Key to age group or grade level:
AC = Adult Read to Children. For Pre-K to Grade 3, ranging from 10
to 30 pages, with illustrations; typically designed for parents to read to their children. JE = Juvenile Easy Reader. For children who are beginning to read on their
own, such as those in Grades 1-2; ranging from 30 to 80 pages; illustrations are included to break
up the text. JF = Juvenile Fiction. Children's fiction or chapter books;
for children in Grades 2-6; ranging from 60 to 200 pages, the books are generally divided into
chapters, contain fewer illustrations, and have more complicated plots or concepts than either AC
or JE books. YA = Young Adult. For young adults in Grades 5-12;
more complicated plots and topics of general interest to the young adult population. A = Adult. Contains language and/or content that may be unsuitable for young
adults.
AC
Title: A.D.D. not B.A.D.
Author: Audrey Penn
Publisher: Child and Family Press, Child Welfare League of America, Inc., 440 First St. NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC 20001-2085; 2003
ISBN #: ISBN-0-87868-849-8
Disability: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Story Profile: Jimmy Jumpingbean can't sit still, and his fellow students just can't understand why. With the help of their teacher, Mr. Jugardor, Jimmy's classmates are able to put themselves into Jimmy's shoes-both literally and figuratively. Inspired by the author's own son, this warmly illustrated tale offers children ages 5 to 9 accurate, yet age-appropriate insight into Attention Deficit Disorder and its associated behaviors.
Reading Level: AC
Title: All About My Brother
Author: Sarah Peralta
Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Co., PO Box 23173, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66283-0173; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-931282-11-0
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: Eight-year-old Sarah Peralta demystifies autism by giving us insights into the world of her younger brother, who is nonverbal. Through her simple depictions of Evan's everyday behavior, Sarah encourages others to approach autism without fear or pity.
Reading Level: AC
Title: All Kinds of Friends, Even Green!
Author: Ellen B. Senisi
Publisher: Woodbine House, Inc., 6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-890627-35-6
Disability: Spina Bifida
Story Profile: The teacher gives Moses and his class an assignment to write about a friend. His friend Katie has an iguana named Zaki who is missing toes, making it hard for her to walk and climb. Moses decides to write about Zaki because he and Zaki have a lot in common. They both have special needs. More than just a story about friendship, this book looks at difference in a clever yet subtle way.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Andy and His Yellow Frisbee
Author: Mary Thompson
Publisher: Woodbine House, 6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817; 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933149-83-2
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: Sarah is a new girl at school who is curious about why Andy spins
his yellow frisbee every day by himself on the playground. When Sara tries to talk to
Andy, Rosie, Andy's older sister, watches and worries about how her brother may react.
Rose knows that Andy is in his own world most of the time, and that he has trouble finding the
words to express himself.
Reading Level: AC
Title: A Picture Book of Helen Keller
Author: David A. Adler
Publisher: Holiday House
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8234-0818-3
Disability: Deaf-Blind
Story Profile: Some salient details in the life of Helen Keller are described in this
pictorial biography; her frustration and untamed behavior and the radical changes effected by
Anne Sullivan Macy.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Armann and Gentle
Author: Kristin Steinsdottir
Publisher: Stuttering Foundation of America, PO Box 11749, Memphis, TN
38111-0749; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933388-36-5
Disability: Stuttering
Story Profile: A 6-year-old boy, Armann, stutters when he is frustrated.
Reading Level: AC
Title: A Very Special Friend
Author: Dorothy Hoffman Levi
Publisher: Gallaudet University Press, Kendall Green, 800 Florida Ave., NE,
Washington, DC 20002-3695; 1989
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9300323-55-6
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Frannie, a lonely little girl, discovers a new friend when a deaf girl
her age moves in next door.
Reading Level: AC
Title: A Very Special Sister
Author: Dorothy Hoffman Levi
Publisher: Gallaudet University Press, Kendall Green, 800 Florida Ave., NE,
Washington, DC 20002-3695; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-930323-96-3
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Mixed feelings are experienced by Laura, a young deaf girl, upon
finding out her mother will soon give birth. Her initial excitement is displaced by worries that the
new child, if able to hear, would be more lovable. Reading Level: AC
Title: Be Good to Eddie Lee
Author: Virginia Fleming
Publisher: Philomel Books, Putnam & Grosset Group, 200 Madison
Avenue, New York, NY 10016
ISBN #: ISBN-0-399-21993-5
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Eddie Lee, a young boy with Down syndrome, follows the
neighborhood children into the woods to find frog eggs. They are resentful and try to
make him stay home.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Big Brother Dustin
Author: Alden R. Carter
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co., 6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, IL
60053-2723; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-0715-6
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Dustin, a young boy with Down syndrome, learns that his parents
are expecting a baby.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Cat's Got Your Tongue?
Author: Charles E. Schaefer, Ph.D.
Publisher: Brunner/Mazel, Publishers, 19 Union Square, New York, NY 10003;
1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-945354-45-2 hard copy; ISBN-0-945354-46-0 paperback
Disability: Communication Disorders, Mutism
Story Profile: Anna, a kindergartner, is diagnosed as an electively mute child.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Eukee: The Jumpy Jumpy Elephant
Author: Clifford L. Corman and Esther Trevino
Publisher: Specialty Press; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-921629-8-1
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Eukee is a smart little elephant who likes to chase butterflies,
blow bubbles, and do cartwheels. He always feels jumpy inside, however, and can never
finish the march at school. Unhappy that he doesn't have any friends, he consents to a visit to the
doctor where he learns he has ADD. Reading Level: AC Title:
Clover's Secret
Author: Christine M. Winn and David Walsh, Ph.D. Publisher:
Fairview Press, 2450 Riverside Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454; 1996 ISBN
#: ISBN-0-925190-89-6
Disability: Child Abuse
Story Profile: Clover attempts to hide family violence. She feels much better
when she confides in her teacher and the family receives help. Reading Level: AC
Title: Danny and the Merry-Go-Round
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic, Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1987
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-00-X
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Danny, who has cerebral palsy, visits the park with his mother and
watches other children playing on a playground. He makes friends with a young girl after his
mother explains cerebral palsy to her and points out that it is not contagious. Reading
Level: AC
Title: Happy Birthday Jason
Author: C. Jean Cutbill and Diane Rawsthorn
Publisher: IPI Publishing Ltd., 50 Prince Arthur Avenue, Suite 306, Toronto,
Ontario, M5R 1B5 Canada; 1984
ISBN #: ISBN-0-920702-37-6 N/A
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: A delightful story that will help children better understand their
world by understanding Jason's. His story reveals that children with learning disabilities are more
similar to other children than they are different.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Having a Brother Like David
Author: Cindy Dolby Nollette and Others
Publisher: Minneapolis Children's Medical Center, Early Childhood Center,
2520 Minnehaha Ave., South, Minneapolis, MN 55404; 1985 ISBN #: N/A
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: Marty's brother, David, is autistic. Marty explains that David looks
a lot like other children but has special needs. Reading Level: AC
Title: Herbie Hears the Horn: The Journey of a Young Deaf Child from Silence to Sound
Author: Susan Chorest with Susan Stock
Publisher: Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC, 20007-2778; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-0-88200-212-0
Disability: Hearing impairments
Story Profile: Herbie is a young child with a hearing impairment. When he gets hearing aids, he can suddenly hear all the sounds around him. Reading Level: AC
Title: Ian's Walk: A Story About Autism
Author: Laurie Lears
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company, 6340 Oakton St.,
Morton Grove, IL 60053-2723; 1998 ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-3480-3
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: Tara feels frustrated while taking a walk with her autistic brother, Ian.
