"These powerful heart-rending stories are filled with honesty, humor, and hope and offer inspiration to parents, teachers, and anyone else who cares for children with special needs." -- Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D.
Gathered near a campfire under a canopy of stars, a Navaho Indian boy hears the tale of his birth from his grandfather. Named Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses, the child learns to use his strength to deal with the fact that he is blind. Every time the boy hears his grandfather retell the story he makes a knot on the counting rope. Pretty soon he will be able to tell the story from memory, no longer needing the assistance of his grandfather. It is a tale of intergenerational love and respect, that can bring a family closer. Recommended for read aloud.
Leo the tiger cub isn’t reading, or writing, or drawing, or even speaking, and his father is concerned that something is wrong with his son. But Leo’s mother isn’t. She knows her son will do all those things, and more, when he’s ready. The book is an easy read and can be used to help reassure children who find themselves behind developmentally compared to their same-age peers. It also touches upon family acceptance and support. Every child wants and needs encouragement from their parents and this story conveys the message to both children and parents that it is "okay" to be different.
The Autism Acceptance Book is an interactive, educational, and character-building book that introduces children to the challenges faced by people with autism while also supporting their personal journey toward appreciating and respecting people's differences. This book offers educational information, conversation-starters, and engaging exercises that invite children to "walk in someone else's shoes" as they learn to treat others the same ways they would like to be treated themselves.
Children with autism struggle to make friends and navigate social situations. However, one child can make a significant difference in the life of a child with autism by offering compassion, understanding and friendship. This book is about two boys. One has autism, the other does not. The story of their relationship provides practical examples of how to make such a friendship work. It will help children see that their peers with autism can make a fun, genuine contribution to friendship.
A nonfiction photo-essay about a guide horse. Only a few such horses have been trained and are working. The book describes how Panda was first trained and now helps her owner. The oversize book features many glossy, well-structured photographs that bring children right into the life of a blind woman, Ann Edie, and it explains the many ways that Panda helps Ann--crossing streets, going shopping, riding on trains. The book moves back in time, chronicling Panda's training. Ann and her friend Alex, a horse trainer, heard about the first minihorse trained as a guide; since Ann's longtime guide dog had recently died, the women decided to see if they could train a guide horse, whose life span would be years longer than a dog's. The heartwarming, informative book shows the happy results. Several Web sites and a short bibliography are appended.
Milo is upset. At playtime, he wants to be a pirate captain, but the other children say he's too short, he must be a deck hand. He's too small to be a lion, and not handsome enough to be the prince. But Milo's mum helps him to realize that the other roles can be even more fun. After all, knights get to fight dragons, and monkeys have far more fun than lions, swinging through the trees! Winner of the Little Tiger Press New Author Prize 2003, this is an empowering story of how, with imagination and his mum's help, one boy turns rejection into triumph. Recommended to build self-confidence among students who tend to be outcasts with their peers.
A young girl realizes how much she cares for her autistic brother Ian when he gets lost at the park. Julie describes how Ian acts differently from most people yet her close observations of her brother serve her well when Ian wanders away. By thinking of what Ian likes to do, Julie finds her brother and ushers him home again. Through its simple plot, the story conveys a complex family relationship and demonstrates the ambivalent emotions Julie feels about her autistic brother. This natural mix of resentment, anger, isolation, loyalty, and love is explained in preliminary notes written by professional pediatric caregivers.
In Sarah's eyes, her older sister is very brave. Becky is not afraid of the new school or of the barking dog that they meet on the way. She's not even afraid of the convulsive epileptic seizures that she sometimes has. But after a seizure at home, she confides to Sarah that, although the teacher and the nurse know about her condition, she has not told her new classmates and she worries that she will have a seizure in school. One day her fears are realized, and her classmates stare and some laugh. The next day, Becky refuses to go back to school and Sarah has to conquer her own trepidation, walking there alone and going into her sister's classroom to explain what happened. The text reads easily with just enough information about epilepsy to help readers understand Becky's feelings. The soft pastel drawings emphasize the loving relationship between the girls. Epilepsy is tough on children and their families, and this story will help to explain the misconceptions.
Norma Jean, the kangaroo loves to jump. The problem is that her jumping gets out of hand, causing accidents and some hurt feelings among her friends, and Norma stops her jumping entirely. But when the school's field-day games come up, Norma Jean is talked back into action for her team to win. Unfortunately the book tends to focus solely on her jumping around, instead of her as a person, or should I say kangaroo. The title itself defines Norma by her disability. I would caution using this book as it implies a more negative perspective than a positive one.
The sequel to Holes, focuses on Armpit, an African-American former resident of Tent D at Camp Green Lake. It's two years after his release, and the 16-year-old is still digging holes, although now getting paid for it, working for a landscaper in his hometown of Austin, TX. He's trying to turn his life around, knowing that everyone expects the worst of him and that he must take small steps to keep moving forward. When X-Ray, his friend and fellow former detainee at the juvenile detention center, comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme involving scalping tickets to a concert by teenage pop star Kaira DeLeon, Armpit fronts X-Ray the money. He takes his best friend and neighbor, Ginny, a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy, to the concert and ends up meeting Kaira, getting romantically involved, and finally becoming a hero... I won't say much being I don't want to give the story away... except that I was disappointed by the ending. It seemed a little far-fetched and unrealistic making it hard for kids to relate. However, Armpit's relationship with Ginny, the first person to care for him, look up to him, and give his life meaning, is a compassionate one. Like Holes, Small Steps is a story about redemption, friendship, self-sacrifice, and doing the right thing. Recommend reading various parts of the book as a read aloud (Ch. 3, Ch. 7) which focus on Armpit and Ginny's friendship.
