron despairs when his teacher Ms. Greer assigns the class a writing project. However, with the support of Ms. Greer and, most importantly, his imagination, he finds his own way to tell a story-through illustrations. This rhyming picture book is a blast to read aloud, and it's printed in a dyslexic-friendly font.

In this joyful picture book by the author of The Pretty One and creator of the #DisabledAndCute movement, Sam, a girl with cerebral palsy, goes to the mall with friends to find the perfect back-to-school outfit. When her legs get a little tired, she needs to find the perfect seat to rest and recharge. But none of the seats are as super as the ones at home. How is she going to find the ideal place to rest? This super fun picture book doesn't release until August, so keep an eye out for it!

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was born in Ghana with a missing right tibia. As an adult, he bicycled almost 400 miles across Ghana with one leg to raise awareness for disability rights. An activist and athlete, he's influenced perception and policy about disabled people in Ghana. In 2006, Ghana passed The Person's with Disability Act. This vibrantly illustrated picture book biography chronicles Yeboah's life and his impact on disability justice.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Pixar illustrator Rosana Sullivan tells the story of the special relationship between a mother and child as they play together in a Malaysian village. However, when Mommy is too sick to play, the child must play with herself. The text never states what precisely the mother has that keeps her bed-ridden. It's a lovely, lyrical read, and in the end, mother and daughter are playing once more.

In this gorgeously illustrated autobiography, Hudson Talbott relates how, as a child, he struggled with reading and writing due to his dyslexia, though he loved drawing and telling stories. He couldn't read as fast as the other kids in his class, making him feel frustrated and like an outsider. However, when he permits himself to read slowly, he discovers he can, in fact, read and that he loves doing so. Some of the illustrations in this picture book are just stunning. I love the message that taking things slowly does not lessen the joy in an activity, something many disabled people (like myself) understand deeply, though it can still often be frustrating.

This nonfiction picture book covers the 1972 case Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia and how it led to the ruling that all disabled children would receive a free public education. The author, Janine Leffler - who has cerebral palsy - was able to attend public school because of this ruling. This is an informative yet accessible read with engaging illustrations. I wish it had a section on the continued work that needs to be done, but I appreciate the historical importance of this case, and there needs to be more books like this for kids.

Lulu loves climbing trees more than anything, but she has to stay inside when she's sick. From the window, she watches the trees and longs to climb them. When the sun casts a tree's shadow on her wall, she uses her imagination to do what she loves most: climb. I love this portrayal of illness and the power of imagination. At the end, the illustrations show the child with what appears to be chicken pox, which is no longer much of an issue thanks to vaccines, but I think this picture book would be an excellent read for any child who experiences a prolonged illness.

Bea has alopecia areata, which means she can't grow hair. It's spirit week at school, and the last day is "Silly Hair Day." Bea is worried; how can she have silly hair with no hair? With some support from a friend and a little ingenuity, Bea comes up with the perfect solution. I love the colorful illustrations, fantastic story, and especially the disability allyship in this wonderful picture book.

Margaret Kingsbury posts about children's books on Instagram . She writes for and , and her essays have also appeared in Parents, The Lily, School Library Journal, and more. In her free time, she writes children's books she hopes will be published one day, hikes with her daughter, and rearranges her books.

July is Disability Pride Month. Being proud to be disabled is a complicated proposal. Disabled folk like me often feel chronic pain, and the lack of accessible spaces is a constant headache (often in a very literal sense). Yet, there is something empowering about claiming the space, in acknowledging the beautiful variety of the human body, in celebrating how our disabled bodies interact with the world. It's not an easy pride to come by, for sure. But today, this disabled body of mine watched a blue jay leap from tree to mailbox and back again, sweated through a tank top in the summer heat, untangled my daughter's hair. Every day I am here, I am disabled, I am participating in this world, and I am proud.

On July 26th, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. Every July since has been unofficially celebrated as Disability Pride Month. Though I attended school mostly in the years following this act, the negative perception of disability still permeated my childhood. I never saw disabled characters on TV unless they were villains. I never read books with disabled characters, and disabled children in my elementary school were sectioned off into separate classrooms.

When I started having health problems in junior high school, it never occurred to me to seek answers or request accommodations. I suffered in silence, as I thought was the norm, until I finally sought and received a diagnosis in my twenties (and several more diagnoses following). I was an adult before I embraced the term disabled and realized I had been told a lie my entire life about what it means to be disabled. I did not know it was possible to be joyful, creative, powerful, competent, AND disabled at the same time. In a thousand and one ways, I had been sold a lie as a child.

That's what makes disabled representation in children's books so absolutely vital. Children's books can help normalize disability and accessibility, can show the nuance and joy in the disability experience. Yet, good disability representation in picture books is rare. 26% of U.S. Americans are disabled , yet disabled main characters make appearances in just 3.4% of children's picture books . Despite there being more picture books with disabled representation than there were when I was a child, it's still far from the number it should be. How can disabled children be proud of themselves when they rarely see people like them, if at all? The support of family and friends is of course essential, but so is media representation.