After she becomes separated from him, she learns to appreciate the way Ian experiences the world. Reading Level: AC
Title: Keith Edward's Different Days
Author: Karen Melberg Schwier
Publisher: Impact Publishers
ISBN #: ISBN-0-915166-74-7
Disability: Down Syndrome; Physical Disabilities Story Profile:
Keith meets a variety of people with differences, including Down syndrome and physical
differences, and learns that being different is okay. Reading Level: AC
Title: Knots on a Counting Rope
Author: Bill Martin and John Archambault
Publisher: Henry Holt
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8050-0571-4
Disability: Blindness
Story Profile: A boy is told a story by his grandfather of a boy born blind.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Lee: The Rabbit with Epilepsy
Author: Deborah M. Moss
Publisher: Woodbine House, 5615 Fisher's Lane, Rockville, MD 20852; 1989
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933149-32-8
Disability: Epilepsy
Story Profile: Lee is a young rabbit who experiences occasional blackouts
and trances. After Dr. Bob, the wise owl, administers a series of neurological tests, Lee is
told she has epilepsy.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Leo the Late Bloomer
Author: Robert Kraus
Publisher: Harper Collins, 1971
ISBN #: ISBN-0-87807-042-7
Disability: Developmental Delays
Story Profile: Leo is a tiger cub who just can't keep up with what the other
animals are doing. He can't read, write, or speak, and he is a sloppy eater; he's a late bloomer.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Luke Has Asthma, Too
Author: Alison Rogers
Publisher: Waterfront Books, 98 Brookes Ave., Burlington, VT 05401;
1987
ISBN #: ISBN-0-914525-06-9
Disability: Asthma
Story Profile: Luke has an older cousin who teaches him some aspects of
asthma management and serves as a general role model. Reading Level: AC
Title: Moses Goes to School
Author: Isaac Millman
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003; 2000
ISBN #: ISBN-0-374-35069-8
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Moses has a great day with his friends and teacher
at a school for students with hearing impairments. The story is told in text, pictures, and American Sign Language.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Moses Goes to a Concert
Author: Isaac Millman
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 19 Union Square West, New
York, NY 10003; 1998
ISBN #: ISBN-0-374-35067-1
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Moses and his classmates, who are hearing impaired,
attend a concert and learn a surprising fact about the percussionist
who performs. The story is told in text, pictures, and American Sign
Language.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Moses Goes to the Circus
Author: Isaac Millman
Publisher: Francis Foster Books, Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, 19 Union Square West, New York 10003; 2003
ISBN #: ISBN-0-374-35064-7
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Moses, who is deaf, and his family are
going to the circus. It is the Big Apples Circus of the Senses
with acts specially designed for the deaf and hard of hearing and the
blind. Moses little sister, Renee, isnt deaf but is learning
sign language, Moses loves teaching her and illustrations of some of
the signs they use are included.
Reading Level: AC
Title: My Brother, Matthew
Author: Mary Thompson
Publisher: Woodbine House, 5615 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-993149-47-6
Disability: Mental Retardation
Story Profile: David is a young boy who describes life with his younger
brother who was born with a mental disability.
Reading Level: AC
Title: My Mom Is Handicapped: A "Grownup" Children's Book
Author: Barbara Turner Brabham
Publisher: Cornerstone Publishing, PO Box 2896, Virginia Beach, VA 23450;
1994
ISBN #: ISBN-1-882185-22-6
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: A 6-year-old boy describes life with his mother, a teacher with
physical disabilities.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Otto Learns about His Medicine: A Story about Medication for Hyperactive
Children, Third edition Author: Matthew Galvin
Publisher: Magination Press/Brunner Mazel, 19 Union Square West, New York,
NY 10003; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-1-55798-771-8
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Otto, a fidgety young car that has trouble paying attention in school, visits a special mechanic who prescribes a medicine to control his hyperactive behavior. The newest edition contains an expanded note to parents with more detailed information about using medication for children with ADD.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair
Author: Jamee Riggio Heelan
Publisher: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Dixon Education and Training Center,
345 E. Superior Street, Suite 1641, Chicago, IL 60611; 2000
ISBN#: ISBN-1-56145-219-X
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: A young boy enjoys his new mobility with his first wheelchair.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Russ and the Almost Perfect Day
Author: Janet Elizabeth Rickert
Publisher: Woodbine House, 5615 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20852; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-1-890627-16-x
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Recent book in a series about Russ, a boy with Down syndrome,
who has a great day going to school and playing with friends. He takes responsibility
for a mistake and feels good about himself when he does the right thing.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Russ and the Apple Tree Surprise
Author: Janet Elizabeth Rickert
Publisher: Woodbine House, 5615 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20852; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-1-890627-16-x
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Russ, a five-year old boy with Down Syndrome longs for a swing set. All
his backyard has to offer is an apple tree. When his grandparents visit, Russ discovers the job of
picking apples and making them into apple pie. He decides that his apple tree may be just as
good as a swing set.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Russ and the Fire House
Author: Janet Elizabeth Rickert
Publisher: Woodbine House, 5615 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20852; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-1-890627-17-8
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Russ is a young boy with Down syndrome whose everyday life
experiences his disability the subject of books in this series. Russ goes
"on-duty" with
his Uncle, a fireman. Their shift includes a full inspection of the fire equipment, including
keeping it clean. He also encounters Spark, the firehouse dog. At the end of this exciting day,
all the fireman thank Russ for his hard work and invite him back for another visit.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Russell Is Extra Special: A Book about Autism for Children
Author: Charles A. Amenta III, M.D.
Publisher: Brunner/Mazel, Publishers, 19 Union Square, New York, NY 10003;
1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-945354-43-6
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: This portrayal of an autistic boy and his family is designed to help
children (ages 4 to 8) and their parents understand this serious developmental disorder.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Silent Observer
Author: Christy MacKinnon
Publisher: Gallaudet University Press, Kendall Green, 800 Florida Ave. NE,
Washington, DC 20002-3695; 1993
ISBN #: ISBN-1-56368-022-X
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Christy MacKinnon is a young girl born in 1889 on a farm on Cape
Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada who became deaf after having whooping cough. She
describes her life in adjusting to deafness, her relationships with family, and her problems in
trying to understand and be understood by hearing individuals. Reading Level:
AC
Title: Stretching Ourselves: Kids with Cerebral Palsy
Author: Alden R. Carter
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company, 6340 Oakton St., Morton Grove, IL 60053-2723; 2000
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-7637-9
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Profiles three young students with cerebral palsy, showing how they live their lives like kids without cerebral palsy. It includes a description of cerebral palsy and explains why kids with cerebral palsy often have extra exercises and sometimes operations Reading Level:
AC
Title: Talking to Angels
Author: Esther Watson
Publisher: Harcourt Brace, 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495;
1996
ISBN #: ISBN-0-15-201077-7
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: Christa is an autistic girl who is described in this picture book by
her sibling. Her behavior is described and illustrated in mixed media, including her favorite
sounds and textures, occasional staring and fixation on stimuli, and interactions with others.
