Representation in Reading - Some Book Recommendations
Reading has numerous positive benefits for cognitive development. As a speech-language pathologist, there are so many reasons why I love to use reading in my sessions! Reading helps build communication skills like auditory comprehension, expressive language and vocabulary, and memory.
When reading to your child, representation in the form of pictures and the ability to see themselves reflected in a main character can make a huge difference in the way they see and respect themselves as well as their peers. Reading books with accurate representation helps us to understand how we (and others) see the world and why. It also allows us to celebrate our differences!
Stuck inside because of yucky weather? Try picking up one of these books to read with your child or even on your own!
PICTURE BOOKS
(20% of proceeds from this family-owned company goes towards building accessible playgrounds around the country!)
Gary’s Gigantic Dream features a giraffe who gets evaluated for his first wheelchair, which allows him so much more independence!
Lia’s Kind Mind features a kind lion with a birthmark who loves gymnastics and to be kind to others!
Louie’s Together Playground features a crafty llama with dwarfism who loves to build, construct, and create!
Goldie’s Tasty Tacos features an all-star chef with an upper limb difference whose savory and sweet tacos are the talk of her small town!
“As a young girl, Temple Grandin loved folding paper kites, making obstacle courses, and building lean-tos. But she really didn’t like hugs. Temple wanted to be held—but to her, hugs felt like being stuffed inside the scratchiest sock in the world; like a tidal wave of dentist drills, sandpaper, and awful cologne, coming at her all at once. Would she ever get to enjoy the comfort of a hug? Then one day, Temple had an idea. If she couldn’t receive a hug, she would make one…she would build a hug machine!”
“A little boy brings his older brother, born with one hand, for show-and-tell. The students ask him all sorts of questions about how he does things with one hand and realize that he can do anything they can do, he just does it differently. Along the way, they notice that we're all different in one way or another, leading to the realization that not only are differences a similarity we all share, but, they are what make us unique - AND AWESOME!”
“Shane Burcaw was born with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which hinders his muscles’ growth. As a result, his body hasn’t grown bigger and stronger as he’s gotten older―it’s gotten smaller and weaker instead. This hasn’t stopped him from doing the things he enjoys (like eating pizza and playing sports and video games) with the people he loves, but it does mean that he routinely relies on his friends and family for help with everything from brushing his teeth to rolling over in bed.”
“Elsie can’t wait to go to her first father-daughter dance. She picked out the perfect dress and has been practicing swirling and swaying in her wheelchair. Elsie’s heart pirouettes as she prepares for her special night. With gestures, smiles, and words from a book filled with pictures, she shares her excitement with her family. But when a winter storm comes, she wonders if she’ll get the chance to spin and dance her way to a dream come true.”
CHILDREN / YOUNG ADULT FICTION
“A neurodivergent girl campaigns for a memorial when she learns that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different. Those people weren’t magic. They were like me. Different like me. I’m autistic. I see things that others do not. I hear sounds that they can ignore. And sometimes I feel things all at once.”
“For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises – some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.”
“Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there -- including Mary -- are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage.But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment. Her struggle to save herself is at the core of this penetrating and poignant novel that probes our perceptions of ability and disability.”
TEEN / ADULT NON-FICTION
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida, K.A. Yoshida (Translator), David Mitchell (Translator)
“Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine.”
Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladau
“People with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, an estimated 15 percent of the global population. But many of us—disabled and nondisabled alike—don’t know how to act, what to say, or how to be an ally to the disability community. Demystifying Disability is a friendly handbook on the important disability issues you need to know about, including:
• How to appropriately think, talk, and ask about disability
• Recognizing and avoiding ableism (discrimination toward disabled people)
• Practicing good disability etiquette
• Ensuring accessibility becomes your standard practice, from everyday communication to planning special events
• Appreciating disability history and identity
• Identifying and speaking up about disability stereotypes in media
Authored by celebrated disability rights advocate, speaker, and writer Emily Ladau, this practical, intersectional guide offers all readers a welcoming place to understand disability as part of the human experience.”
For more book ideas with disability representation as well as regulation strategies, see: The Zones of Regulation Book Nook for Children and The Zones of Regulation Book Nook for Teens!
Happy reading!
Abby Duininck, M.S. CF-SLP
Abby Duininck is a licensed speech-language pathologist at Aspire (and a big-time book aficionado).
