Illustrator: Ernesto Cuevas Jr.

Book Information:  https://www.leeandlow.com/books/2777

Publication Date: 2004

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: K-3

Text Level: Not Available

Teaser: Tomasito has Spina Bifida and when he moves to a new town, that is all that his new friends care about. Because he is in a wheelchair, he believes that he cannot play on the school soccer team. When his dad surprises him with a little featherless bird, Tomasito soon learns that although he may be different, he can still do whatever he puts his mind to.

Teaching Ideas: I would not only use this book to teach my students about inclusiveness, but I would also use this text to teach my students about disabilities such as Spina Bifida. Using this text as an introduction, I will set up charts, other books, videos, and different forms of literature to help my students get a better understanding of what exactly Spina Bifida is and what it means.

Other Teaching Ideas: https://www.leeandlow.com/images/pdfs/featherless_tg.pdf

Illustrator: Glenna Lang

Book Information: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1948013.Looking_Out_for_Sarah

Publication Date: 2001

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: K-2

Text Level:

• Grade Equivalent: 3.3
• Guided Reading: L
• DRA: 20
• Lexile^® Measure: AD600L

Illustrator: Isaac Millman

Book Information: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-35067-3

Publication Date: 1998

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: K-2

Text Level:

• Grade Equivalent: 3.7
• Guided Reading: K
• DRA: 18
• Lexile^® Measure: AD670L

Illustrator: Isaac Millman

Book Information: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/696663.Moses_Goes_to_School

Publication Date: 2000

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: K-2

Text Level:

• Grade Equivalent: 2.7
  
• Guided Reading: K
  
• DRA: 18
  
• Lexile^® Measure: AD460L
  

Illustrator: Robert L. Sweetland

Book Information: http://readingtokids.org/Books/BookView.php?pag=5&bookID=00000583

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: K-2

Text Level: 

• Grade Equivalent: 4.1
• Guided Reading: Not Available
• DRA: Not Available
• Lexile^® Measure: AD830L

Illustrator: Henri Sorensen

Book Information: http://kcweb.lapl.org/kcweb/servlet/kcContent?&inst=LAPL&branch=++++++&isbn=1561452211&controlnumber=1903970&type=summary

Publication Date: 2003

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: K-2

Text Level:

• Grade Equivalent: 4.4
• Guided Reading: Not Available
• DRA: Not Available
• Lexile^® Measure: AD710

Illustrator: Bert Dodson

Book Information: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5542.Kami_and_the_Yaks

Publication Date: 2007

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: K-2

Text Level: Not Available

Teaser: Kami is a young, deaf Sherpa boy who lives with his family in the Himalaya Mountains. When all hope is lost and his yaks go missing, his courage, strength and persistence show when he tries to find them in the middle of a big storm. Will he find the yaks and get home safely to his family?

Teaching Ideas: I would use this text to teach my students the lesson that students with disabilities should not be limited because of their disability. I would use this text as a gateway to setting up a research about the Sherpa people and their way of life. This would be an excellent text to use to introduce diversity and culture.

Other Teaching Ideas: http://6elementssje.blogspot.com/2013/10/title-kamiand-yaks-author-andreastenn.html

Book Information: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/696631.Can_You_Feel_the_Thunder_

Publication Date: 1999

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: 6-8

Text Level:

• Grade Equivalent: 7.1
• Guided Reading: NR
• DRA: Not Available
• Lexile^® Measure: 560L

Book Information: http://www.lisagraff.com/the-thing-about-georgie.html

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: 4-6

Text Level:

• Grade Equivalent: 3.8
  
• Guided Reading: Not Available
  
• DRA: Not Available
  
• Lexile^® Measure: 770L
  

Teaser: There are a lot of special things about Georgie. He does not like walking poodles. He does not like Jeanie the Meanie and his mother is having a baby that will most likely be taller than him.

Teaching Ideas: I would use this text to introduce different types of dwarfism. I would set up a day of experience in the classroom by putting everything up too high for the students to reach. This will help them to understand what it is like to have dwarfism and hopefully spark their minds on how to be more helpful and considerate;

Other Teaching Ideas: http://suzyred.com/2008georgie.html

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Fiction

Interest Level: 3-7

Text Level:

Grade Equivalent: 4.5

Guided Reading: R

DRA: 40

Lexile^® Measure:  780L

Teaser: Catherine is an average 12 year-old girl except for the fact that she has a brother with Autism. Her parents are constantly focused on his disability, causing Catherine to get annoyed. Why can't she just be part of a normal family?

Teaching Ideas: I would use this book to open a discussion about different types of disabilities. I would have the students research different disabilities and present their findings to the class. This could also be a good opportunity for a guest speaker, a sibling of someone with a disability, to come in and speak to the class about the difficulties and joys that come along with having a sibling with special needs.

Other Teaching Ideas: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/rules-storia-teaching-guide

Teaching Idea: I would play this song for my students to get them to understand how alike we are to students with disabilities. I would ask them to watch the video and listen to the song and then write about how it made them feel and why they think it was important. This will, hopefully, help them to see students with disabilities in an entirely new light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z09AKNHihiE

Teaching Idea: I would read this poem to my students in order to show them a parent or teacher's perspective of having a child with a disability impact their lives. I would ask the students to listen to the poem carefully and have them write down any thoughts that come to mind while it is being recited. Then, I would ask if anyone was willing to share and use that to begin a large group discussion about similarities and differences between what students thought about or noticed about the poem.

http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/about-children-with-disabilities-come-touch-his-cheek

Teaching Idea: I would love to show this video to older students. I would have them first write down things that they know or think about physical disabilities. I would then show them the video. When the video is over, I would call them into a group and have a group discussion about the things that they wrote that were true and the things that they wrote that were false. I would also ask what they thought about the video and if they had any questions or comments. This will help the students to realize that there is more to a person with a physical disability that meets the eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL8GMxRW_5Y

Teaching Idea: I would show this video to my students to help them see just how similar students with disabilities are to those without. I would show this video to the class and then ask the students to share their thoughts, feeling, opinions, or ideas about the video. Did the video change anyone's perspective on students with disabilities? Then, I would split them into groups and ask them to brainstorm ways that they can help students with disabilities to feel welcome and accepted. I would have them come back into a large group and share their ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2PIizndq-g

Teaching Idea: I would share this website with my students and allow them to explore it. It will help the students to get a unique look and better understanding for what it is like to have a disability. After giving them ample time, I would ask them to pick one of their favorite pieces. I will then have them journal about why they chose the piece that they did and what they got out of it.

http://www.listentoourstories.com/