BOOKS THAT CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

Are you looking for books that celebrate diversity and inclusion?

Do you wish there were more stories out there about heroes and heroines with disabilities?

Over the last few years, I have read a few and I thought I’d share some of my favourites in a new booklist.

Books as Mirrors and Windows

Ever heard of books being like mirrors?

Dr Bishop was the first to describe books as ‘mirrors’ in her 1990 article.

She said that people from all marginalised backgrounds should be able to see people like themselves in books. Bishop says that if there aren’t books that act as mirrors for underrepresented communities, they start to see themselves as undervalued within society.

Ever heard of books being like windows?

Bishop also said that books can act like ‘windows’, providing a way for people to catch a glimpse into the experiences and lives of others.

When stories reflect the lives of people who are traditionally under represented, like people with disabilities, they help foster understanding and empathy.

Such wise words.

 

As you search for books, consider the following…

  • Disability representation in books can be a contentious issue for some and not every title will represent the lives of every person with that disability, but each adds to the narrative and the collective conversation.
  • Where possible, choose books written with an intimate knowledge of the condition.
  • Best of all, find books that are ‘own voices’, where the author identifies as having the condition they write about. This not only supports the writers themselves, but it also signals to the publishing industry that we value this kind of authenticity.
  • However, even with ‘own voices’ works, don’t take the author’s story as the final word on that condition. Children with disabilities are as individual and unique as their mainstream peers.
  • Celebrate and share great stories where you find them.
  • Consider leaving an online/public review to signpost good books to others who are interested in creating a more equal world.

MY LIST...

(Click on the title to read the blurb on Amazon)

The Blue Wings by Jef Aerts  (8 ro 12 years)

This is a truly beautiful story which I don’t think gets enough love. Josh is the younger and smaller of two brothers, but he is the one with all the responsibility. ‘Giant’ (who has learning and behavioural difficulties) finds an injured crane and insists on taking it back to their tiny flat, but this causes some trouble for their blended family.

As the blurb says, it’s intensely moving without ever slipping into sentimentality. We fall in love with these two characters and their bond and this makes the hard decisions at the end all the more poignant.

Strange Star by Emma Carroll  (9 to 11 years)

This one is not really about disability representation at all, but it’s one of those stories that has, as if by chance, a disabled character. The story is set in 1816 and is a deliciously creepy gothic horror. One of the character’s, Lizzie, was blinded in an accident with lightning that killed her mother. I love how the fact that she was blind strengthened her other senses and this was crucial to the story.

It is great that people with disabilities can see themselves in stories where the plot does not revolve around the disability. 

Sputnik’s Guide to the Galaxy by Frank Cotterell-Boyce.  (9 to 11 years)

I wondered whether to put this one in here, but it’s such a beautiful book, it had to go in!

Prez. is the new foster kid in on the Blythes’ family farm. Although he is cheerful and helpful, he never speaks. When his ‘relative’ comes to the farm, the rest of the family thinks ‘Sputnik’ is a dog.  What follows is a hilarious, fast-paced riotous series of adventures. Really, you don’t want to miss this one… 

Speechless by Kate Darbishire  (10 years plus)

I know, this one was always going to be here as this is my website!

Harriet has cerebral palsy. She can’t walk and she won’t talk, but she has so much to tell you. Harriet finds it hard enough making friends at her new secondary school, but now her mum has been rushed to hospital and her brother is acting all weird. There is no one left who understands her… 

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper  (10 years plus)

11-year-old Melody has cerebral palsy. She uses a wheelchair and her communication skills are almost non-existent, but she has a photographic memory and is the smartest kid in the whole school. But how would anyone ever know? 