Reading Level: AC
Title: The ADDed Touch
Author: Robyn Watson
Publisher: Silver Star Publications, 2033 Linglestown Road, PMB 383, Harrisburg, PA 17110; 2000
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9676529-0-1
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Matthew is in first grade and has trouble remembering, paying attention, and making friends. His teacher and doctor find that he has attention deficit disorder, and Matthew learns strategies to help himself in class and with his friends. He meets some friends who also have ADD.
Reading Level: AC
Title: The Making of My Special Hand: Madison's Story
Author: Jamee Riggio Heelan
Publisher: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Dixon Education and Training Center,
345 E Superior Street, Suite 1641, Chicago, IL 60611; 1998
ISBN #: ISBN-1-56145-186-X
Disability: Missing limb
Story Profile: A young girl recounts the process of obtaining and learning to use her
prosthetic hand.
Reading Level: AC
Title: There's a Little Bit of Me In Jamey
Author: Diana M. Amadeo
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co., 6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, IL
60053-2723
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-7854-1
Disability: Leukemia
Story Profile: Brian struggles with the fact his brother Jamey has leukemia and
submits to a bone marrow test which leads to a transplant. Reading Level: AC
Title: Thomas Alva Edison: Great Inventor
Author: David A. Adler
Publisher: Holiday House
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8234-0820-5
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Thomas Edison's life and his many inventions, despite his
deafness, that shape our lives today.
Reading Level: AC
Title: Tobin Learns to Make Friends
Author: Diane Murrell
Publisher: Future Horizons, 721 W. Abram St., Arlington, TX 76013; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-1-885477-79-1
Disability: Autism/Asperger Syndrome
Story Profile: Tobin the train engine has trouble understanding social situations and therefore has trouble making friends. Each short sections addresses a different skill, such as personal space, shouting and manners, and highlights how Tobin can use short rules to help him remember various social skills.
Reading Level: AC
Title: What Do You Mean I Have a Learning Disability? Author:
Kathleen M. Dwyer
Publisher: Walker and Company, 720 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York
10019; 1991
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8027-8102-0
Disability: Learning Disabilities
Story Profile: 10-year-old Jimmy is having problems at school and believes he is
stupid. After a parent-teacher conference, he is tested and found to have a learning disability.
Reading Level: AC
Title: What It's Like to Be Me
Author: Helen Exley
Publisher: Friendship Press, 1984
ISBN #: ISBN-0-377-00144-9
Disability: Various Disabilities
Story Profile: Children from all over the world write about themselves and their
disabilities. They tell us how they see themselves and how they want to be seen. All of the
illustrations are created by the children. Reading Level: AC
Title: You Can Call Me Willy. A Story for Children about AIDS
Author: Joan C. Verniero
Publisher: Brunner/Mazel Publishers, 19 Union Square West, New York, NY
10003; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-945354-60-6
Disability: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Story
Profile: Willy is an 8-year-old girl with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Describing
her life, she shares her hobbies, friends, family life, and aspects of her medical care and how it
impacts her activities. (Note: This was the only children's book selected by
ABC's "Good Morning America" for its Millennium Time Capsule, buried at Times
Square.) Reading Level: AC
Top of Page
JE
Title: Andy Finds a Turtle
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1988
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-02-6
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: Andy enjoys physical therapy most of the time, but somethimes he
doesn't. One day he's told he acts like a turtle with his legs and arms drawn in tight - but Andy
doesn't know what a turtle is, so he goes in search of one. In this search he protects his baby
sister from a strange invader and discovers something important about himself.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Andy Opens Wide
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1990
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-06-9
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Andy, a young boy with cerebral palsy, is frustrated by his inability
to open his mouth wide enough for his mother to feed him easily. Reading Level:
JE
Title: Anna Joins In
Author: Katrin Arnold
Publisher: Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37202
ISBN #: ISBN-0-687-01530-8
Disability: Cystic Fibrosis
Story Profile: Anna is a young girl who has a difficult pattern to her days because
she has cystic fibrosis.
Reading Level: JE
Title: A Smile from Andy
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1989
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-04-2
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Andy, who has cerebral palsy, is very shy. One day he meets a girl
who helps him discover something that he can do to reach out to others in his own special way.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Buddy's Shadow
Author: Shirley Becker
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648; 1991
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-08-05
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Buddy, a 5-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, purchases a puppy. Reading Level: JE
Title: Can't You Be Still?
Author: Sarah Yates
Publisher: Gemma B. Publishing Inc., Box #713-740 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada R3M 0Y1; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9696477-0-0
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Ann, who has cerebral palsy, attends school for the first time.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Catch a Falling Star: A Tale from The Iris the Dragon Series
Author: Gayle Grass
Publisher: Iris the Dragon Inc.
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9688532-0-X
Disability: Mental illness in children
Story Profile: A boy named Fish is beginning to feel anxious and confused. He finds a friend in gentle Iris the dragon, and as their friendship progresses Iris teaches Fish techniques for dealing with his mental illness. Iris encourages Fish to visit the doctor, and he eventually enters a clinic but writes letters to Iris until he returns home.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Charlie's Challenge
Authors: Ann Root and Linda Gladden
Publisher: Printmaster Press, 711 West 38 Street, Suite D-3, Austin, TX 78505; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9647186-0-X
Disability: Learning Disabilities
Story Profile: Charlie excels at some school activities but struggles with other school activities. After his doctor determines that he has a learning disability, his teacher implements some learning strategies that help Charlie's performance and confidence.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Charlsie's Chuckle
Author: Clara Widess Berkus
Publisher: Woodbine House, 5615 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933149-50-6
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Charlsie, a 7-year-old boy with Down syndrome, has an infectious
laugh and enjoys bicycling around his neighborhood. On one such excursion he inadvertently
wanders into a disputatious city council meeting and brings humor and harmony to the
argumentative adults.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Cookie
Author: Linda Kneeland
Publisher: Jason and Nordic, Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1989
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-50
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Molly, a 4-year-old girl with Down Syndrome, has difficulty
talking. Her frustration with communication difficulties is relieved when someone comes to
teach her sign language. Reading Level: JE
Title: Eddie Enough!