I tried to choose a variety of disabilities and approaches in these with disabled characters, but there could be so many more, needs to be so many more.

Many kids (and adults) with physical disabilities get bombarded with questions about their disability by strangers. In this book, disabled author James Catchpole centers a child's discomfort when other children continuously ask him, "What happened to you?" at the playground. The child just wants to play! And by the end, that's exactly what the kids do together. This is a vital picture book to begin a discussion with kids about what is and isn't polite to say when talking to disabled folk. The backmatter provides helpful information for parents and caregivers. There's even to go with it for classrooms.

Ali Stroker is a disabled Broadway star, and she wrote this joyful picture book based on her childhood. A young Ali longs to be an actress on stage, and with the encouragement of a lifeguard, decides to put on the play Peter Pan at the beach where she lives. She and her friends and Dad make costumes and sets and have many rehearsals in preparation, but on the big day, there's a terrible storm, and their costumes and set are ruined. However, with a bit of clever thinking, Ali repurposes debris after the storm and they're still able to put on the play. This book is such a fun read! I also highly recommend reading Ali's middle grade novel, The Chance to Fly.

A child with cerebral palsy enjoys a day at the beach with her mom in this vibrantly illustrated and poetic picture book. This picture book contains incidental disability representation, which means the text never mentions the main character has cerebral palsy, nor does the story revolve around her cerebral palsy, yet the child is illustrated as being disabled and uses a mobility aid. It's a perfect read before heading to the beach. The author and illustrator recently won the Schneider Family Book Award for their picture book My City Speaks, which also has incidental disability representation. The main character, a young girl, is visually impaired. Both books are equally lovely!

In this fun and sweet picture book, a young boy and his dog are having the best day ever until things start going wrong. When the dog rolls in mud and jumps on the boy, they both end up dirty and smelly. However, the boy can't stay disappointed for long with such a sweet companion, and the boy and dog are soon having fun together once more. I love how this picture book shows a wheelchair user living his normal life!

In this absolutely stunning picture book, the author describes his childhood experiences with stuttering through rich, poetic language. In class, the narrator's teacher asks him to describe his favorite place, but he's unable to respond. His father picks him up from school and takes him to a river, where the father tells him he talks like a river. This becomes a moment of epiphany for the boy as he realizes his voice can be as strong and beautiful as the river. From the beautiful language to the gorgeous illustrations, this picture book is a work of art and one of my all-time favorites.

This vibrantly illustrated picture book celebrates disabled bodies, accessibility, and disability justice. Each page spread joyously presents disabled bodies moving in the world, whether they're moving fast, waiting in line, or marching for justice. It doesn't shy away from some of the frustrations in navigating inaccessible spaces, and calls for accessibility to be a priority while still focusing on the child reader. It's such a fun read that generates lots of discussion with young readers.

Little Bear doesn't understand why everyone keeps asking him, "Can bears ski?" When Dad Bear takes him to an audiologist, Little Bear is fitted with hearing aids and realizes people were asking him, "Can you hear me?" not whether he could ski or not. While before he had hearing aids, Little Bear experienced the world through vibrations, he now has to cope with how LOUD everything is. Thankfully he has a supportive father to help him. Written by an award-winning deaf poet, this is an adorable picture book.

This is one of my favorite birthday picture books. Laila, who is autistic, has planned the perfect small unicorn birthday party. Schedules are essential for Laila; however, soon things start going wrong. First, it begins raining, and they can't do unicorn races outside. Then her mother accidentally drops the unicorn cake. Everything is going wrong, but with some readjustments to the schedule, doggy snuggles, and a little alone time, Laila has a blast at her birthday party. This is one book in Samantha Cotterill's Little Senses picture book series, which helps children process sensory overload. I love every book in the series so far.

In this STEM picture book, Holly, an autistic child, feels a little put off by the idea of making slime at school that day, even though science is her favorite class. Sometimes strange textures make her feel uncomfortable, but with the support of her family, teacher, and accommodations, she participates in and enjoys the slime-making activity. This book includes a recipe to make slime in the back.

All three children in this rhyming search-and-find picture book are illustrated as disabled: one wears a cochlear implant, one wears glasses, and one has a prosthetic leg. The three children take a walk around their neighborhood with Ranger Hamza, and along the way they play an "I spy" game. They go to the playground, the city, a garden, and notice so many things about the world around them. It's such a fun interactive book to read with kids, and I love the incidental disability representation!