This is a beautiful story and challenges all our prejudgements of people with cerebral palsy. A really uplifting book that questions our assumptions and encourages empathy and understanding.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr  (YA/adult)

If you haven’t read this one, you really should! It’s beautiful in so many ways. The narrative is split between two characters. Marie-Laurie, a French teenager, has been blind since she was six. Wemer is a German soldier. It is set in the grim, gritty landscape of WW2 where the two are destined to meet, but are on opposite sides of a brutal war. I enjoyed the intensity of being in Marie-Laurie’s point of view.

A really moving novel, but not because of the disabled representation.

The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews. (13 years plus)

15-year-old Sam is desperately trying to hold what remains of his family together by camping out in empty houses. But the owners of one particular house return, a large chaotic family, and they each think he was invited by someone else. They accidentally adopt him.

This is such a heart warming tale of acceptance and rejection and a young lad trying to protect his autistic brother. The brother does not feature much, but much is said about him through the bond with Sam. There’s a bit of a romance too, and a hard truth at the end. I loved it.

Me and Mister P by Maria Farrer  (6 to 8 years)

I’m pleased to put this one for younger children on the list. Arthur’s brother has autism and he often feels pushed out by his family. then Mister P, a polar bear, turns up on the doorstep. Slowly but surely, Mister P teaches Arthur that sometimes he has to make allowances for his brother and that his family love him just as much. A touching, funny story.

The siblings of children who have disabilities can often feel pushed out and less important. As the mother of a child with cerebral palsy, I was acutely aware that I had less time for my other children. It takes so much maturity from siblings to realise they are no less ‘special’ or loved, they just don’t NEED the same attention. My daughter, Katie’s siblings are and always have been super stars!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

This is one of those early trail blazers of modern depiction of people with a disability. The blurb calls the condition of the main character Asperger’s Syndrome, although it is more usually called autism nowadays.

It is a good example of how a cracking thriller/mystery can have a side theme of disabled representation and, in its time, this book was groundbreaking.

The Amazing Edie Eckhart series by Rosie James  (8 years plus)

This ‘own voices’ depiction of Edie, aged 11 is a fantastic lower middle grade book by the comedian, Rosie Jones who also has cerebral palsy. This book is sooo positive, uplifting and entertaining for the age group. Although the main character has some difficulties with balance etc, these are not the main focus of the book. When Edie is separated from her best friend at the start of secondary school, she has to learn to be a little more self-reliant, and to open herself up to new friends.

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson. (12 to 16 years)

14-year-old Jemma has severe cerebral palsy. She cannot speak or move and relies on her family and carer for everything. But Jemma knows a deadly secret. If only she had a way to communicate it…

This is a riveting thriller/mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat and showcases some of the frustrations of having a communication problem. Beautifully done.

A Kind of Spark by Ellie McNicoll  (10 plus)

A Kind of Spark tells the story of 11-year-old Addie as she campaigns for a memorial in memory of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there’s more to the story of these ‘witches’, just like there is more to hers. Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and her autism, and make her voice heard?

This story is ‘own voices’ and well worth a read. I found the voice quite intense, but perhaps that was the point.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio   (9 years plus)

No list of this kind would be complete without reference to this book which blazed a trail back in 2014 and has now been turned into a big movie title. Auggie has a facial deformity and up until now, he has been homeschooled, partly to shield him from the reaction of others and partly to allow for his many operations. The story chronicles his ups and downs at his new school.

While some question how much agency Auggie himself has over the happenings, you cannot deny the importance of this book in changing the narrative around disability in children’s fiction.

Coming soon...

  • Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon
  • Things the Eye Can’t See by Penny Joelson
  • Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
  • Flamingo Boy by Michael Morpurgo
  • Autumn Moonbeam Dance Magic by Emma Finlayson-Palmer
  • The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
  • Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott

My To Be Read pile...

  • Get a Grip Vivy Cohen by Sarah Kapit
  • The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry

What books am I missing? Please let me know in the comments if there’s a book you think I should be reading…

If this post has been useful, check out my other resources for inclusion and if you’re looking for new ideas for something you’re writing, check out my writing resources. 

Or find out more about me and my book Speechless.