Parents' Corner
January 2009
FEEL GOOD FAVORITES:
BOOKS RELATED TO DISABILITYby Robin Hurd
I love kids’ books! On any given trip to the library, you’ll find my oldest sons hanging out looking at adult-level books about science or architecture or the environment. Their mom? I’m in the children’s section, picking out MY favorites to read with the twins and grabbing an occasional “old friend” of a book just for myself.
Though I love children’s books, I really don’t like most of the ones specifically about disabilities. With titles like “My Teacher Uses a Wheelchair” or “My Dog Buddy”, they focus on the equipment that people with disabilities use and the help they need from others. One book about a girl who needs AAC even depicts the SLP as the heroine who saves the day because the child’s AAC system arrives on the very day of her mother’s birthday, so she can sing “happy birthday” to her mom. Corny!
So this list of books about disabilities is different. Not one of these books uses the word “disability”. The fact that these characters have a disability may totally slip by most readers. But the characters in these books are creative, fun people that our kids can relate to. They do things. They have problems. And they solve them.
First on the list is IQ Goes to School by Mary Ann Fraser. IQ is a mouse who joins a grade school class. It is really a commentary on inclusion (though you’ll never see that word anywhere). This is also a great story to share with teachers.
Next comes the series of books about Amos the Dog by Susan Seligson and Howie Schneider. Amos “is an old dog” who spends a lot of time on his couch, which he is able to drive using his paw. (Power wheelchair, anyone?) He has some amazing adventures camping, going on a boat, and as a stunt man in the circus (my personal favorite). Amos always narrowly avoids trouble, makes his owners worried, and ends up saving the day for someone. Josh and Caleb made the connection between Amos’ couch and their power chairs before I did. This series, in particular, would be good for older readers who don’t read at grade level --- no “cutsie” drawings here!
A personal favorite, since I have a child with sensory issues and on the autism spectrum is Goldie and the Three Bears by Diane Stanley. In this re-make of the old story, Goldie has a hard time finding things she likes. It’s a sensitively handled glimpse into the life of a child with sensory issues.
Another book that addresses issues faced by kids on the spectrum is The Rattlesnake Who Went to School by Craig Strete. In this book, the main character is anxious about the first day of school, so he turns into a rattlesnake to protect himself. Sensory integration issues, motor apraxia, and a host of “behaviors” follow as he tries to sort out the new experience of classroom life.
I Can Hear the Sun, by Patricia Polacco, comes as close as any of these books to mentioning disabilities. We know that the child doesn’t do well in school; however, the book focuses on how he changes the lives of homeless people in an urban park. Another of her books that is a family favorite is Thunder Cake. The main character conquers her anxiety with the help of her grandmother.
And of course, there is the Amelia Bedelia series, children’s literature’s classic literal thinker. My husband and I have laughed often over these books. I don’t know if the author realized that there are children who think this way in real life!
Last but not least is I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self Esteem by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell. The disabilities of the characters in this book are not found in the text, but in the pictures. The boy is obsessed with fire trucks and safety. (Were the authors at my house lately?) The girl struggles with motor skills, sensory issues and friendships. But the main message of the book is priceless for all of our kids who have differences: accepting themselves as they are.
I hope that you enjoy reading these books—either with your kids or even by yourself. Happy reading!
As always, feel free to e-mail me at parents@aacinstitute.org with any questions or comments.
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