The mission of the Kids Books About... series is to help empower children and powers to have meaningful conversations about diversity. This book, written by a disabled author, demystifies and normalizes disability. It provides helpful information about how common disability is and how to talk to people with disabilities. Every book in the series uses neat typography that centers on the information rather than illustrations. It's an excellent book for caregivers and children alike to start thinking more critically about disability.

Childhood depression is not often addressed in picture books, and this beautiful picture book does an excellent job of showing how depression feels and how family members can respond. Coen is depressed. Everything feels murky and heavy and blue. Instead of getting up and playing, he goes back to bed. One by one, his family tries to cheer him up and get him out of bed, but nothing works. All Coen wants to do is cocoon himself under the covers and feel his emotions. When his family gives him the space and support to do so, his feelings eventually dissipate, and he gets out of bed to play with his family.

The newest picture book in The Questioneers series (Ada Twist, Scientist) depicts a dyslexic main character, Aaron. Aaron loves stories and dreams of being a writer one day. However, Aaron has trouble reading and writing. The letters just won't hold still! Aaron despairs when his teacher Ms. Greer assigns the class a writing project. However, with the support of Ms. Greer and, most importantly, his imagination, he finds his own way to tell a story-through illustrations. This rhyming picture book is a blast to read aloud, and it's printed in a dyslexic-friendly font.

In this joyful picture book by the author of The Pretty One and creator of the #DisabledAndCute movement, Sam, a girl with cerebral palsy, goes to the mall with friends to find the perfect back-to-school outfit. When her legs get a little tired, she needs to find the perfect seat to rest and recharge. But none of the seats are as super as the ones at home. How is she going to find the ideal place to rest? This super fun picture book doesn't release until August, so keep an eye out for it!

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was born in Ghana with a missing right tibia. As an adult, he bicycled almost 400 miles across Ghana with one leg to raise awareness for disability rights. An activist and athlete, he's influenced perception and policy about disabled people in Ghana. In 2006, Ghana passed The Person's with Disability Act. This vibrantly illustrated picture book biography chronicles Yeboah's life and his impact on disability justice.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Pixar illustrator Rosana Sullivan tells the story of the special relationship between a mother and child as they play together in a Malaysian village. However, when Mommy is too sick to play, the child must play with herself. The text never states what precisely the mother has that keeps her bed-ridden. It's a lovely, lyrical read, and in the end, mother and daughter are playing once more.

In this gorgeously illustrated autobiography, Hudson Talbott relates how, as a child, he struggled with reading and writing due to his dyslexia, though he loved drawing and telling stories. He couldn't read as fast as the other kids in his class, making him feel frustrated and like an outsider. However, when he permits himself to read slowly, he discovers he can, in fact, read and that he loves doing so. Some of the illustrations in this picture book are just stunning. I love the message that taking things slowly does not lessen the joy in an activity, something many disabled people (like myself) understand deeply, though it can still often be frustrating.

This nonfiction picture book covers the 1972 case Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia and how it led to the ruling that all disabled children would receive a free public education. The author, Janine Leffler - who has cerebral palsy - was able to attend public school because of this ruling. This is an informative yet accessible read with engaging illustrations. I wish it had a section on the continued work that needs to be done, but I appreciate the historical importance of this case, and there needs to be more books like this for kids.

Lulu loves climbing trees more than anything, but she has to stay inside when she's sick. From the window, she watches the trees and longs to climb them. When the sun casts a tree's shadow on her wall, she uses her imagination to do what she loves most: climb. I love this portrayal of illness and the power of imagination. At the end, the illustrations show the child with what appears to be chicken pox, which is no longer much of an issue thanks to vaccines, but I think this picture book would be an excellent read for any child who experiences a prolonged illness.

Bea has alopecia areata, which means she can't grow hair. It's spirit week at school, and the last day is "Silly Hair Day." Bea is worried; how can she have silly hair with no hair? With some support from a friend and a little ingenuity, Bea comes up with the perfect solution. I love the colorful illustrations, fantastic story, and especially the disability allyship in this wonderful picture book.

Margaret Kingsbury posts about children's books on Instagram . She writes for and , and her essays have also appeared in Parents, The Lily, School Library Journal, and more. In her free time, she writes children's books she hopes will be published one day, hikes with her daughter, and rearranges her books.

