Children's Book Suggestions | Disability Pride Month Chapter Books

A diverse selection of chapter books, graphic novels, and nonfiction books for readers in Grades 2-7 that celebrates a variety of disabilities, including neurodivergence. While most of the books center children with disabilities, there are also a couple of books including the experiences of children who have a sibling or parent with a disability.

Looking for more children's books about the disability experience? Try our Disability Pride Month Picture Books list for younger readers and the American Library Association's Schneider Family Book Award winners & honor books.

Updated May 17, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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Flipping forward twisting backward
Fullerton, Alma
Paper Book
A diagnosis of dyslexia could change everything for an aspiring fifth-grade gymnast struggling at school in this authentic, high-energy novel in verse. The print edition of this title is set in a font developed to be easy to read. The gym is where Claire shines and...

A talented young gymnast learns to advocate for herself when her mom prevents her from seeking a dyslexia diagnosis in this novel in verse. Plenty of white space and a dyslexia-friendly font make this a great choice for readers with dyslexia as well! (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Everyone here is lying
Lapena, Shari
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door "The most addictive book I've read in ages--so slick and disquieting and clever. Just brilliant." -...

Disability in KidLit founder Kayla Whaley is at the helm for this reboot of the classic A to Z mysteries for newly independent readers. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

A boy called Bat
Arnold, Elana K.
Paper Book
The first book in a funny, heartfelt, and irresistible young middle grade series starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum. 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...

A boy on the autism spectrum convinces his veterinarian mom to let him adopt a pet skunk in the first installment in this popular chapter book series. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Secrets of Camp Whatever. 1
Grine, Chris
Paper Book
"Just the right amount of chills for tweens who enjoy supernatural suspense." -- KIRKUS Perfect for fans of Lumberjanes and Brain Camp, there's more than mosquitos at Camp Whatever and Willow will need to face truths about herself and...

A tween who uses hearing aids encounters unusual and unsettling things at her dad's creepy old summer camp in this spooky mystery. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Figure it out, Henri Weldon
Davis, Tanita S.
Paper Book
Tanita S. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says, has written another funny, warm story featuring middle school and family life--all about the complex calculations it takes for everyone to balance the equations of their lives and what it takes to be part of a team while...

A middle schooler with dyscalculia, a math disability, struggles with schoolwork, family conflicts, and friend drama after she leaves her school for kids with learning disabilities to attend a traditional public school. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Roll with it
Sumner, Jamie
Paper Book
"A big-hearted story that's as sweet as it is awesome." --R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder "An honest, emotionally rich take on disability, family, and growing up." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In the tradition of Wonder and Out of My...

A middle school girl with cerebral palsy and a passion for baking blossoms when she and her single mom relocate to Oklahoma to care for her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The storm runner
Cervantes, J. C.
Paper Book
Zane would much rather explore the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico than go to school with kids who bully him for his limp. But what Zane doesn't know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world, a world he's thrust into with his dog, Rosie, and the new girl at school, Brooks -...

A teen boy discovers that his disability is linked to his Mayan heritage as son of a deity and central figure in a powerful prophecy related to a war between the gods. From the Rick Riordan Presents imprint featuring stories from world mythology that appeal to fans of the Percy Jackson series. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Wink
Harrell, Rob
Paper Book
A hilarious and heartwrenching story about surviving middle school--and an unthinkable diagnosis--while embracing life's weirdness. Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn't want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends...

A young teen navigates the twin challenges of middle school and a cancer diagnosis that threatens his sight in this novel inspired by the author's adolescent experiences. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Song for a whale
Kelly, Lynne
Paper Book
The award-winning and USA Today bestselling story of a deaf girl's connection to a whale whose song can't be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him. "Fascinating, brave, and tender...a triumph." --Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award-winning author of...

When she learns of a whale whose song can't be heard by other whales, an empathetic Deaf girl sets out to help him find a way to communicate. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Daisy Woodworm changes the world
Hart, Melissa
Paper Book
Thirteen-year-old Daisy Woodward loves insects, running track, and hanging out with her older brother, Sorrel, who has Down syndrome and adores men's fashion. When her social studies teacher assigns each student an oral report and project to change the world for the better, Daisy fears the class...

A middle school girl secretly helps her fashionable older brother, who has Down syndrome, launch a YouTube channel after his parents restrict his Internet access after a bullying incident. A great look at positive, supportive sibling relationships between disabled and non-disabled siblings. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The war that saved my life
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker
Paper Book
*Newbery Honor book *Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award  *Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection This #1 New York Times bestseller is an exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II,...
An award winner with lots of kid appeal, this historical fiction novel about a girl from London who finds freedom when she's evacuated to the English countryside during WWII. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)
Will on the inside
Eliopulos, Andrew
Paper Book
"An honest, sophisticated look at the myriad emotions surrounding chronic illness and growing up 'not straight' in a religious Georgia town." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Relatable, real, and utterly engrossing." --School Library Journal (starred review) ***<...

One of several books for middle schoolers about Crohn's/IBD that have been published in the last year! For more representations of this experience, try The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow or Gut Reaction by Kirby Larson & Quinn Wyatt.

El deafo
Bell, Cece
Paper Book
Cece Bell's #1 New York Times Bestseller graphic novel El Deafo is the origin story of a student with hearing loss and a hearing aid becoming a superhero. A John Newbery Medal Winner Now an Apple+ Animated TV Series! ...
Author/artist Cece Bell explores her experiences growing up as a D/deaf child in the 70s in this award-winning graphic novel. It's also an animated series on AppleTV! (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)
Rules
Lord, Cynthia.
Paper Book
This Newbery Honor Book is a heartfelt and witty story about feeling different and finding acceptance--beyond the rules.Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years...
Siblings of kids with disabilities often struggle to find stories that mirror the complexities of their family life! This award-winning novel explores the experiences of a non-disabled sibling of a kid with autism. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)
Button pusher
Page, Tyler
Paper Book
A memoir-driven realistic graphic novel about Tyler, a child who is diagnosed with ADHD and has to discover for himself how to best manage it. Tyler's brain is different. Unlike his friends, he has a hard time paying attention in class. He acts out in goofy, over-the-top ways....

An author/illustrator crafts a memoir of his childhood and adolescent experience with ADHD in the 80s and 90s. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)


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