He often hears music that nobody else can and spots details that others might miss. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. Also, while It’s My Life by Stacey Ramey doesnt reflect my experience with CP, it’s still a really good story about a girl finding out that her CP may have been her doctors fault, and having to deal with regular life at the same time. As a young soldier, Joe lost his arms, legs, and face in a horrific explosion, but retained all his mental faculties. ➸ How To Tell If A Book Has Good Autism Rep 81. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. They are books that are disability memoirs, about disability culture, about issues that the disability community face and more. And WMHJTT is SO GOOD as well! Adam is the most loyal and soft and kind boy you will ever see Zayneb also narrates half the book and I LOVED HER; her refusal to be quiet and take discrimination, and her love of her family and culture and life. What a great post! Unfortunately, it's tough to find books that feature disabled and/or neurodiverse characters in the first place. I was falling out of my socks with excitement to read this. The curious incident of the dog in the night time. I’m also very passionate about disability rep, having lived with disabled friends and family for my whole life and wanting to become an Auslan interpreter for years (hopefully I go to beginning studying next year!). From the facially different boy in Wonder to the deaf girl in El Deafo to the teen girl with cerebral palsy in Say What You Will, these books feature characters … I really enjoyed it, and the found family in it is *chef’s kiss*. The whole thing hurts, but it also is full of love. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. It seems a bit dark, but it deals with both Aspergers and school shootings, so I thought it was worth checking out. I think it’s fair to point out that the book community doesn’t support disabled YA like they do other diverse books and would love if we all worked on this!! That scene will forever stay with me. Added all of these to my TBR so thank you. Beauty and The Beast retelling where the Beauty has CP! There’s a lot of pain in this book, and it’s not romanticised. Tell TBR about your reading preferences and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. Keah Brown, born with cerebral palsy, grew up with friends calling her able-boded twin sister “the pretty one.” Although it took time for her to find self-love, Keah found ways to embrace it regardless of how others believed she should be. I wholeheartedly agree that the book community prioritizes other forms of diversity (POC and LGBT rep, tbh) over disability rep, and we really need to do better. But that’s now how he views it. Fictional characters with intellectual and cognitive disorders‎ (4 C) N ... Fictional characters with physical and congenital disorders‎ (10 C) Pages in category "Fictional characters with disability" The following 41 pages are in this category, out of 41 total. I really related to Steffi’s severe anxiety too It’s also nice because it’s full of romantic “firsts” but not conventionally. Drews @ paperfury […], I’m a 25-year-old author, blogger, and reader extraordinaire. She even started the hashtag #DisabledAndCute to help others with disabilities recognize their inherent beauty. So cute!) (I also lowkey headcanon him as autistic because I can.) ✦ Cait @ PaperFury provides us a list of YA books with disabled characters. This much needed, vital anthology featuring disabled characters by disabled authors includes stories from authors like Keplinger, Stork, and Duyvis named above, but also Heidi Heilig, Dhonielle Clayton, Kayla Whaley, and more. We should respect both! Here are some books on disability – by disabled writers – that I have bought and you might like. Honestly, disability representation are the kind of diverse books I seek out the most. Love them. I’m so grateful for these recs! A day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a high society English woman. And YASSS RHYS AND STEFFI!!! <3. Among them is Joe Bonham in Dalton Trumbo's searing antiwar novel Johnny Got His Gun. Moby Dick - (Ahab) villain, killed. Fun times. It features two autistic brothers (in different places on the spectrum) and it’s so deeply about unconditional love and found-family and how abuse can shape you. Mockingbird: This one is for teens or older. Please don’t recommend me books where the disabled character dies while I’m talking about disabled pride. The story follows Cason as she goes from upcoming amazing ballerina to an amputee. But but anyway!! I still think some of the non-won voices stories were very well written, and in particular The Running Dream, and Not If I See You First are forever favorites! But what about animation films and characters for kids? The goal of this list? Throughout her young adulthood, she struggled with crippling paranoia and the frequent inability to tell reality apart from delusions. Each feature characters living with physical