It’s September!
Reading can help bring understanding. Many people don’t understand what it is like to have a disability. Reading a non-fiction book about a disability can help you understand the facts of it. Reading a book written BY someone with a disability can help you see their world in a new light.
I’ve read a few that stood out because they were so amazing.
Out of my Mind is about a girl who can’t speak or move. She is intelligent but has no way to prove that. The book is by Sharon Draper who is a brilliant author. Many of my students read this book in 5th grade and recommended it to me, which is why I read it.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime is about a young man with Autism. The boy finds a dog that has been murdered and decides to solve this murder. The author, Mark Haddon, has autism, so he gives you a genuine view of the way someone with autism thinks. I have to tell you there were many times when the character through differently and I said, you know, he’s right.
I have not read The Running Dream yet, but it seems to be at the top of many recommendation lists. Our school librarian also highly recommended it to our students. I am going to see if I can get my hands on this book to read.
I have one more to recommend: Wonder by RJ Palacio is fast becoming a classic must read! This one is about a boy with facial deformities.
Here are a few other lists if you need some ideas:
http://www.epicreads.com/blog/authors-ya-books-mental-illness/
Amazon has a list of books about kids with special needs
Clevver also has a list of books about people with disabilities
These are about mental illness: https://www.bustle.com/p/10-new-books-about-mental-illness-to-read-in-2018-7923035 (Several of these may not be appropriate for teen readers.)
If you are wanting to learn about a specific disability look at this list: https://www.aacap.org/aacap/Resources_for_Primary_Care/Information_for_Patients_and_Their_Families/Books/Home.aspx Looks like there are many interesting book recommendations here. I might need to pick up one of these about ADHD to better understand what my son is going through.
Happy Reading!
