Highlighting Disabled Authors
Written by Megan Johnson
Disclaimer: This article is written without any financial or other incentive from the authors of the books, or any other organization discussed. There is no affiliation or endorsement by Clover Genetics or its associates for any of the links or means of purchasing each of the mentioned titles. This article is meant to highlight authors and provide a resource for individuals interested in exploring different literature.
1 in 4
From 2016 to 2020, the CDC conducted an annual survey of adults across the United States. Consistently, approximately 25%, or 1 in 4, identified as having a disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). For many, there are countless barriers to receiving a diagnosis, likely meaning that number is higher yet. We are more connected than ever before. Chances are that you have virtually or directly interacted with more than four people today; as I write this, I am at a coffee shop with fourteen other people spread throughout. Considering the broad impact of disability, it is critical that we open the discussion up to discussing disability and different needs with children and teenagers to better engage with their peers and family. Doing so supports a safe and inclusive environment in school and beyond, helps in developing empathy and viewing differences positively, and works to break down our implicit biases (Baylor). Below are a collection of books written by authors with a diverse range of visible and invisible disabilities. In sharing, I hope you can find a book to open the conversation with your loved ones written from a perspective often not as frequently highlighted.
Age Group: 4-8 Years
This Beach is Loud! By Samantha Cotterill
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle
Even when we are doing things that we enjoy, we all get overwhelmed sometimes. Through her writing and illustrations, Samantha Cotterill does an amazing job normalizing sensory overstimulation and learning to recognize when it’s time to practice calming techniques. She has beautifully captured her experience with overstimulation living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). If you love this book, she has more children’s books highlighting the Autism spectrum and Sensory Processing Disorders: Nope! Never! Not for Me!, Can I Play Too?, and It Was Supposed to be Sunny.
Dad Has a Wheelchair by Ken Jasch
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle
Written from the point of view of his daughter, Ken Jasch highlights and addresses some of the questions kids may have about physical disabilities. This book does an outstanding job explaining what genes are, their role in our development, and how those with disabilities have fun in slightly different ways. This perspective can help a young audience understand that having a physical or invisible difference does not change how amazing and fun your family members can be!
Can Bears Ski? By Raymond Antrobus
Topic: Hearing loss, deafness, Deaf Community, Sign Language, intersectionality
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle and Audiobook
As a child, going through hearing tests can be really scary. From the perspective of a young bear discovering they have hearing loss, the illustration and writing style beautifully encapsulates this adventure. The discovery of the real meaning behind the key question was delightful and leaves the reader feeling warm. Raymond Antrobus shares a wonderful story that brings his experience being born Deaf to life in a developmentally appropriate way to support children, whether they, their friends, or family have hearing loss. Raymond also has written and spoken poetry regarding his life experiences for older age groups, such as The Perseverance. This book addresses hearing loss with hearing aids, and another huge part of the Deaf Community-- Sign Language. Another great read about hearing loss is Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman, which has been highly praised for its focus on ASL.
Just Ask: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle and Audiobook
Written from the perspective of Sonia, she shares her experience with diabetes and the experiences of several others with their own unique differences. This book highlights both visible and invisible conditions and provides insight into tools other children may use such as inhalers, wheelchairs, guide dogs, or canes. It also introduces the reader to how learning can be different for those with invisible conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD, and ASD. With an ending highlighting the value of asking parents or teachers questions, it concludes with the acknowledgment that sometimes your friends may not be comfortable talking about their condition, but that all of our differences make the world so beautiful.
What Happened to You? By James Catchpole
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon
This story highlights Joe’s experience with a question those with physical disabilities hear quite frequently, especially around curious kids, “What happened to you?” James Catchpole utilized his own experiences as a child to write this important story for individuals of all ages; it empowers children to know that they don’t need to answer that question. For those without physical disabilities, it highlights the need to be empathetic and treat others equally and how we want to be treated even though we don’t all look the same, which is a lesson we can always learn again.
