Books That Depict Children With Disabilities in a Positive Way

Vision Impairments

• Vision impairments can range from complete blindness to simply needing a pair of glasses, but either can make children feel unsure of themselves. "Luna and the Big Blur," by Shirley Day, is the story of a young girl who discovers she needs glasses and worries that her bespectacled face will cause her friends to abandon or make fun of her. Her family helps her remember that, even with her glasses, she is still Luna, and they all love her. Estella Condra's book "See the Ocean" tells about a family who is taking a trip to the ocean. In it, Condra details the differences in how the sighted children in the family and the young daughter who is blind all perceive the ocean.

Mental Disabilities

• Though mental disabilities are not always physically evident as other disabilities may be, they can have a profound effect on the social world of the affected child. "Andy and His Yellow Frisbee," by Mary Thompson is about how the children at an elementary school relate to a classmate who has autism. "How Sudge Came," by Nan Gregory tells the story of Cindy, a girl who finds a stray puppy and sneaks him to her room so she can keep him. Cindy has Down Syndrome and lives in a group home, but connects successfully with readers over the love of her new pet.

Hearing Impairments

• Children with hearing impairments can seem different to other kids their age because of the way their voices sound or whether they use any hearing devices. "Dad and Me in the Morning," by P. Lakin, is about a little boy and his father who have found ways to communicate with one another in a meaningful way. Dorothy Hoffman Levi's story "A Very Special Sister" tells the story of a girl who is deaf, and whose mother is pregnant. The child worries that if they baby is hearing, her parents will love it more than they love her. Her parents assure her that they love her because of who she is, not whether she can hear.

Physical Disabilities

• Physical disabilities are among the most recognizable because they are often physically evident. These children may experience their own feelings of being different frequently, as well as the reactions others can have to their physical appearance. "Friends At Work and Play," by Rochelle Bunnett is about the different jobs people do within a community. Featured in the book are both children and adults in wheelchairs, using walkers and crutches, all doing jobs that make them integral parts of their community.