Disability Pride for Kids

July is Disability Pride Month! Join us in celebrating with these new and recommended Fiction and Nonfiction titles for early and middle grade readers.

Updated June 23, 2026
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All the way to the top : how one girl's fight for Americans with disabilities changed everything
Pimentel, Annette Bay
Paper Book
2021 Schneider Family Book Award Young Children's Honor Book (American Library Association) Experience the true story of lifelong activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and her participation in the Capitol Crawl in this inspiring autobiographical picture book. This beautifully illustrated...
All You Can Be with ADHD
Holderness, Penn
Paper Book
An INSTANT New York Times Bestseller and USA TODAY Bestseller! From the New York Times bestselling authors of ADHD Is Awesome comes an empowering and joyful picture book that invites young readers to join the ADHD...
Brave like that
Stoddard, Lindsey
Paper Book
Find yourself. Find your place. Find your brave. This uplifting coming of age story, which award-winning author Leslie Connor dubbed "a perfectly paced journey of the heart" is perfect for fans of Lisa Graff and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.  Cyrus Olson's dad is a hero-...
Cesaria feels the beat
Adusei, Denise R.
Paper Book
In this powerful and inspiring picture book, a deaf girl stands up for herself and takes off her shoes while dancing at her Carnival performance so she can feel the music through her bare feet. Cesaria is going to perform for the seaside Carnival. She skips past the beach...
The chance to fly
Stroker, Ali
Paper Book
A heartfelt middle-grade novel about a theater-loving girl who uses a wheelchair for mobility and her quest to defy expectations-and gravity-from Tony award-winning actress Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz Thirteen-year-old Nat Beacon loves a lot of things: her dog Warbucks,...
Different kinds of minds : a guide to your brain
Grandin, Temple
Paper Book
Albert Einstein. Steve Jobs. Elon Musk. Katharine Johnson. These geniuses are all visual thinkers. Are you? Do you like puzzles, coding, and taking things apart? Do you write stories, act in plays, slay at Wordle? The things you are good at are clues to how your brain works. Are...
Each tiny spark
Cartaya, Pablo
Paper Book
From award-winning author Pablo Cartaya comes a deeply moving middle grade novel about a daughter and father finding their way back to each other in the face of their changing family and community. A SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD HONOR FOR MIDDLE GRADE Emilia...
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! ...
The fire, the water, and Maudie McGinn
Pla, Sally J.
Paper Book
Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novel is a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish. A Schneider Family Book Award winner! ...
Good different
Kuyatt, Meg Eden
Ebook
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book An extraordinary novel-in-verse for fans of Starfish and A Kind of Spark about a neurodivergent girl who comes to understand and celebrate her difference. Selah knows her rules for being normal. She always, always...
I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea
Milusich, Janice
Paper Book
In this lyrical picture book illustrated by a two-time Caldecott Medalist, share in a blind child's joyful experience of the changing seasons. A SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD HONOR Where I live, seasons change. I know because my fingers and toes, my ears, my...
Henry, like always
Bailey, Jenn
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Winner  A Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book  A NPR 2023 Books We Love Pick A School Library Journal Best Book of 2023  A 2023 Chicago Public Library Best of the...
Honestly Elliott
McDunn, Gillian
Paper Book
Schneider Family Book Award: Best Middle Grade Honor Book! Highly-acclaimed author of Caterpillar Summer, Gillian McDunn explores boyhood in a funny, big-hearted story about a kid trying to find the best way to be his best self. ...
It was supposed to be sunny
Cotterill, Samantha
Paper Book
A perfectly planned birthday party goes awry in this gentle story about adapting to the unexpected, written for kids on the autism spectrum and called "brilliant" and "engaging" by autism specialist Tony Attwood Laila feels like her sparkly sunshine birthday celebration is on the...
Just ask! : be different, be brave, be you
Sotomayor, Sonia
Paper Book
Justice Sonia Sotomayor and award-winning artist Rafael Lopez create a kind and caring book about the differences that make each of us unique. A #1 New York Times bestseller! Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award! Feeling different,...
The lost language of everything
Harrington, C. C.
Paper Book
When the fates of a snow leopard, a child, and an ancient forest collide, the unimaginable can happen. Perfect for fans of Pax and The One and Only Ivan. A great gift for nature and animal lovers. **Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award!** *...
Mixed-Up