Age Group: 8-12 Years
What Stars Are Made Of by Sarah Allen
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle and audiobook
Following Libby, a science-loving seventh grade girl with a huge heart who was born with Turner Syndrome, this story highlights her experiences with concentration and being different from her classmates. After her sister gets pregnant, she enters a creative contest in a bargain with the universe that her sister’s baby will be born perfectly healthy if she wins. Sarah Allen also gives a reading of the first two chapters of her book on the Puffin Storytime YouTube channel, and it’s amazing to hear her emotions bring the story to life. In the end, it’s clear that it’s the people who love us that make us so lucky!
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on audiobook
This book tells the story of Trisha, who struggled learning to read, and the difficulties that come with feeling like the people around you are more easily understanding things than you. Through seeing her teacher support her in finding her strengths and gaining confidence in her ability to read, it highlights the impact that you can have by supporting someone. It shares Patricia’s own experience with bullying due to her struggling with reading at a young age and how Mr. Falker helped her learn through practice over several months. The story is a beautiful tale of overcoming challenges, and highlights how everyone learns in different ways and at a different pace.
Born Just Right by Jordan Reeves
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle
In sharing her story and being a part of her non-profit, now known as, Design With Us, Jordan consistently reinvigorates and improves the conversation around disability. This book highlights her experiences growing up with a limb difference, opening the discussion with middle schoolers about disability and showing the positive impact that advocacy surrounding disabilities has on everyone. Design With Us strives to provide the opportunity for youth with disabilities to reflect on their lived experiences to create unique solutions that support both themselves and others!
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle
Cece highlights her own experiences growing up d/Deaf in this story through her words and her illustrations. She was born hearing, but at four-years-old contracts meningitis and begins to lose her hearing. She also has an outstanding YouTube channel where she talks more in depth about the details of her childhood experiences highlighted in the book. This autobiographical work is a wonderful read and brings to light some things that come with becoming deaf such as struggling with balance and having to relearn how to walk, as well as using a hearing aid. A movie based on her story was released January 2022, and is also voiced by a deaf actress!
Age Group: 13+ Years
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle and audiobook
It’s incredibly challenging to imagine how others perceive the world around them, especially because it can vary so drastically. Naoki Higashida beautifully captures his experiences in this memoir written when he was 13 and takes the reader inside the mind of an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to answer the questions many people have. Learning his process of using an alphabet grid to write each sentence and story made the answers provided in the book even more impactful. Overall, this is a short and captivating read making it perfect for all ages. A film was released in 2021 based on this story, sharing the title The Reason I Jump, that explores the lives of five young people with ASD who are non-speaking.
What Doesn’t Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness - Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle and audiobook
Chronic illness doesn’t always come back to our genetics, but Tessa’s raw exploration into the medical system as an individual diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in her 20s is a powerful tale, not only of the reality of many individuals who receive genetic diagnoses, but of all-too-prominent health disparities. This book can act as a guide to start conversations on many hard topics for those who are chronically ill, or with loved ones who are chronically ill. It explores complicated family dynamics, sexuality, and the importance of taking care of your mental health while experiencing chronic illness. Tessa shares unfiltered glimpses into her life with Crohn’s and humanizes the “ugly” parts of being chronically ill in the process. That said, due to the content, this book may be more appropriate for slightly older audiences!
Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon; available on Kindle and audiobook
This story is an analysis of the history of disability, tying in the author’s personal experiences with cerebral palsy while looking at various fairy tales. Rarely do we sit and think about the perceptions shaped through engaging with underlying messages as we grow up or even analyze the environments that shaped the stories themselves! Further, she compares these stories to their modern-day counterparts, such as superheroes, making the analysis relatable on a multitude of levels to both the history and modern reality of the way that media shapes our views.
About the Author: Megan grew up in rural United States, thirty minutes from the closest hospital and over an hour to a facility with specialty care. As a result, she experienced a three-year diagnostic odyssey before connecting with a specialist who helped diagnose her autoimmune disorder in 2021. The trials and tribulations experienced over those years helped her discover a passion for increasing access to healthcare for all, which includes opening the discussion with family, friends, and healthcare workers to create a strong support system. A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Public Health minor, Megan will be pursuing her Master’s in Genetic Counseling at Wake Forest University this fall!