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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The absent alpacas
Whaley, Kayla
Paper Book
Solve Animal Mysteries from A to Z! Young clue hunters Abbi, Daniel, and Lydia sniff out the mystery behind a group of missing alpacas. Inspired by Ron Roy's beloved A to Z Mysteries series, this spin-off is perfect for budding young chapter-book readers--and future detectives!

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)

Marshmallow & Jordan
Chau, Alina
Paper Book
Alina Chau's Marshmallow & Jordan is a middle-grade graphic novel about a disabled, sports-loving Jordan, and the magical elephant named Marshmallow who she befriends. Jordan's days as star player for her school's basketball team ended when an accident left her...

A mysterious white elephant helps an Indonesian girl navigate friendship and disability when she takes up a new sport after a life-changing injury. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

Show me a sign
LeZotte, Ann Clare
Paper Book
Don't miss the companion book, Set Me Free CRITICS ARE RAVING ABOUT SHOW ME A SIGN Winner of the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award * NPR Best Books of 2020 * Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 * School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 *...

Deaf author/educator LeZotte crafts a suspenseful historical fiction tale set on Martha's Vineyard in 1805, in a real-life community where many residents were Deaf and everyone communicated using a unique form of sign language. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

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)

The storm runner
Cervantes, Jennifer
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)

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)

The war that saved my life
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker
Paper Book
* Newbery Honor Book * #1 New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award * Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection * Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of the Year selection * New York Public...
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)
El deafo
Bell, Cece
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller A 2015 Newbery Honor Book Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator...
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)
Slug days
Leach, Sara
Paper Book
Lauren, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (an umbrella term that has included Asperger Syndrome since 2013), navigates the ups and downs of school and home life. School friendships have always been a challenge, but Lauren finds she is exactly the friend a brand new classmate needs On...

A short chapter books series focusing on the everyday life of a young girl on the autism spectrum. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

Bethany Hamilton
Cocca-Leffler, Maryann
Paper Book
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Bethany Hamilton! Bethany Hamilton learned to surf when she was three years old...

Our biography section is full of books about amazing individuals with disabilities! This entry in the popular She Persisted biography series features iconic surfer Bethany Hamilton, who became a professional surfer after she lost her arm in rare shark attack. (Children's Nonfiction Age 6-9)


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