Garcia, Kami
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia has returned with a middle grade graphic novel about the struggles of a game-loving girl who gets diagnosed with dyslexia and her loving support network that help her along in the journey. Stella knows fifth grade will be...
Monster Hands
Kane, Karen
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Two best friends use rhyming ASL to help vanquish their fear of the monster under the bed in this fun, interactive bedtime readaloud. When nighttime comes, Milo has a problem-he's convinced there's a monster under his bed! Luckily,...
Please pay attention
Sumner, Jamie
Paper Book
Three starred reviews! A girl with cerebral palsy navigates loss, grief, and the aftermath of trauma following a school shooting in a world that wasn't built for her in this "intimate, lyrical" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) novel in verse from Jamie Sumner, the...
Popcorn
Harrell, Rob
Paper Book
Winner of The Schneider Family Book Award The beloved author of Wink is back with a hilarious and moving story about coping with anxiety on a day when everything is going wrong Andrew's just trying to make it through Picture Day, which is easier said...
Red Bird danced
Quigley, Dawn
Paper Book
An American Indian Youth Literature Award Honoree With lyrical verse and powerful emotion, Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) tells the story of urban Native kids who find strength in connection with those who came before and in the hope that lets them take flight. Ariel and Tomah have lived in...
Roll with it
Sumner, Jamie
Paper Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 "A big-hearted story that's as sweet as it is awesome." --R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder In the tradition of Wonder and Out of My Mind, this big-hearted middle grade debut tells the...
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 *...
Simon sort of says
Bow, Erin
Paper Book
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD . LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD . SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD HONOR . FINALIST FOR THE AUDIE AWARD FOR BEST MIDDLE GRADE AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR "Funny, poignant and-most important-hopeful." -New York Times Simon O'Keeffe's biggest...
A sky-blue bench
Rahman, Bahram
Paper Book
It's Afghan schoolgirl Aria's first day back at school since her accident. She's excited, but she's also worried about sitting on the hard floor all day with her new prosthetic "helper-leg." Just as Aria feared, sitting on the floor is so uncomfortable that she can't think about learning...
Speak up!
Burgess, Rebecca
Paper Book
For fans of Click and Brave, this touching coming-of-age middle grade graphic novel debut follows an autistic girl who finds friendship where she least expects it and learns to express her true self in a world where everyone defines her by her differences. Twelve-year-old Mia...
The Special Pumpkin
Aiello, Elena
Paper Book
Emma loves Halloween! She has the perfect costume that works well with her cochlear implant. But she doesn't have a pumpkin to carve. Emma searches for the perfect pumpkin, but she soon discovers that perfect isn't important in this early chapter book.
The Speedy Sled
Aiello, Elena
Paper Book
After an epic snowfall, Emma is ready to try sledding. But it's a lot scarier than she thought it would be! Emma wears a cochlear implant because she's Deaf, and she's worried it might fall off. Emma must face her fears to discover new fun in this early chapter book.
This beach is loud!
Cotterill, Samantha
Paper Book
Patience, understanding, and a soothing exercise saves the beach day when excitement turns to sensory overload. Going to the beach is exciting. But it can also be busy. And loud. Sand can feel hot or itchy or sticky...and it gets everywhere! In This Beach Is Loud...
This Is How We Play : A Celebration of Disability & Adaptation
Slice, Jessica/ Cupp, Caroline/ Harren, Kayla (ILT)
Paper Book
A jubilant, inclusive, luminously illustrated picture book that features families at play, each with a family member who has a disability. With love and adaptation, this is how we play! This joyful read-aloud with an empowering refrain, from disability rights activists...
Wanda Hears the Stars: A Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe
Hansen, Amy S
Paper Book
A nonfiction picture book biography of astrophysicist Wanda Diaz Merced and how losing her sight didn't stop her from studying the stars. This 2026 Schneider Family Book Award winner is an inspiring true story of a woman scientist of color and a riveting, intersectional STEM read for...
When stars are scattered
Jamieson, Victoria
Paper Book
A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab,...
You're so amazing!
Catchpole, James
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor book! ​In this authentic and humorous picture book, a child with a limb difference is tired of being told how amazing he is for doing normal things. Joe and his friend Simone are practicing their best playground...

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