The story of a little black smudge who searches for friends. He finds some colorful shapes, but they reject him. Encouraged by his parents to show them what he can do, he displays his remarkable shape-changing abilities. And then he teaches the other shapes how they can do the same. It is a great book about acceptance and friendship. Little Smudge is a perfect example of why you should never judge a person based on first impressions (or ability) because you never know what they can do once you get to know them. We can always learn from others that appear different than us.
Oscar the dachshund is a dog with a problem: it's hard to win doggy respect when your mother calls you "my little Vienna Sausage." Mom's idea of a Halloween costume is a bun with mustard, but Oscar makes the most of the outfit, defeating a monstrous pair of masquerading cats to get his nickname changed from Wiener Dog to Hero Sandwich. Dav Pilkey's wacky humor comes out in both story and pictures--a recalcitrant pupil at school writes on the chalkboard, "I will not sniff my neighbor." Set against a series of vivid, clearly painted skies, the pictures promise a world in which menace is only artificial and underdogs can become wonderdogs. - Mary Harris Veeder - Booklist
I felt that the story was very real, however, I wished it addressed more than a few paragraphs about the character's disabilities… specifically, Dolphin’s dyslexia. It seemed like it was mentioned very briefly once or twice and then that was it. Given my teaching project is about books that address disabilities, I feel that this book should be added to the list because both Doiphin and Marigold's disability is only one characteristic of who they are as indivduals. And with what I have learned from the readings, characters should not be defined by his or her disability, but portrayed with the same human traits as others. A character's disability is merely one characteristic, thus there is not a need for it to be the entire focus of the book.
Chibi is a young boy who displays characteristics of autism. He is different from the other children and is often left alone while his classmates study and play. After five years of school, a friendly new teacher discovers that Chibi can imitate the sounds of crows and lets Chibi participate in the talent show. His classmates realize they have misjudged Chibi. Since being published in 1955, the views regarding Special Education inclusion and Autism have changed. Such information should be discussed with children if you choose to read this book to your class.
A young boy describes his mama's "zooming machine" as he rides on her lap and pretends she is his racehorse, ship, car, airplane, train, buckboard wagon, wave, and spaceship. The boy has fanciful experiences and sees no limitations in his mother, who uses a wheelchair.
Rodney Rat cannot say his name properly because he can't pronounce his r's. When a new student bullies Rodney's classmates, Rodney becomes the hero because of his speech impediment. Unfortunately, the story ends with the new student walking west never to be seen again. The book is great for teaching acceptance of communication disorders, just not solving issues regarding bullying. If you plan to use this book in your classroom, it is recommended that you discuss alternatives to addressing bullying at school.
"No toys in the fish tank" is one of many rules that 12-year-old Catherine shares with her autistic younger brother, David, to help him understand his world. Lots of the rules are practical. Others are more subtle and shed light on issues in Catherine's own life. Torn between love for her brother and impatience with the responsibilities and embarrassment he brings, she strives to be on her parents' radar and to establish an identity of her own. At her brother's clinic, Catherine befriends a wheelchair-bound boy, Jason, who talks by pointing at word cards in a communication notebook. Her drawing skills and additional vocabulary cards--including "whatever" (which prompts Jason to roll his eyes at his mother)--enliven his speech. The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently. A heartwarming first novel. - Cindy Dobrez - Copyright © American Library Association
Leo the rabbit whose ears are different from all the other rabbits learns that "normal is whatever you are." Each Serendipity series book teaches children a different social skill. Written on the front of every new cover is the moral of the story. One thing I really like about these books is that they can also be used to teach more than just acceptance and social skills. They are also great for teaching mini-lessons during writing. This particular book uses great word choice and imagery to to describe the setting beginning with the very first sentence. "Beyond the horizon, farther than far, in the middle of the Crystal Sea, was a beautiful island called Serendipity."
This book is written to provide teachers, social workers, school psychologists, counselors, and other professionals who work with children a comprehensive guide to selecting and using children's books to teach about disabilities. With the support of this book readers will be able to: * Select appropriate children's literature that includes characters with disabilities; *Use children's books to teach awareness, knowledge, understanding, and acceptance of individuals with disabilities; * Follow unit and lesson plans for recommended books that include characters with disabilities; * Implement standard lesson plans and discussion guides for self-selected books that include characters with disabilities; and Recognize what books are available and recommended in this genre. The book includes reproducible lesson and unit plans and extensive annotated bibliographies of over 100 books. Grades K-12
An annotated guide to the best publications for parents and professionals. The book provides short reviews and recommendations of the best books, journals, newsletters, organizations, and other information sources about children with disabilities. Part two of the book focuses on specific disabilities and has a section of books just for children.