Author: Debbie Zimmett
Publisher: Woodbine House, 6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817;
2001
ISBN #: ISBN-1-890627-25-9
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Eddie has had a particularly rough day at school. He has
had trouble paying attention, he bumps into things, and some kids in his class make fun
of him. After he visits the doctor and learns he has ADD, his parents and teachers help him come up with strategies for improving his
days at school. Reading Level: JE
Title: Fair and Square
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-10-7 hardback; ISBN-0-944727-09-3 paperback
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: Kevin is confined to a wheelchair and has limited motor skills. A
therapist introduces him to a computer game he can play and win, and shows him how to adapt
other games for his use. Reading Level: JE
Title: Help is on the Way: A Child's Book About ADD
Author: Marc A. Nemiroff and Jane Annunziata
Publisher: Magination Press, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, www.maginationpress.com;1998
ISBN #: ISBN-1-55798-505-7
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: This colorful book provides information to kids about the nature of ADD and various strategies for coping with ADD Reading Level: JE
Title: How About A Hug
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1987
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-01-8
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: A young girl with Down syndrome includes the details of a typical
day in her life. While her daily activities require a degree of concentration and don't go perfectly
smoothly, she is surrounded by helpful, supportive and affectionate friends, family and teachers,
all of whom she agrees to hug when they offer. Reading Level: JE Title:
I'm Like You, You're Like Me: A Child's Book about Understanding and Celebrating Each
Other
Author: Cindy Gainer
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 616,
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1724; 1998
ISBN #: ISBN-1-57542-039-2
Disability: General Disabilities
Story Profile: Children interact with people who are different from
themselves; share, take turns, work and play together; discover and develop traits and skills
that make them unique; and explore the many ways in which they are like and unlike others.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Joey and Sam
Author: Illana Katz and Edward Ritvo
Publisher: Real Life Story Books; 1993
ISBN #: ISBN-1-882388-00-3
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: Sam is 5 and has autism, and Joey is his 6-year-old brother. They
describe an ordinary day at home and at school, showing some of the ways they are different and
alike.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Kathy's Hats: A Story of Hope
Author: Trudy Krisher
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co., 6340 Oakton St., Morton Grove, IL
60053; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-4116-8
Disability: Cancer
Story Profile: Kathy is a young girl who develops cancer and loses her hair as a
result of chemotherapy.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Kevin's Story
Author: Dvora Levinson, Ph.D.
Publisher: IPI Publishing Ltd., 50 Prince Arthur Avenue, Suite 306, Toronto,
Ontario, M5R 1B5 Canada; 1984
ISBN #: ISBN-0-920702-22-88
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Kevin exhibits reading problems and is referred for testing with a
psychologist who explains reading and learning disabilities to him and his family.
Reading Level: JE-JF
Title: Little Tree: A Story for Children with Serious Medical Problems
Author: Joyce C. Mills, Ph.D.
Publisher: Brunner/Mazel Publishers, 19 Union Sq. West, New York, NY 10003;
1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-94534-52-5 hardback; ISBN-0-945354-51-7 paperback
Disability: Chronic Illness
Story Profile: A small tree that loses some branches in a storm is used to
illustrate the questions and feelings children may experience during and after medical problems.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Looking Out for Sarah Author: Glenna Lang
Publisher: National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen St., Boston, MA 02115; 2001 ISBN #: 0-88106-647-8
Disability: Visual Impairments
Story Profile: Told from a guide dog's perspective, this book shows the relationship between a guide dog and a young woman who is blind.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Luna and the Big Blur: A Story for Children Who Wear Glasses Author: Shirley Day
Publisher: Magination Press, 19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003;1995 ISBN #: ISBN-0-945354-66-5
Disability: Visual Impairments
Story Profile: Luna resents the fact that she needs glasses to correct her
nearsightedness.
Reading Level: JE
Title: My Sister is Different
Author: Betty Ren Wright
Publisher: Steck-Vaughn Company, PO Box 26015 Austin, TX 78755; 1990
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8172-1369-4
Disability: Mental Retardation
Story Profile: Carlo tells us what it is like to have an older sister with mental
retardation.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Naomi Knows It's Springtime
Author: Virginia L. Kroll
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press Inc., 910 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431; 1987
ISBN #: ISBN-1-56397-006-0
Disability: Blindness
Story Profile: Naomi tells us of the signs of spring through the mind of the blind.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Patrick and Emma Lou
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1994
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-03-4
Disability: Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida
Story Profile: Three-year-old Patrick has cerebral palsy. He is having a hard time
managing his new walker, but with the help of a new friend, Emma Lou, who is six and has spina
bifida, they both discover something very important about each other. Reading
Level: JE
Title: Patrick Learns About Parkinson's Disease
Author: Kim Gosseling
Publisher: JayJo Books, 135 Dupont St., PO Box 760, Plainview, NY 11803-0760; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-891383-18-3
Disability: Parkinson's Disease
Story Profile: Patrick and Mr. Jennings are neighbors and good friends. Mr. Jennings is having some trouble walking and his hands shake. When he visits the doctor, he learns he has Parkinson's disease. Reading
Level: JE
Title: Sarah and Puffle: A Story for Children about Diabetes
Author: Linnea Mulder
Publisher: Henry Holt
ISBN #: ISBN-0-94534-41-X hardback; ISBN-0-945354-42-8
paperback Disability: Diabetes
Story Profile: Sarah feels resentful of the limitations the disease places on her
activities until a stuffed animal (Puffle) comes to life and offers her encouraging rhymes about
coping with diabetes.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Sarah's Surprise
Author: Nan Holcomb
Publisher: Jason and Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648;
1990
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-07-7
Disability: Articulation Impairments
Story Profile: Six-year-old Sarah, who is unable to talk, has used a picture board
to communicate. She is now ready for an augmentative communication device. With the help of
her speech therapist she gives everyone a surprise at her mother's birthday party.
Reading Level: JE
Title: See You Tomorrow, Charles
Author: Miriam Cohen
Publisher: Greenwillow
ISBN #: ISBN-0-688-01804-1
Disability: Blindness
Story Profile: Charles is a first grader who is adjusting to school as a blind
student.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Sometimes I Just Stutter
Author: Eelco de Geus, translated by Elisabeth Versteegh-Vermeij
Publisher: Stuttering Foundation, 3100 Walnut Grove Road, Suite 603, PO Box 11749, Memphis, TN, 38111-0749; 1999
ISBN #: ISBN 0-933388-42-X
Disability: Stuttering
Story Profile: This nonfiction book contains information for children who stutter, including helpful hints and information on how to teach others about their stuttering. Sample letters are enclosed that can be given to parents, teachers, and friends that explain what strategies are helpful to a person who stutters.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Sosu's Call
Author: Meshack Asare
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers, PO Box 8515, LaJolla, CA 92038-8515; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-929132-21-2
Disability: Physical disabilities
Story Profile: Sosu is a young boy with a physical disability who lives in Ghana. He feels left out of many village activities until he is called upon to show his strength.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Taking Dyslexia to School
Author: Lauren E. Moynihan
Publisher: JayJo Books, 135 Dupont St., PO Box 760, Plainview, NY 11803-0760; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-891383-17-5
Disability: Dyslexia/learning disabilities
Story Profile: Matt explains his dyslexia and tells about strategies he uses in school. Includes a list of tips for teachers.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Taking Down Syndrome to School
Author: Jenna Glatzer
Publisher: JayJo Books, 135 Dupont St., PO Box 760, Plainview, NY 11803-0760; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-891383-19-1
Disability: Dyslexia/learning disabilities
Story Profile: Nick talks about living with Down Syndrome. He tells about playing with friends, going to school, and working with his speech therapist.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Taking Tourette Syndrome to School
Author: Tira Krueger
Publisher: JayJo Books, 135 Dupont St., PO Box 760, Plainview, NY 11803-0760, www.jayjo.com; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-891383-12-4
Disability: Tourette Syndrome
Story Profile: An informative story about Tourette Syndrome, told from the point of view of a child who has Tourette syndrome. Reading Level: JE
Title: The Hangashore
Author: Geoff Butler
Publisher: Tundra Books, PO Box 1030, Plattsburgh, NY 12901; 1998
ISBN #: ISBN-0-88776-444-4
Disability: Down Syndrome/Mental Retardation
Story Profile: Newfoundland story of a young man with Down syndrome who displays
courage and kindness towards a judgmental government official.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Shelley: The Hyperactive Turtle
Author: Deborah M. Moss
Publisher: Woodbine House, 5615 Fisher's Lane, Rockville, MD 20852; 1988
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933149-31-X
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Shelley is a young hyperactive turtle who faces difficulties due to
his inability to sit still and his frequent behavior problems which lead to problems at school and
on the bus, at home and with friends, eventually leading to a poor self-image and depression.