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20 Picture Books To Read For Disability Pride Month And Beyond by Margaret Kingsburyhttps://static.wixstatic.com/media/f6baa3_3076e2aad69b4b87b5326087b7dd1f3c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/f6baa3_3076e2aad69b4b87b5326087b7dd1f3c~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f6baa3_3076e2aad69b4b87b5326087b7dd1f3c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/f6baa3_3076e2aad69b4b87b5326087b7dd1f3c~mv2.png July is Disability Pride Month. Being proud to be disabled is a complicated proposal. Disabled folk like me often feel chronic pain, and the lack of accessible spaces is a constant headache (often in a very literal sense). Yet, there is something empowering about claiming the space, in acknowledging the beautiful variety of the human body, in celebrating how our disabled bodies interact with the world. It's not an easy pride to come by, for sure. But today, this disabled body of mine watched a bhttps://static.wixstatic.com/media/f6baa3_3076e2aad69b4b87b5326087b7dd1f3c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/f6baa3_3076e2aad69b4b87b5326087b7dd1f3c~mv2.pngJuly is Disability Pride Month. Being proud to be disabled is a complicated proposal. Disabled folk like me often feel chronic pain, and the lack of accessible spaces is a constant headache (often in a very literal sense). Yet, there is something empowering about claiming the space, in acknowledging the beautiful variety of the human body, in celebrating how our disabled bodies interact with the world. It's not an easy pride to come by, for sure. But today, this disabled body of mine watched a b

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July is Disability Pride Month. Being proud to be disabled is a complicated proposal. Disabled folk like me often feel chronic pain, and the lack of accessible spaces is a constant headache (often in a very literal sense).

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Book List , Teen

A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes--because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together. An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb's teacher, who won't stop reminding the class how "bad" Muslims are. But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn't bad. She's angry. When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt's house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break. Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, "nicer" version of herself in a place where no one knows her. Then her path crosses with Adam's.

Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam's stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister. Adam's also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father. Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs...

Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting. Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

An award-winning book from the author of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life and The Candymakers for fans for of Wonder and Counting by Sevens
Mia Winchell has synesthesia, the mingling of perceptions whereby a person can see sounds, smell colors, or taste shapes. Forced to reveal her condition, she must look to herself to develop an understanding and appreciation of her gift in this coming-of-age novel.

The term "cognitive disorder" implies there is something wrong with the way I think or the way I perceive reality. I perceive reality just fine. Sometimes I perceive more of reality than others.
Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear - part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer . . . to join "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file, a picture of a girl with half a face that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Jase Ellison doesn't remember having acute lymphocytic leukemia when he was three years old. His cancer diagnosis only enters his mind twice a year: once at his yearly checkup at the oncology clinic and one when he attends Camp Chemo in the summer. No one in his "real" life knows about his past, especially his friends at Atlanta West Prep.

Mari Manos has never been able to hide her cancer survivorship. She wakes every morning, grabs her pink forearm clip crutches, and starts her day. Mari loves Camp Chemo--where she's developed a healthy crush on fellow camper Jase. At Camp, she knows that she'll never get "the look" or have to explain her amputation to anyone.

Jase wants to move on, to never reveal his past. But when Mari transfers to his school, he knows she could blow his cover. That's the last thing he wants, but he also cannot ignore his attraction to her. Mari wants to be looked at like a girl, a person, and not only known for her disability. But how do you move on from cancer when the world won't let you?

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Book List , Teen A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes--because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together. An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world.

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By David-Elijah Nahmod

Eight books have been chosen to be honored in the 2022 Schneider Family Book Awards - a prize that acknowledges the artistic expression of disability by authors or illustrators who created their work for child or adolescent readers. The awards are administered by the American Librarian Association, and were announced on January 24, 2022, during the association's LibLearnX, which was held virtually from January 21-24.

Each winner received a prize of $5,000 and a framed plaque. Winners were selected in three categories: young children from birth through grade school, ages 0-8, middle grades ages 9-13, and teens, ages 14-18. The prize winners represent a diverse array of disabilities and cultures.

1. A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Words, written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, is the Schneider Family Book Awards winner in the young children's honor title. In A Walk in the Words, Talbott shares his own story about facing the challenge of being a slow reader. His love of language and his curiosity got him reading and eventually he became a storyteller, writing more than 27 books for young readers. In the words of his prize-winning book's description, Talbott discovered he could "paint with words."

2. A Sky-Blue Bench

A Sky-Blue Bench, written by Bahram Rahman and illustrated by Peggy Collins, was published by Pajama Press Inc. and is also a winner in the young children's honor title. A Sky-Blue Bench tells the story of Aria, a young Afghani girl who's excited about her first day back at school since her accident. But Aria is worried about sitting on a hard floor all day with her prosthetic "helper leg." Aria knows that she will be more comfortable on a bench, and so she sets out to gather materials to build a bench for herself.

3. My City Speaks

My City Speaks won the award for young children. The book was written by Darren Lebeuf, with illustrations by Ashley Barron. Published by Kids Can Press Ltd., My City Speaks is about a visually impaired young girl who explores her city with her father. As they visit various diverse destinations, such as a playground, a community garden, a market and an outdoor concert, the girl describes the things she senses in poetic detail.

