Tru Shirt
Books for middle school students that show people with disabilities in a positive light
Here is a list of books for middle school students with at least one character of a disability. All characters with disabilities are represented in a positive light. There are characters who have autism, Down syndrome, developmental disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, language delays, dyslexia, spina bifida, synaesthesia and using a wheelchair.
The list has been created using the Dolly Gray Award winners and the Schneider Family Book Award and the lists compiled by Sandy Lahmann, Cherla Pesto Disaboom and Mary Anne Prater and Tina Taylor Dyche to teach special children.
* Series Zipzer Hank, Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver / Jesse Joshua Watson – Inspired by his own experiences with undiagnosed dyslexia, actor / director Henry Winkler presents this series about the spirited and funny adventures of a fourth grader with learning differences.
* Friends Saturday, EL Konigsburg – Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses to represent their class in the Academic Bowl competition
* And do not bring Jeremy Levinson Marilyn – Moving into a new area is difficult, but Adam Krasner has the additional burden of dealing with Jeremy, his brother suffering from neurological disorders, which can not be anything right.
* Rules Cynthia Lord – Twelve years old Catherine just wants a normal life. What is almost impossible when you have an autistic brother and a family which revolves around his disability. The meeting was Catherine Jason, a surprising new sort-of friend, and Kristi's friend next door, she always hoped that his own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?
* Becoming Naomi Leon, Pam Munoz Ryan – When Naomi absent mother reappears to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of his father.
* Things do not see Andrew Clements – When Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition and how to fix it.
* Me and Rupert Goody Barbara O'Connor – is Jennalee jealous when a man comes in black thoughts slow her Smoky Mountains community and claims to be the son of Uncle Beau, the owner of general store Jennalee and only friend.
* Flying Solo Ralph Fletcher – Rachel, having chosen to remain silent after the sudden death of a classmate, a Responsibility shared with other sixth graders who decide not to report that the substitute teacher did not attend.
* Freak the Mighty, Rodman Philbrick and WR Philbrick – In the beginning of eighth grade, learning difficulties, Max and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect touched his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces, they form a powerful team.
* Al Capone Does My Shirts, Gennifer Choldenko – Moose Flanagan and his family, including his sister 15 years, Natalie, who has autistic-like features, go to Alcatraz in 1935 when his father can function as a prison guard and Natalie can attend a special school. However, the school does not allow Natalie to attend to Moose and the daughter of the prison to ask for help from an unlikely source, the most notorious criminal on the island Capone, Al
Confessions Tru *, Janet Tashjian – computers, twelve years, Tru is an electronic diary where she documents her desire to cure her handicapped twin brother and his plan to create a television show.
* In search of sun, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer – even if Josie wants to forget it was born with a disability, his mother can not let go. However, when a strange new boy? Jordan? Move into one of neighboring houses, he seems indifferent to all things that are different from Josie.
* Mango-shaped Space, Wendy Mass – Mia Winchell synaesthesia, the mixture of perceptions whereby a person can see sounds, smell colors or taste shapes. Forced to reveal his condition, she must look to itself to develop an understanding and appreciation of his gift in this coming of age novel.
* Pending Normal, Leslie Connor – Addie spent most of his twelve years? Waiting for normal,? a stable family and a real home. Conner? S resilient heroine uses humor, creativity and its? love of learning? to compensate for his dyslexia. With music and good friends, Addie discovers that she can accomplish anything.
* So B. It, Sarah Weeks – From the bestselling author of "Regular Guy" is a novel about a young girl who lives in Reno with his disabled mother mental, haunted by a mysterious word in her mother's 23-word vocabulary, embarks on a journey cross-country skiing
* Westing Game, Ellen Raskin – The mysterious death an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they could claim their inheritance.
About the Author
Mara Kaplan is an educator, a parent of a child with special needs and a seasoned advocate for inclusive play. You can sign up for the Let Kids Play newsletter at her blog http://letkidsplay.blogspot.com and receive recommendations of high quality books and toys for children with and without disabilities. Learn more about Mara at http://www.letkidsplay.com