After a visit to a neurologist, he no longer thinks of himself as a bad turtle and his condition
gradually improves. Reading Level: JE
Title: The Bob (Butterbean) Love Story
Author: Terry Page and Bob Love
Publisher: Boo Books, Inc., PO Box 201128, Chicago, Illinois 60620-1128; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-1-887864-40-7
Disability: Speech Impairments
Story Profile: Bob's autobiography tells his story: a famous basketball player
with a speech impediment.
Reading Level: JE
Title: The Night Search
Author: Kate Chamberlin
Publisher: Richard S. McPhee, Jason & Nordic, Pubs., PO Box 441,
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-31-X
Disability: Blindness
Story Profile: Heather, who is blind, resists using her white cane until her puppy
wanders off.
Reading Level: JE
Title: There's a Blue Square on My Brother's School Bus Author:
Sally Craymer
Publisher: The Wishing Room, Inc., PO Box 58, Studley, VA 23162
ISBN #: ISBN-0-931563-12-7
Disability: Disabilities
Story Profile: This book discusses various types of disabilities. An emphasis is
placed on what children with disabilities are able to do and ways in which they can participate in
mainstream student life.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Thumbs Up, Rico!
Author: Maria Testa
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co., 6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, IL
60053-2723; 1990
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-7906-8
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Rico is a boy with Down syndrome who loves basketball. The
story describes his relationship with a neighborhood boy named Caesar, his older sister Nina, and
his art class.
Reading Level: JE
Title: We Can Do It!
Author: Laura Dwight
Publisher: Checkerboard Press, Inc., 30 Vesey St., New York, NY 10007; 1992
ISBN #: ISBN-1-56288-301-1
Disability: Disabilities
Story Profile: The daily activities of five children who each have either cerebral
palsy, blindness, spina bifida, or Down syndrome. Color photographs show the children
engaging in their favorite pastimes at home and at school, with family members and with peers.
Reading Level: JE
Title: We'll Paint the Octopus Red
Author: Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
Publisher: Woodbine House, Inc., 6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817;
1998
ISBN #: ISBN-1-890627-06-2
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Emma is a little girl who has a new baby brother with Down
syndrome.
Reading Level: JE
Title: What About Me? When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick
Author: Allan Peterkin, M.D.
Publisher: Brunner/Mazel Publishers, 19 Union Sq. West, New York, NY 10003;
1992
ISBN #: ISBN-0-94534-48-7 hardback; ISBN-0-945354-49-5 paperback
Disability: Chronic Illness
Story Profile: Laura is a young girl attempting to cope with her brother Tom's
chronic illness. The story describes her wide range of emotions including guilt, fear, anger,
anxiety, and a general sense of disruption of normal family life. Reading Level:
JE
Title: What's Wrong with Timmy?
Author: Maria Shriver
Publisher: Time Warner Trade Publishing, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
10020; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-0-316-23337-4
Disability: Mental Retardation
Story Profile: When Kate meets Timmy, a boy who is mentally disabled, she is full
of questions. After talking with her mother, Kate realizes that she and Timmy have a lot in
common and they become fast friends.
Reading Level:
JE
Title: When I Grow Up
Author: Candri Hodges
Publisher: Jason & Nordic Publishers, PO Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA
16648; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-944727-26-3
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Jimmy is a deaf youth who takes a field trip and encounters various
careers of deaf individuals.
Reading Level: JE
Title: Where's Chimpy?
Author: Berniece Rabe
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co., 6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, IL
60053; 1988
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-8928-4
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Misty, a young girl with Down syndrome, misplaced her stuffed
monkey and reviews her day with her father to try to remember where she left him.
Reading Level: JE
Top of Page
JF
Title: Adam and the Magic Marble
Author: Adam and Carol Buehrens
Publisher: Hope Press, PO Box 188, Duarte, CA 91009-0188; 1991
ISBN #: ISBN-1-878267-30-2
Disability: Tourette Syndrome; Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Adam, Chris and Matt are often harassed by bullies until they
discover a magic marble.
Reading Level: JF
Title: A Zebra Named Al
Author: Wendy Isdell
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing, 400 First Ave., North, Suite 616, Minneapolis,
MN 55401; 1993
ISBN #: ISBN-0-915793-58-X paperback; ISBN-0915793-59-8 manual
Disability: Learning Disability
Story Profile: Julie is an 8th grader who has trouble in math. Frustrated, she rests
her head on her book... and is awakened by an Imaginary Number who suddenly appears in her
room. When she follows the Number through a mysterious portal, she enters a strange
land of mathematics, where she meets a zebra named Al. Reading Level: JF
Title: A Season of Secrets
Author: Alison Cragin Herzig and Jane Lawrence Mali Publisher:
Little, Brown
ISBN #: ISBN-0-316-35889-4
Disability: Epilepsy
Story Profile: Benji is a 6-year-old who has been fainting at school and Brooke
and Jason, his teenage sister and brother, wonder all summer long what is wrong with him.
Reading Level: JF
Title: At The Back of the Woods
Author: Claudia Mills
Publisher: Four Winds
ISBN #: ISBN-0-07830-5
Disability: Mental Retardation
Story Profile: Davey is a young boy with mental retardation who is at a special
care facility. His sister, Clarisse, and his parents come to visit him. Reading
Level: JF
Title: Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Adventure
Author: Kathy Hoopmann
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 325 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-1-85302-978-5
Disability: Asperger Syndrome
Story Profile: Ben and his friend, Andy, discover a mystery after finding a
blue bottle. As they work out the mystery, Ben is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.
His diagnosis makes it easier for him, his father, and his teacher to understand why
Ben sometimes has problems at home and at school. Reading
Level: JF
Title: Eagle Eyes: A Child's View of Attention Deficit Disorder
Author: Jeanne Gehret, M.A.
Publisher: Verbal Images Press, 19 Fox Hill Dr., Fairport, NY 14450; 1991
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9625136-4-4
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Ben, a boy with attention deficit disorder, describes the frustrations
and feelings associated with his initially unidentified syndrome. Reading Level:
JF
Title: First Star I See
Author: Jaye Andras Caffrey
Publisher: Verbal Images Press, 19 Fox Hill Drive, Fairport, NY 14450; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-1-884281-17-6
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Paige is a young girl with ADD who is trying to win a school
writing contest.
Reading Level: JF
Title: Here's What I Mean To Say...
Author: Sarah Yates
Publisher: Gemma B. Publishing Inc., Box #713-740 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada R3M 0Y1; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9696477-2-7
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Ann (age 9) who has cerebral palsy, takes us through her struggles
with everyday activities.