4. Stuntboy, in the Meantime

Stuntboy in the Meantime takes the prize for best middle grades honor title. Written by Jason Reynolds and illustrated by Raul the Third, this novel is the fanciful tale of Portico, a Black fourth grader who is secretly a superhero. As Portico tries to dodge neighborhood bully Herbert and deal with his parents arguing, he becomes Stuntboy, determined to save his neighborhood and his parents' marriage. This book was published by Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

5. A Kind of Spark

Also acknowledged for best middle grade honor title is A Kind of Spark, by Elle McNicoll, a neurodivergent author. Published by Crown Books for Young Readers, McNicoll introduces readers to neurodivergent girl Addie, who tries to get her Scottish town to erect a memorial when she learns that the town used to burn witches simply because they were different.

6. A Bird Will Soar

A Bird Will Soar, by Alison Green Myers, won for best middle grades title. The book follows the story of Axel, a bird-loving autistic child whose family nest is in danger of falling apart. Myers integrates poetry and science as she creates a character whose disability molds his identity. The book was published by Dutton Books For Young Readers.

7. A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age With Crouzon Syndrome

Taking home the Schneider Family Book Awards for teens honor title is A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age With Crouzon Syndrome, by Ariel Henley and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books For Young Readers. Crouzon Syndrome is a condition in which the seams of the skull fuse abnormally, which affects the shape of the face and skull. Henley's book is based upon her own experiences of coming of age with this syndrome.

8. The Words in My Hands

And finally, the teens award winner is The Words in My Hands, which was written and illustrated by Asphyxia and published by Annick Press. Set in a futuristic Australia, Asphyxia introduces readers to Piper, a deaf teen, as she searches for her identity.

Learn More About the Schneider Family Book Awards

The 2022 Schneider Family Book Awards committee is headed by co-chairs Suan Hess, a retired New York City school librarian, and Mary-Kate Sableski, an associate professor at the University of Dayton in Ohio. Other members of the committee includ Cathy Andronik, Betsy Fraser, Ashley Mensah, Rachel G. Payne, Sharon Powers, Scot Smith, and Alyson Beecher.

All prize-inning books are readily available for purchase at Amazon.com.

The American Library Association has been the voice of libraries for more than 140 years. They support library professionals and the library's role in ensuring access to information and in increasing learning. For more information on the Schneider Family Book Awards and other programs and activities of the association, please visit https://www.ala.org/.

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8 Award-winning Disability Children's and YA Books to Read in 2022 - Oleb Books

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By David-Elijah Nahmod Eight books have been chosen to be honored in the 2022 Schneider Family Book Awards - a prize that acknowledges the artistic expression of disability by authors or illustrators who created their work for child or adolescent readers.

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20 children’s books about disability that shatter stereotypes

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These 21 children’s books about disability challenge common stereotypes about disabled people and how they experience life.

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Each month a book from Books Matter is featured. Each Monthly Featured Book has educator and parent discussion guides to expand upon young people's learning from the book. Suggested activities help to facilitate discussions about identity and diversity, understanding and challenging bias and promoting social justice.

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103 Things to Do Before, During, or After Reading

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This article offers a collection of interactive activities that help kids become more involved in the stories that they read.

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By Marilyn Pryle
With the start of the new school year, we are always looking for new activities to freshen up our repertoire! At the same time, we want our students to be reading closely and thinking deeply. Here are five adaptable ideas that you can add to your toolbox to keep students creatively interacting with texts.

1. Quote Give Away

I like to use this as a prereading activity, especially with well-known authors: Have students get acclimated to the author's style by searching through brief quotes from the author.
► Examples of quotes include:
Rumi: What you seek is seeking you.

Lois Lowry: Take pride in your pain; you are stronger than those who have none,

Shakespeare: Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find.

Quotes can easily be found through a simple Google search or even just through Goodreads.com. I have students find three quotes:

One that has meaning for themselves

One that has meaning for a family member, friend, or mentor outside class

One that has meaning for a classmate who will be randomly assigned

I randomly pair students (for #3 above) and give them class time to interview each other. This way, even if the paired students don't know each other well, they will have some information to begin their quote searches. (Note the listening and speaking elements here as well.) The other two quotes-one for themselves (#1) and one for a family member, friend, or mentor outside class (#2)-don't require interviews.

Students then have a few days to locate their appropriate quotes and put each on a separate piece of paper and decorate. The quotes can be turned into bookmarks, locker signs, or mini-posters for home as daily positive reminders.

Additionally, students must a write brief note on the back of each quote to the person the quote was selected for. This note should explain why the student chose that particular quote for that person. If you wanted to include more writing for this activity, students could write a longer paper explaining what each quote means and why it was chosen for the particular recipient.

On the due date, students must bring in all three quotes, decorated. While students read or work on another activity, I circulate, check, and admire all quotes and decorations.

Students then meet with their randomly assigned partner to trade the quotes they have prepared for each other.

This step is nothing short of beautiful! Listening to students explain to each other why they selected meaningful quotes from a famous author is a moving experience to watch.