or mental disabilities and teaches kindness and perseverance. It’s also a great suggestion for a fiction book for an autistic teenager to read. But then the Chancellor is poisoned to death and a mysterious army attacks the city gates. Jan 8, 2019 - Need a good novel to help you grow, empathize and understand the life of someone with a disability better? This memoir details Saks’s experiences as well as ongoing challenges she still faces related to the disorder. When I talk about “disability pride” it absolutely does not erase disability suffering and struggles. I’m putting Brave Enough on my wishlist, the only book on this list that I don’t own . I have read so few this year so I really need more recs! Samantha went through a horrific car accident and now uses crutches to walk and is in excruciating pain all the time. If you want some non-fiction, Shane Burcaw is hilarious and his two memior are awesome! And Eliot doesn’t have that. I’m going to say this one wasn’t totally for me stylistically, buuuut I still want to recommend it because it’s #ownvoices for amputee rep and that’s SO rare in YA and this needs to be celebrated! He walks with a cane too. This is a compilation of all of the books on disability that I review, compile lists about, have guests write about and so forth. It starts off when Spencer is pretty young and then grows up with him as he has an on-and-off-again pining romance with the girl next door. reading about sam and avery getting their happy ending warmed my heart so much, and i honestly think that it deserves more hype . Sam and Eliot had that connection. Yet Jovan has no choice but to use his training and, alongside his sister Kalina, protect the heir at all costs. I definitely hope to see more books coming out in the future that feature a diverse range of characters with disabilities. Close. I was ranting to my family the other day about lack of disability rep and I was talking about Rosemary Sutcliff’s books (The Eagle of the Ninth and The Silver Branch) which both feature disabled main characters. by Padma Venkatraman. He finds great fulfillment in his life and reflects on his experiences with a sincere and often humorous mindset. Our writer Raya, a self-confessed animation film fan, wanted to find out. I have not read them all, but I plan to read a few this weekend when I’m in a hotel on enforced rest – bliss! . Things like “she overcame her disability” and “he was amazing despite being disabled” and “this disabled character really inspired me for still doing cool stuff” ARE all really abled. Andy and His Yellow Frisbee by Mary Thompson This list of books about characters with a disability for the 2020 Read Harder Challenge is sponsored by TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations. (Especially if that book is by an abled author. I’m really lookong forward to Love From A to Z and A Taxonomy of Love. I’m going to have to add A Quiet Kind of Thunder to my tbr as well. A List of Cages absolutely DESTROYED me and my emotions and I’m still not over it years later and ahh I’ve been meaning to read Sick Kids in Love, I’ve heard such amazing things about this book!! You know that moment when banter and quips just light up your whole world? Jovan has been the gentle, unassuming best friend of the Chancellor’s heir since childhood. also, please promote your book all you want!! (The romance made me squeal in this one. I have been known to eat whole books for breakfast and talk extensively about the dark side and how many cookies it contains. JAfdklsad read this one. I added these books to my tbr! Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus book. Twelve-year-old Iris has a talent for all things tech. It’s also set in college, so sitting in that nice upper-YA pocket that doesn’t get enough attention either. I have read and enjoyed a couple of these, I loved A Quiet Kind of Thunder so, so much, such a lovely read. In her memoir, Haben approaches disability not as a weakness but as an opportunity to innovate and change the world for the better. This post contains affiliate links. To help her “get a life” through activities like moving out of her family’s mansion, traveling the world with nothing but hand luggage, and having a drunken night out. But look it’s here now and I do like to claim that quote on how a wizard is never late, but arrives precisely when they mean to (credits to Gandalf, who makes some good points). I loved the one book ive read of Sara Barnard, so i’m eager to see what a quiet kind of thunder has for me! Required fields are marked *. The following list is a sample of some of the adult fiction books available at the Toronto Public Library that feature a diverse range of characters. Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin. I’m really excited to talk about some of my favourite books with disabled characters!! The hard parts. Read Your World Book Jam 2018: Diverse Books About Inclusion That Make the World a Better Place. Finding cheap used copies when I have money has been a challenge. I will be adding all of these to my TBR (except TBWSH because I’ve already read and loved it)! Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Physical Disability) Animal’s People tells the story of a 19-year old orphan of Khaufpur who was horribly injured in the 1984 Bhopal chemical disaster. Although written for a young adult audience, Strangers Assume My Girlfriend is My Nurse is a hilarious and heartfelt read for teens and adults alike. People with disabilities are often made to feel like they don’t have a voice in communities where able-bodied people are the majority. It sounds pretty interesting. Drews, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), « How To Edit Book Covers Into Your #Bookstagram Photos, [Blog Tour] The Genesis Of Seven by Sara M. Schaller — Angels, Satan, and a Confused Boy Collide ». Although others—like his father—view his condition as something to overcome, Marcelo is proud of who he is. Few would expect him to be an expert in poisons, but from a young age he received secret training to protect the Chancellor’s family from those who want them dead. Looking for some books with disabled characters. Reading about main characters with disabilities is one way to promote inclusion and understanding, particularly if written by an #OwnVoices author. Teachers and students alike often treat her as if she’s a lot less capable than she is, and sometimes she feels as if no matter how hard she tries, she cannot communicate with them. ➸ How To Keep Supporting Diverse Books (All The Time!) It’s also Upper-YA because they’re both teens but figuring out how to be adults, how to support themselves, how to fit into a world that is too harsh and fast and not understanding. This is #ownvoices for autism rep and the love interest has a severe disability where his bones are so fragile they’ll break all the time. Not the taboo subject it once was, mental illness offers rich territory to explore in books for kids and teens. Their quiet love story just filled my whole heart. Books about kids and teens with physical difficulties can help build understanding, compassion, and tolerance among readers who don't face those challenges -- as well as give those who do a chance to see relatable kids powering through compelling stories. Keep an eye on your inbox. AHHH, Julian in A List of Cages is my SON. ). 2. Shane Burcaw is used to people viewing his life—and medical condition, spinal muscular atrophy—through a sympathetic lens. Books with thoughtful portrayals of characters who encounter mental health issues can offer middle grade readers comfort, connection, and inspiration. Six of Crows is honestly the only one that I can think of where the author shares the same disability as the character, which is quite sad really. Some of these are on my TBR list, so I’m glad you enjoyed them! Colours of Us: 5 Multicultural Picture Books About Mental … 1. I’ve had a few of thoses on my virtual wanna read, and added some more ! Novels: The Hunchback of Notre Dame - victim/ (but also) monster, suicide (or killed, depending on if you read the book or see the movie) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - intellectually disabled victim, dies from institutional neglect, deaf victim, suicide. All while making it clear that folks affected by disabilities are just people like everyone else. She also did a fabulously helpful post about how to edit book covers into […], […] Disability pride month: 10 YA books with disabled characters you need to read by C.G. This was one of my favourite reads of last year just for being SO funny, soft, relatable, aching and lonely and loving — and absolutely crammed full of incredible disability rep. I’m excited about alllll of these, but especially Sick Kids In Love and also Love From A to Z *insert heart eyes*, Lastly WAFFLES! Picture books with characters who use wheelchairs. We absolutely need books about disability suffering!! I have read 6 of these and loved all of them, though to varying degrees if I have to pick favourites! Thank you for signing up! but it is. Anyway! Isabel has rheumatoid arthritis and Sasha has Gaucher Disease. Elyn R. Saks began hearing voices when she was a teenager, at a time when schizophrenia was largely misunderstood. When they discover a photo of a young girl, they become involved in a case that opens their eyes to suffering and injustice. I just re-read TBWSH a few weeks ago and I FREAKING LOVE IT SO MUCH. You can read about places you’ve never been to and learn about different types of people, cultures and life experiences. Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Seelsa. Other disabled characters attract more of our sympathy. Complicating this is Jovan’s severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is debilitating in times of high stress. She was disabled too (she had Still’s disease, I believe) and her books were written in the fifties, yet I’ve found incredibly few historical or fantasy books that feature disability. Perry Crandall has an intellectual disability. There are probably more but I can’t think of any right now! It’s about two boys who were once foster brothers and find each other again…and how their lives basically unravel. Why yes. But this is a wonderful portrayal of how hard times and mental illness compound the issues and a whole family can suffer. I was ranting to my family the other day about lack of disability rep and I was talking about Rosemary Sutcliff’s books (The Eagle of the Ninth and The … I softly yell to myself. Just say: “I loved the epic stuff this disabled character did!”. I think that’s because authors and publishers think that mobility impairments are easier to represent, and easier to understand, than other disabilities. Sam and Avery and ALL the De Laineys and the WAFFLES–I’m not freaking out over here at ALL. This is narrated by Steffi who has selective mutism and ends up partnered with the Deaf boy at school since they both know BSL (British Sign Language). Pain is a defence against us hurting ourselves to death?! See more ideas about books, best novels, disability. This one is about Spencer who has Tourette’s! So here it is! You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner What a fantastic list, thank you SO MUCH for all the recommendations! Archived. I wish I had more honestly, I can think of very few books I’ve read with disabled characters and most of them are by non OV writers. Read More…, Copyright © 2021  Paper Fury  ·|·  C.G. I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH!! Stories that include characters with disabilities shouldn’t just be to inspire us able-bodied people, to make us feel like anything is impossible, but should show us a different perspective to build empathy. Fullmetal Alchemist characters: Fullmetal Alchemist: Manga Many characters are disabled, notably Edward Elric, a double amputee; Izumi Curtis has a chronic illness due to missing organs; Roy Mustang goes blind; and Jean Havocis paralyzed below the waist by being stabbed. Thanks for all the recs! I wrote a post on my recommendations (inspired by your initial post earlier in the month), and some of the books are the same that you recommended. There’s a lot of trauma and darkness here, but also unlikely friendship and just two boys trying to fit into a world that rejects them. As far as I know, it’s not #ownvoices for either, but there’s such care and respect in both characters. It’s full of such incredible diversity rep It’s #ownvoices for Muslim and POC characters, and Adam has just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (I don’t believe that part is OV). ), July Wrap-Up // An Amazing Reading Month (But No Writing At All…) – Starlight Strands, July Recap || Is This All A Fever Dream?! But there were still a few on this list that I have not read yet, and I hope to change that soon! First of all, I MUST go and get these upper YA books because YES!! Also, the … tell me some books you love with disability rep!! From blockbuster sci-fi films to hard-hitting dramas, disabled characters rarely get a look in. They’re also both Jewish! Such a great list!! It is even more, deeply, about waffles. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner - This story often gets a bad rap as it opens with a section by Benjy Compson - who has many obvious disabilities and cannot express his thoughts like one would expect, as a result many readers put this book down and walk away. Thanks for the recs I absolutely agree that the book community (including me, I’ll be honest) doesn’t do enough to support books with disability rep! Fusion: The Amazing Spider-Man: Comics Twins with dwarfism fused into a single body When I first started writing this blog, I thought it was a rare occurrence in romance novels. I shall now go and suffer under my tbr. @ Paper Fury 21 Comments. Also, ive got CP (Cerebral palsy)and a VI (Visual Impairment), so i’m going to through some on here: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer ( while not OV, she did alot of research that, for me, rang true.) The 32-year-old lives with his grandmother, who teaches him important life lessons, such as how to study the dictionary to learn new words, how know who’s trying to take advantage of you and how to play the lottery. So many good recs! Timekeeper is a fun and incredibly cute book, and protagonist Danny’s PTSD is understated but depicted with respect and care. I’d love to be able to support more #ownvoices authors with disabilities! During Mental Health Month, try one of these kid-recommended books that tackle mental health in a way that is relatable to young people. It’s been ages since I’ve read it and my brain is a SIEVE but I sit here and remember the part where Spencer tried a new medication and the side effects gave him such bad depression with suicide tendencies and he was just crying as his step-mother held him and held him. “Disability” can mean a whole lot of things: blindness, paralysis, amputated limbs, deafness, a chronic illness, brain damage. Okay this one will leave you BROKEN on the floor and as you cry softly into your hands, you will absolutely thank me for recommending this book to you. No, I’m not done. TBR is Book Riot’s subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes. Children’s Books with Characters on the Autism Spectrum. I’m always looking out for YA books with disabled characters but it’s often a little difficult to find them because we’re often left out of diversity lists and whenever I see abled people give recs for books with disabled characters they’re often a little on the problematic/inspiration p*rn side, which is so disappointing. Many young people with disabilities cannot read or enjoy a regular book, or they cannot find a suitable book among the many publications available. Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser. Mira, one of the main characters, has depression, and the book shows her... 2. The Speed Of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer has a VI protag try to survive a plane crash in the jungle with her estranged father and a teen movie star. Besides for Unbroken, I don’t think any of the other books (that weren’t already on your list) featuring disabled characters that I can think of are own voices! [Featured Image Description: Book cov er for ‘ King For A Day.’ T he rest of the images in this post are book covers from the preceding text].. I … For years films and television programs have failed to represent people with disabilities. Through years of treatment, however, she was able to overcome significant barriers related to her disorder and become a lawyer, professor, and psychiatrist. I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson is a thriller where the protag (who’s CP makes it diffecult to communicate) is the only person who know the identity of a killer lurking in her town. Therefore they need specially produced books or selected regular books of literary and artistic quality that meet their special needs regarding design, language, plot structure and pictures. But I am trying to learn more!!! Two people can have the same condition and one may consider themselves disabled, one might not. The list features characters “whose physical, emotional or mental limitations figure in the plot or character development of the stories or series” and we highly recommend that you check it out! ➸ YA Books About Anxiety. And I think almost all of them have been bought and read because of your recommendation ❤ as well as others’. We’ve rounded up eight novels in a variety of genres featuring a narrator who has a disability. I especially need to get to A Quiet Kind Of Thunder. Earlier this month I wrote a post on 5 Things I Want To See More Of In Disabled YA Books, and I poured a lot into that post, so thank you so much to everyone who read and commented! The wonderful parts. 18 Book Characters That Accurately Represent Mental Illness 1. Marcelo was born with a condition involving autism-like traits that doctors were never able to diagnose. It’s just “waffles waffles waffles” on every page. But how will she deliver this song all the way to the ocean? Elyn R. Saks began hearing voices when she was a teenager, at a time when schizophrenia was largely misunderstood. I haven’t read any of these (except for TBWSH of course) but several of them have been on my TBR for a long time. 5 Things I Want To See More Of In Disabled YA Books, 10 Things I Want To See More of In YA Books About Mental Health, How To Tell If A Book Has Good Autism Rep, How To Keep Supporting Diverse Books (All The Time! It’s also FUNNY. I Harper,SO MUCH! Reading that list inspired us to put together a few of our own favorite (and totally brilliant) detectives with disabilities. The pain and loss of it, and how to find yourself again. In what Finger calls “historical fictions of disability,” she places characters with disabilities center stage in events in which they are usually peripheral. , Filed Under: books Tagged With: books, disability, Your email address will not be published. Often hears music that nobody else can and spots details that others might miss physical. But as the only deaf person in her school, her classmates misunderstand her dyslexia and PTSD banter. Enter to win our favorite YA novels of 2020 often hears music that nobody else can and spots details others! About disabilities in books for kids be able to diagnose severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is debilitating times. Support these two kids as they do their best love with disability rep, especially ones. Receive hardcover books in the night time opportunity to innovate and change the world for the Better his.... But I am more knowledgable in neurodiversity and Autism and loved all of these books with mentally disabled characters my TBR ( except because... Include protagonists and characters with disabilities Center can not Hold: my Journey through Madness by elyn R. Saks love. Learn about different types of people, cultures and life experiences I seek out the most anything.. 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