Reading Level: JF
Title: Hi, I'm Adam. A Child's Story of Tourette Syndrome Author:
Adam Buehrens
Publisher: Hope Press, PO Box 188, Duarte, CA 91009-0188; 1991
ISBN #: ISBN-1-878267-29-9
Disability: Tourette Syndrome
Story Profile: Adam, a 10-year-old boy diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, wrote
this book to help children with Tourette syndrome understand that they are not alone and that
other children are experiencing similar difficulties. Reading Level: JF
Title: How Dyslexic Benny Became a Star: A Story of Hope for Dyslexic Children
and Their Parents
Author: Joe Griffith
Publisher: Yorktown Press, PO Box 795667, Dallas, TX 75379-5667;
1998 ISBN #: ISBN-0-9569379-0-9
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Benny is a strong football player who struggles in school. When his academic problems start to affect his self-esteem and confidence, his coach suggests that Benny be evaluated for a learning disability. With the assistance of the resource teacher, Benny's reading and academic skills improve along with his self-confidence.
Reading Level: JF
Title: Howie Helps Himself
Author: Joan Fassler
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.; 1975
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-3422-6
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Howie has cerebral palsy. He gets around in a wheelchair, or
rather, other people get him around in his wheelchair. More than anything, Howie wants to move
that chair himself.
Reading Level: JF
Title: How Many Days Until Tomorrow?
Author: Caroline Janover
Publisher: Woodbine House
ISBN #: ISBN-1-890627-22-4
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Josh is a 12-year-old who has dyslexia. When he spends a summer on
an island with his grandparents, he develops his strengths and discovers talents he did not
know he had.
Reading Level: JF
Title: I'm Joshua and "Yes I Can"
Author: Joan Lenett Whinston
Publisher: Vantage Press, Inc., 516 West 34th St., New York, NY 10001; 1989
ISBN #: ISBN-0-533-07959-4
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Joshua, a young boy with cerebral palsy, describes his fears and
insecurities about his disability on his first day in first grade. Reading Level: JF
Title: Josh: A Boy with Dyslexia
Author: Caroline Janover
Publisher: Waterfront Books, 98 Brookes Ave., Burlington, VT 05401;
1988 ISBN #: ISBN-0-914525-18-2 hardcover; ISBN-0-914515-10-7 paperback
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: The life and adventures of Josh, who has dyslexia, as he moves to a
new town and school.
Reading Level: JF
Title: Learning Disabilities and the Don't Give Up Kid Author:
Jeanne Gehret
Publisher: Verbal Images Press, 19 Fox Hill Drive, Fairport, NY 14450; 1990
ISBN #: ISBN-9625136-0-1
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: A dyslexic boy wants to grow up to be an inventor like Thomas
Edison but is constantly frustrated by problems at school. He switches into a small special
education class of children with auditory processing difficulties. The teacher gives him more
personal attention, using an example from Edison's life to inspire him. Reading
Level: JF
Title: Ludwig van Beethoven: Musical Pioneer
Author: Carol Greene
Publisher: Childrens Pr.
ISBN #: ISBN-0-516-04208-4
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: The life of Beethoven is chronicled from his despair over his
worsening deafness to his deepening commitment to his music. Reading Level:
JF
Title: Margaret's Moves
Author: Bernice Rabe
Publisher: Dutton
ISBN #: ISBN-0-525-44271-5
Disability: Spina bifida
Story Profile: Margaret is 9-years-old and has problems with the fact she is in a
wheelchair and blames it for slowing her down.
Reading Level: JF
Title: Me and Rupert Goody
Author: Barbara O'Connor
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 19 Union Square West, New York NY 10003; 1999
ISBN #: ISBN-0-374-34904-5
Disability: Mental retardation
Story Profile: Jennalee's world is turned upside-down when a stranger names Rupert comes to town. Rupert has a mental disability, and Jennalee must adjust to sharing her friends and family with him.
Reading Level: JF
Title: My Friend Ben
Author: Wanda Gilberts Kachur
Publisher: Peytral Publications, PO Box 1162, Suite 976, Minnetonka, MN
55345; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9644271-4-1
Disability: Head Injuries
Story Profile: Narrated through the eyes of a classmate, this story tells of Ben, a
boy with traumatic brain injury who is included in a general education, third-grade class.
Reading Level: JF
Title: My Name Is Brain Brian
Author: Jeanne Betancourt
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 730 Broadway, New York, NY 10003; 1993
ISBN #: ISBN-0-590-44921-4
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Brian, a sixth-grade boy is diagnosed as having dyslexia. His initial
trepidation at being singled out for attention and diagnosis is gradually replaced by enthusiasm
for learning new ways of learning.
Reading Level: JF
Title: My Sister Annie
Author: Bill Dodds
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press Inc., 910 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431; 1989
ISBN #: ISBN-1-56397-114-3
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Charlie is an 11-year-old boy who attempts to cope with growing
up in the shadow of an older sister with Down syndrome. Reading Level: JF
Title: Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story
Author: Stephanie Calmenson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., 215 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10003;
1994
ISBN #: ISBN-0-395-654477-7
Disability: Disabilities
Story Profile: Rosie, a Tibetan terrier who is trained to work as a visiting dog,
provides therapeutic comfort and entertainment to children and adults who are hospitalized or in
nursing homes.
Reading Level: JF
Title: Sara's Secret
Author: Suzanne Wanous
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-87614-856-9
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Justin is five with cerebral palsy and mental retardation. He "can't
walk or talk or feed himself, or even sit up," but still, he makes his sister Sara happy. Sara is not
happy, however, when her teacher plans a unit on disabilities. Sara doesn't want her friends to
know about her brother. Reading Level: JF
Title: Sparky's Excellent Misadventures: My ADD Journal by me (Sparky)
Author: Phyllis Carpenter and Marti Ford
Publisher: Magination Press, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, www.maginationpress.com; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-555798-606-1
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: This is the imaginary journal of Sparky, a young boy with ADD. Sparky tells funny and not so funny stories about his life at school, at home, and with friends. Reading Level: JF
Title: The Best Fight
Author: Anne Schlieper
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 6340 Oakton Street, Morton
Grove, IL 60053-2723; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8075-0662-1
Disability: Reading Difficulties, Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia
Story Profile: Jamie is an adolescent boy who has learning disabilities that impair
his reading. Frustration at his low reading ability combines with alienation due to his placement
in special classes. His mixed emotions toward his teachers, friends, and family are explored.
Reading Level: JF
Title: The Flying Fingers Club
Author: Jean F. Andrews
Publisher: Kendall Green
ISBN #: ISBN-0-930323-44-0
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Donald is a third grader who is bitter about repeating it when he
meets Matt, who comes to class with an interpreter because he is deaf; they become fast friends.
Reading Level: JF
Title: The Summer Kid
Author: Myrna Neuringer Levy
Publisher: Second Story Press, 760 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Canada M5S 2R6;
1991
ISBN #: ISBN-0-929005-20-1
Disability: Language Impairments
Story Profile: Karen, a 10-year-old girl who stays at a summer cottage with her
grandmother encounters Tommy, a 9-year-old boy with a severe language disorder.
Reading Level: JF
Title: Wrongway Applebaum
Author: Marjorie Lewis
Publisher: Coward
ISBN #: ISBN-0-698-20610-X
Disability: Learning Disabilities
Story Profile: Stanley is in fifth grade when his awkwardness and inability to tell
left from right conflict with his family's interest in baseball. Reading Level: JF
Title: Zipper, The Kid
with ADHD
Author: Caroline Janover
Publisher: Woodbine House, Inc., 6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817;
1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933149-95-6
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder
Story Profile: Zachary (nicknamed Zipper), a fifth-grader who has attention-
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has trouble concentrating and controlling himself until a
retired jazz musician recognizes his talent, believes in him, and gives him the motivation to start
trying to do better.