Students obviously keep the quote they prepared for themselves. And they should deliver the quote for person #2 - a family member, friend, or mentor outside class. When I first tried this activity, I wondered about this. How would I know if the quote had really been delivered? The answer: selfies! I gave students an additional three days to deliver their quote and take a selfie as proof. Some are shown here.

Students claim they read "hundreds!" of quotes to find ones that would work for each recipient. I love this activity because it incorporates real audiences, audiences the students care about. This makes them read through dozens of quotes intensely, scouring for meaning and testing for application. And the element of giving something away not only creates positive vibes but also communicates the message that literature is a communal event, something to be shared, something that connects us to each other in real and meaningful ways.

2. Character Bucket List

The "Bucket List" is a type of To-Do list. However, it is not a daily, errand-running, responsibilities-are-nagging-at-you kind of To-Do list; it is an end-of-life To-Do list.

To create one for a character, students must imagine that character's largest goals, interests, and dreams. Students must use not only direct information from the text, but also inferences based on that information.
Character Bucket List Brainstorming Questions:
► What do you think is the greatest thing the character could achieve in life?

► Where in the world would the character want to travel?

► What famous people would the character want to meet?

► What is the ultimate expression of the character's talents?

► If the character wrote a book, what would it be about?

► What farfetched kinds of experiences could you see this character having?

I recommend setting a minimum number of items for the Bucket List, such as ten. This will ensure that students think past the first few obvious answers.

Extra Challenge: Reason Bubbles. If you wanted to go even more in-depth with the assignment, have students attach a "Reason Bubble" to each item on the bucket list explaining their thoughts.

Extra-Extra Challenge: Page Numbers. Have students cite a page number for each item on their list. The page number could be the literal citation of the item, or it could reference the information that led the student to the inference that created the item. Either way, students must show exactly where in the text their reasoning originated.

3. Host an Event

For this activity, you should be familiar with the Evite website, a business that lets people email invitations for an event and manage the replies.

Both guests and host can leave comments on the replies; guests can also add other guests or volunteer to bring items. As I was creating an actual Evite invitation for my own family, I thought of the mythical Eris, goddess of chaos and troublemaking, who was purposefully snubbed for the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, and I mused about how that would play out on an Evite page. I then realized that it would be interesting for any literary character to send out and respond to invitations for an event.

To complete the activity, students must:
► Create an event and decide which character would host it.
Of course, it is possible to use an event that already takes place in the story as well. However, if students must invent an event, they usually come up with creative and humorous ideas which reflect a thorough understanding of the story.
► Create a guest list.
► Figure out who would actually attend, who would not (because of a conflict or other reason) and who is undecided. On the Evite website, guests can respond either "Yes," "No," or "Maybe."

► Have each invited guest leave a comment. This is where it gets interesting. Each guest, whether attending, not attending, or undecided, should leave a comment. The comments need not be long; just a sentence or two could be enough to reveal a character's true feelings.

Maybe a character is so excited about the event she can hardly contain herself; maybe he tells what he will bring or wear; maybe he leaves a sarcastic remark while declining the invitation; maybe she expresses self-doubt or fear of another character. Students should use explicit and implicit information from the text. They should not write any comment that they cannot defend by pointing somewhere in the text. These comments should run in a list down the page.

► Have guests comment on each other's comments. Like most social media websites, Evite allows guests to reply to already-posted comments. With that, each guest's response can become a mini-conversation, going even further to reveal the students' understanding of the story. Of course, the host can also reply to any posted comment as well. You can have your students write at least one reply to every guest's initial comment, or, if that seems too overwhelming, have the students reply to just five (or another minimum number) initial comments.

The final page, then, would have the event at the top with a short description underneath, the name of the host, and the list guests, along with their comments and replies. If you choose, you could also have the students decorate the page with a party theme of some kind. It helps to show them a print-out of the actual website, though students are already very familiar with the comment/reply routine.

4. Create a Catalogue

This activity is best assigned towards the end of a longer reading, when students can recognize important objects and symbols throughout a text. Students should create a catalogue of items for sale, just like any other catalogue you would find in the mailbox or online. In doing so, they will reveal the depth of their understanding of the text.

The "items" in the catalogue should include actual objects or real estate from the story, but students can get creative-maybe they want to include a "rare photo" of certain scene or person, or another item that does not literally appear in the story but could have very well existed. To invent items, students will have to infer from the text.

To assemble the catalogue, students should decide which items they will include (it helps if you set a minimum number), order or group them in a logical way, and list them individually. They can include a picture and a description. The description should not only physically explain the item but should also somehow reveal its significance in the story. For fun, students can set a price for each item, further indicating its worth in the text.

Extra Challenge: Cite the Page. As a challenge, you could have students cite each item with a page number from the book. The items which appear in the book can be cited for the page on which they are mentioned. But the "invented" items can also be cited-students should cite the page that gives the information that led to the inference. You could even have students use reason bubbles along the sides of the items to explain their thinking.

Below are some examples from a catalogue based on Lois Lowry's The Giver.

5. Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt

This handout aims to help students analyze an author's choice of words, specifically, figurative language. Emphasize to the students that the figurative language in a piece-the similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and so on-isn't accidental; the author chooses these particular symbols or sounds in order to reinforce the mood, theme, or plot point.

For example, at one moment in a story, rain could be falling. If it were a safe, happy moment, the author could use the phrase "rain like soft kisses." If it were an ominous moment, the author might say "rainclouds gathered like menacing ghosts." If it were a painful moment, the author might use the personification and alliteration of "the drops poked at his skin." It is important that students learn to recognize these choices, and make guesses at what meaning or mood the author was reinforcing.

The handout above could be used as a post-reading activity with a few pages or entire chapter. Students should skim the section for examples of figurative language, copy them, and cite the page number. This compels them not only to reread for meaning, but also to apply the definitions of various figurative motifs (which they may have learned in isolation) to actual texts. They should also take a guess at why the author chose that particular figurative arrangement.

Keeping students curious and engaged

Offering students a variety of activities helps them dissect texts in new and surprising ways, and most importantly, keeps them interested! I rotate through dozens of pre-, post-, and during-reading activities throughout the year to help students stay curious and engaged. I hope these five ideas help your students interact with texts in new and creative ways as well.
Marilyn Pryle (@MPryle) is a National Board Certified teacher in Clarks Summit, PA and the 2019 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. Marilyn has taught middle and high school English for over twenty years. She is the author of several books about teaching reading and writing, including 50 Common Core Reading Response Activities and Writing Workshop in Middle School, both from Scholastic.
Marilyn's most recent book is Reading with Presence: Crafting Meaningful, Evidenced-Based Reading Responses (Heinemann, 2018). Learn more about Marilyn at marilynpryle.com and read other articles she's written for MiddleWeb.

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5 Fun Engaging and Reading Extension Activities

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NBCT Marilyn Pryle shares 5 reading activities for your ELA toolbox to keep students creatively interacting with texts. How about a Character Bucket List?

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If you're like me, you're anxiously awaiting the start of the new school year. You've probably been gathering opening week lesson ideas and trying to remember the best route to school. You are also thinking about how you're going to make sure that every student becomes the best version of themselves.

I think we can all agree that it's a pretty big deal to feel welcomed and appreciated. It's easier to be happy. It's easier to be sad. It's easier to learn and be productive. A safe community allows risk taking and encourages reflection after failure. No classroom can be successful without a sense of community -- and community only works if everyone is included. This doesn't happen by accident. Community thrives in an environment that has been intentionally scaffolded. Inclusion is something that has to be designed.
Here are some ways to build your classroom community: Promote Empathy
There are three types of empathy:
If we're able to integrate activities that promote empathy, we're on the road to building a community that supports everyone. Empathy gives us the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others.

1. Cognitive empathy allows us to understand how someone might be feeling and thinking. This is helpful to know when guiding discussion or generally interacting in the classroom. It makes communication more efficient and meaningful. One strategy I use to begin the school year is to have each student design a birthday party for someone in the classroom. To do so, students have to craft and questions to ascertain the likes and dislikes of a partner. Students get to know each other through the meaningful exchange of information. Afterwards, they create a sample invitation and a short description of the party that is given to the partner. Then, students conduct feedback sessions as to what they liked about the invitation and the party which allows them to create a better version of their work product. Shows like Peg + Cat and Pinkalicious do a particularly good job of illustrating this concept.

2. Emotional empathy allows us to be sensitive to others' feelings as we interact. The way we are treated and treat others factors greatly into whether or not we have created an inclusive community. Employing active listening strategies is a great way to do this. For example, when students work with partners, I have them listen for what I call "One Big Thing." The "One Big Thing" is something that strikes them as interesting or important that their partner has said. They know that they are responsible for sharing this with the class or digitally. *Arthur* has really good episodes that demonstrate the importance of emotional empathy.
Empathy through Shared Poetry

3. Compassionate empathy helps us to express our concern for others to spark action on their behalf.Using empathy to change things is always a goal. Utilizing human-centered design helps students realize the power they have to change their communities and the world. Last year, 3rd grade students engineered products that would help our kindergarten students learn their letters and letter sounds after observing a few kindergarten classes. They used their observations to find solutions to problems. *Nature Cat* and *Dinosaur Train* help students realize that they have the power to change things no matter who they are.

A particularly powerful strategy for discovering empathy is writing a "Poem for Two Voices." Two students collaborate on poem and then determine a way to present it. Through the process, they get to know one another and learn to appreciate how they are alike and different. I discovered these poems about ten years ago after stumbling on book called Math Talk by Theoni Pappas. It's a strategy I've adapted to fit any content area.