Reading Level: JF
Top of Page
YA
Title: Annie's World
Author: Nancy Smiler Levinson
Publisher: Gallaudet Univ. Press, 800 Florida Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002;
1990
ISBN #: ISBN-0-930323-65-3
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: The adjustment of 16-year Annie to her family move that
necessitates her becoming mainstreamed into a public high school. Reading
Level: YA
Title: Are You Alone on Purpose?
Author: Nancy Werlin
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116-3764;
1994 ISBN #: ISBN-0-395-67350-X
Disability: Autism, Physical Disabilities, Giftedness Story
Profile: This novel focuses on the lives of two Jewish families, one including an autistic boy
and his academically gifted sister, the other featuring a bully who suffers a severe spine injury in
a diving accident and is paralyzed from the waist down. Reading Level: YA
Title: A Thousand Lights
Author: Hope Benton
Publisher: Open Minds, Inc., PO Box 21325, Columbus, OH 43221-0325; 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-1-888927-81-X; ISBN-1-888927-28-3
Disability: Hearing Impairments
Story Profile: Two brothers, Will and Donnie, one with a severe hearing
impairment, climb Mt. Fuji in Japan.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Best Friends
Author: Hope Benton
Publisher: Open Minds, Inc., PO Box 21325, Columbus, OH 43221-0325; 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-1-888927-78-X; ISBN-1-888927-25-9
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: Kathryn, who uses a wheelchair, coaches her friend in coping with
a broken leg.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Breathe Easy: Young People's Guide to Asthma, Second edition
Author: Jonathan H. Weiss, Ph.D.
Publisher: Magination Press, An Educational Publishing Foundation Book, American Psychological Association, 750 first Street, NE, Washington, DC; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-55798-956-7
Disability: Asthma
Story Profile: This book introduces children and adolescents to the mechanics of asthma and explores strategies for self-management of the condition. Anatomical and situational factors in asthma are explained in simple language with illustrative diagrams. Early warning signs of coming attacks and relaxation techniques are described.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Bus Girl
Author: Gretchen Josephson
Publisher: Brookline Books, PO Box 1047, Cambridge, MA 02238; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-1-57129-041-9
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Gretchen, through poetry, describes her emotional development
toward independence and adult relationships.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Deaf Girls Rule
Author: Wendy Tiefenbacher, Ed.
Publisher: Gallaudet University Press, Washington, DC 20002; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-1-56368-117-X
Disability: Hearing impairments
Story Profile: This book of photographs highlights the 1998-1999 women's basketball team at Gallaudet University. The story of a team of deaf women who advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen is told almost entirely in pictures.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Don't Stop The Music
Author: Robert Perske
Publisher: Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37202; 1986
ISBN #: ISBN-0-687-11060-2
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: Follow our teen hero and heroine (with cerebral palsy) through
thrills, romance, and adventure all rolled into this "who-done-it". Reading Level:
YA
Title: Down the Aisle
Author: Hope Benton
Publisher: Open Minds, Inc., PO Box 21325, Columbus, OH 43221-0325; 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-1-888927-80-1; ISBN-1-888927-27-5
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: The story of two sisters, one of who has a physical disability
(Kathryn), as they prepare to participate in a wedding. Reading Level: YA
Title: Dyslexia My Life: One Man's Story of His Life with a Learning Disability
Author: Girard J. Sagmiller
Publisher: DML, PO Box 537, Smithville, MO 64089-0537; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9643087-1-1
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Girard's autobiography dealing with dyslexia chronicles his
struggles to overcome the ignorance and prejudice of his friends, family, and society in order to
succeed in school, business, and life. Reading Level: YA
Title: Emily Good as Gold
Author: Susan Goldman Rubin
Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1250 Sixth Ave., San Diego, CA
92101; 1993
ISBN #: ISBN-0-15-276632-4 hardback; ISBN-0-15-276633-2 paperback
Disability: Mental Retardation
Story Profile: Emily, a 13-year-old girl with mental retardation, experiences
adolescence.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Emily in Love
Author: Susan Goldman Rubin
Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Co., 525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-15-200961-2
Disability: Developmental Delays
Story Profile: Emily is developmentally delayed. She is included in a general
education high school and has to deal with her feelings of confusion, frustration, and anger
towards her parents for protecting her too much, and at herself for being unable to understand
and accomplish everything she wants. Reading Level: YA Title:
Extraordinary People with Disabilities
Author: Deborah Kent and Kathryn A. Quinlan
Publisher: Children's Press, 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-0-516-26074-X
Disability: Various Disabilities
Story Profile: Nearly 50 men and women with mental or physical disabilities are
profiled in this collection including well-known figures as: Thomas Edison, Ludwig van
Beethoven, Harriet Tubman, Tom Cruise, Chris Burke, and Robert Dole. In addition to those
mentioned are: a champion wheelchair marathoner with spina bifida, a partially blind ballet
dancer, a photographer with polio, a deaf author and book reviewer, an Indian chief with
muscular dystrophy, and an activist and psychotherapist with cerebral palsy. Reading
Level: YA
Title: Franklin D. Roosevelt: Gallant President
Author: Barbara Feinberg
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
ISBN #: ISBN-0-688-00434-2
Disability: Poliomyelitis
Story Profile: A biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Reading
Level: YA
Title: Health Care Professionals Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
Author: Deborah Kendrick
Publisher: American Foundation for the Blind Press, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001; 2001
ISBN #: ISBN-0-89128-388-9
Disability: Visual impairments
Story Profile: This nonfiction book profiles several people who are visually impaired who work in a variety of health care jobs, including nursing professor, genetic counselor, and occupational therapist. Each profile contains information about the person as well as the job. The book is designed to assist young adults who are considering careers.
Reading
Level: YA
Title: Idea Man
Author: Karen Melberg Schwier
Publisher: Diverse City Press, 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-1-896230-09-1
Disability: Down Syndrome
Story Profile: Erin is angry when her parents leave her overnight with family
friends. The family's older son, Jim, has Down syndrome and Erin doesn't want to be seen with
him because he's known as the Dork, but kids from school witness Jim giving her a hug. She
realizes she misjudged him after he helps her with a homework assignment. Reading
Level: YA
Title: Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time
Author: Ray Robinson
Publisher: Norton
ISBN #: ISBN-0-393-02857-7
Disability: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Story Profile: Lou Gehrig, nicknamed the Iron Horse for the number of consecutive games he played for the New York Yankees baseball team, died in 1941 after a two-year struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Reading Level: YA
Title: Practical Solutions to Everyday Challenges for Children with Asperger Syndrome
Author: Haley Morgan Myles
Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Company, PO Box 23173, Shawnee Mission, KS 66283-0173; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-1-931282-15-3
Disability: Asperger Syndrome
Story Profile: Nine-year old Haley Myles offers practical suggestions for everyday situations faced by children with Asperger Syndrome. Haley has included sections on challenges at school, getting along with others, dealing with emotions, safety tips, first aid, and more.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Probably Still Nick Swansen
Author: Virginia Euwer Wolff
Publisher: Holt
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8050-0701-6
Disability: Learning Disabilities
Story Profile: Sixteen-year-old Nick has a learning disability and struggles to endure life in which the other kids make fun of him. He has to take special classes, his date for the prom makes an excuse not to go out with him, and he is not sure about his place in the world.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Reach for the Moon
Author: Samantha Abeel
Publisher: Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers, 210 West Michigan, Duluth, MN 55802;
1997
ISBN #: ISBN-1-57025-013-8
Disability: Learning Disabilities
Story Profile: Samantha, a 13-year-old girl with a learning disability in
understanding mathematical concepts, provides a collection of illustrated poems and stories. She
writes about her difficulties in middle school, including coping with her disability and the
accompanying emotional challenges and the encouragement received by her English
teacher to develop her writing talent. Reading Level: YA Title:
Retarded Isn't Stupid Mom!