To get started writing, I suggest using video as provocation and "The Tiny-saur Train" episode from "Dinosaur Train" would be an optimal resource to stimulate ideas about empathy. The episode discusses differences, celebrates these differences, and illustrates how inclusion benefits everyone. At the conclusion of the video, give students a chance to discuss what they saw. If your students are anything like mine, students will talk about their own experiences and the video may foster a rich conversation.

After viewing the discussion, help students generate questions they'd like to ask others in the classroom. Allow students to write or sketch their questions on sticky notes or by adding them to a digital tool like Padlet, Google Docs, or Google Keep. This will give everyone the ability to contribute. Once the questions have been established, pair students using a collaborative structure. I like to use "Peanut Butter and Jam" where students walk around the room to music until the music stops. They then give the closest classmate a "peanut butter" hi-five and become partners.

It's now time to interview a classmate. Each member of the group should choose 3 to 5 questions, choosing the questions without input from their partner. Give each member the opportunity to ask their questions and then record the answers. Then, the duo will write a poem that they will deliver together. Give students options for their presentations. My students have recorded videos, recorded songs, and digital postcards in the past.
Everybody is a Genius
Here are some templates you might wish to use if you're interested in this activity.

Empathy gives students the agency to make decisions without fear of reprisal. It creates inclusion by allowing them to realize there are times you will fail during the learning process and it's okay. That's a powerful lesson. Empathic classrooms embrace ideas like flexible seating, culturally responsive teaching, and social emotional learning because they build community and acceptance. This is important for all students, but especially those who are just starting school or those that have not found a lot of success academically.

I try to "default to genius" in my classroom. Every student has an imagination which allows them to view the world in a special way. This is their unique genius and a view that should be respected. I mention this because in order to have an inclusive classroom, everyone needs to feel valued -- not valued as an academic entity, but as a person. Each child needs to be valued as a person with their own story, strengths, and opportunities for growth. Not to be compared with another student, but to be celebrated for their uniqueness.
Encourage Reflection
The use of the arts and creative freedom encourages inclusion. Allowing our students some choice in demonstrating mastery gives students the opportunity to apply their genius to their classwork. Integrating visual arts opportunities opens doors for students that might not be your best writers to express their understandings of concepts. Allowing students to experiment with sound and music creation might be appealing to those that shy away from participating. Providing choice can be a lure that we as educators can employ if we want students to feel included in our classrooms.

Respecting genius has another benefit. It allows for intersections. Intersections are opportunities for cross pollination of skills or concepts that allow the creation of something new. Collaboration is a natural and viral phenomena. Students like to work together, especially when the product is something new and exciting. Collaboration also widens the skill sets of those involved, providing the backdrop to help change the world.

Being reflective is a characteristic of an inclusive classroom that can not be overlooked. As instructors, our job is not to be critical of our students but to encourage them to improve their products and practices. I like to tell my students that any assignments that are turned into me are "beta" copies. They can be improved with feedback from myself and peers. We try to build a community that doesn't chastise people when things don't work, but tries to help them improve instead.
The Magic of Journaling
Inclusive classrooms illustrate to students that feedback isn't a personal slight, but something born out of wanting them to improve and succeed. It's not a malicious criticism or an indication of how they are lacking; instead, a recognition of ways they can improve. Giving students sentence stems during peer to peer feedback sessions is an important scaffold as well as modeling the behavior ourselves.

Allowing students to help craft the rubrics for assignments is another powerful strategy. This is a "premortum" strategy. It allows students to ask questions and postulate scenarios before you've begun an activity. This has made many of my projects easier to provide feedback because a lot of questions have already been answered. also gives students ownership of the process. They aren't just passengers but become co-pilots on their own journey.

I also encourage students to journal. Whether through sketching or writing, journaling is a great way to reflect on life. It's also personal and cathartic. There are times when students will show me a sketch, a musing, or a story, but it's not something I "grade." Inclusion also encompasses exclusion. Giving students a measure of privacy is important.

Making sure that your classroom is inviting to all students isn't accidental but the product of conscious choices. As educators, we need to be architects of inclusion which utilize structures that are welcoming to all. Every student deserves a classroom in which they are viewed as valuable and accepted for who they are as well as who they can be. PBS LearningMedia provides free resources that can support culturally responsive teaching, social emotional learning, and empathy. These community builders are just a search away.

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back to school with pbs kids: design an inclusive classroom

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Back to School with PBS KIDS: Design an Inclusive Classroom | PBS Education

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If you're like me, you're anxiously awaiting the start of the new school year. You've probably been gathering opening week lesson ideas and trying to remember the best route to school. You are also thinking about how you're going to make sure that every student becomes the best version of themselves.