Author: Sandra Z. Kaufman
Publisher: Brookes Publishing Co., PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624;
1988
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933716-96-6
Disability: Mild Mental Retardation
Story Profile: The mother of a child diagnosed as mildly retarded at age 2
recounts experiences of the child's growing up into an adult. Reading Level: YA
Title: Stevie Wonder
Author: John Swenson
Publisher: Harper & Row
ISBN #: ISBN-0-06-097067-7
Disability: Blindness
Story Profile: Stevie Wonder's life from his birth in Saginaw, Michigan, in1950
through his rapid rise as a Motown artist in the early 1960s and up to his present-day work.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Tell Me How the Wind Sounds
Author: Leslie D. Guccione
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, New York, 10012
ISBN #: ISBN-0-590-42615-X
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Amanda is 15 when she meets Jake on Clark's Island. She is
angered at every encounter with him until he tells her he's deaf. Reading Level:
YA
Title: The Baby-sitters Club #32: Kristy and the Secret of Susan
Author: Ann M. Martin
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, New York, 10012; 1990
ISBN #: ISBN-0-590-73189-0
Disability: Autism
Story Profile: Kristy babysits a child with autism after school
and is fascinated to learn about autism and other disabilities as she gets to know
Susan and her family. She deals with her own assumptions, other students' perceptions
of children with special needs, and other disability issues. Reading Level:
YA
Title: The Nautilus
Author: Wanda Gilberts Kachur
Publisher: Peytral Publications, PO Box 1162, Suite 976, Minnetonka, MN
55345; 1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-9644271-5-X
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: Kathryn is an adolescent who longs to be a professional ballet
dancer but is seriously injured in a car accident and must face her disabilities. Reading
Level: YA
Title: The Worst Speller in Jr. High
Author: Caroline Janover
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing, 400 First Avenue, North, Suite 616,
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1730; 1995
ISBN #: ISBN-0-915793-76-8
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Katie Kelso, an adolescent girl with dyslexia, describes her
struggles with issues of peer acceptance, dating, and academic achievement, all of which are
complicated by her dyslexia.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Trout and Me
Author: Susan Shreve
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, Random House, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 www.randomhouse.com/kids; 2002
ISBN #: ISBN-0-375-81219-9
Disability: Attention Deficit Disorder/Learning Disabilities
Story Profile: Ben and Trout are best friends and both have ADD and learning disabilities. They have a great time together, but their pranks get them into trouble at school. Ben must make some difficult decisions about his friendship with Trout. Reading Level: YA
Title: Turning Around the Upside-Down Kids: Helping Dyslexic Kids Overcome
Their Disorder
Author: Harold Levinson and Addie Meyer Sanders Publisher:
M. Evans and Company, Inc., 216 East 49th Street, New York, NY 10017; 1992 ISBN #: ISBN-0-87131-700-1
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Continuing with the eight characters from The Upside-Down Kids,
these students and their compassionate teacher Ms. Jensen, examine the various successful
treatments for each child's unique symptoms in a way that is bother comprehensive yet simple to
understand.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Views from Our Shoes: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister with Special
Needs
Author: Donald Meyer, Ed.
Publisher: Woodbine House, Inc., 6510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817;
1997
ISBN #: ISBN-0-933149-98-0
Disability: Disabilities
Story Profile: 45 siblings share their experiences. The children whose essays are
featured range in age from 4 to 18 with a variety of special needs, including autism, cerebral
palsy, developmental delays, attention deficit disorder, hydrocephalus, visual and hearing
impairments, Down syndrome, and Tourette syndrome.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Waiting for Johnny Miracle
Author: Alice Hendricks Bach
Publisher: Harper and Row
ISBN #: ISBN-0-06-020348-X
Disability: Cancer
Story Profile: Theo and Becky are 17-year-old twins when they find out Becky
has a malignant tumor in her right thigh.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Whoa, Nellie!
Author: Hope Benton
Publisher: Open Minds, Inc., PO Box 21325, Columbus, OH 43221-0325; 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-1-888927-79-8; ISBN-1-888927-26-7
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: A story of a young girl, Kathryn, who happens to have a physical
disability and uses a wheelchair, her friends, and their experiences at summer camp as they
search for a favorite horse.
Reading Level: YA
Title: Wish on a Unicorn
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: Penguin Books, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014;
1991 ISBN #: ISBN-0-14-034935-9
Disability: Mental Retardation
Story Profile: A sixth grade girl, Mags, lives in a trailer and has a younger sister
named Hannie with mental retardation. Hannie finds an old stuffed unicorn and believes it is
magical when strange things start to happen. Reading Level: YA Top of Page
A
Title: The Doctor He Begged To Be
Author: A. McDonald Vaz
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc., 643 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA
15222; 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-0-8059-3815-X
Disability: Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Learning Disability
Story Profile: Garth Vaz is a Jamaican man with dyslexia who wanted to be a
physician. His brother tells of his struggles during his two attempts at the University of Florida
College of Medicine, and the challenges he faced including neurological, physical, financial,
marital, and racial obstacles.
Reading Level: A
Title: The Me in the Mirror
Author: Connie Panzarino
Publisher: Seal Press, 3131 Western Avenue, Suite 410, Seattle, WA
98121-1028; 1994
ISBN #: ISBN-1-878067-45-1
Disability: Physical Disabilities
Story Profile: Connie Panzarino is a woman with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type
III. She tells of her struggles and triumphs, relationships with family, her turn to lesbianism, and
her pioneering work in the disability rights movement. Reading Level: A
Title: The Silents
Author: Charlotte Abrams
Publisher: Gallaudet University Press, 800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington,
DC 20002-3695; 1996
ISBN #: ISBN-1-56368-055-6
Disability: Deafness
Story Profile: Charlotte writes her autobiography about day-to-day life with her
deaf parents. She describes the communication challenges they faced as a Jewish family
overcoming the Depression and the hardships of World War II, as well as the additional
challenge and fear the mother faced when she found out she was going blind. Reading
Level: A
Title: Under the Eye of the Clock: The Life Story of Christopher Nolan
Author: Christopher Nolan
Publisher: St. Martins Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010; 1988
ISBN #: ISBN-0-312-01266-7
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Story Profile: The author, a 21-year-old Irishman severely disabled by cerebral
palsy, tells the story of his childhood and how he must cope with his disability, revealing the
thoughts and realities of his world. Reading Level: A
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