ABILITY AWARENESS BOOK RECOMMENDATION LIST

If you enjoyed Hummingbird, you might also like…

PICTURE BOOKS

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann
Thompson & Sean Qualls
“ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born:
Two bright eyes blinked in the light, two tiny fists opened and closed, but only one strong leg
kicked. Here is the inspiring true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who cycled an incredible
four hundred miles across Ghana–with only one strong leg–to spread his powerful message:
disability does not mean inability.”

My Pal, Victor by Diane Gonzales Bertrand

“Why do we choose the friends we do? Dominic knows. He explains just how special his pal
Victor really is. After all, Victor tells heart-booming ghost stories, claps the loudest at Dominic’s
baseball games and performs a fabulous floating frog stroke. Two young boys experience a
spirited, carefree friendship that transcends one boy’s disability.”

Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability by Shane
Burcaw
“Why do you look so different? That’s a great question! My name is Shane, and I was born with
a disease that makes my body grow smaller and weaker as I get older instead of bigger and
stronger. Living with this disease means that I’ve used a wheelchair for most of my life and often
rely on my family and friends to help me do all my favorite things–like eating pizza, participating
in team sports, and playing video games. Since many people are curious about me, I decided to
answer some of the questions I’m asked head-on in this book. Go ahead and take a looks!
Although I need a little more help than you might, you’ll see that I’m not so different.”

GRAPHIC NOVELS

El Deafo by Cece Bell

“Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest!
At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids
are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it
seems certain to repel potential friends. Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic
Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in the
school–in the hallway…in the teacher’s lounge…in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even
superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing
about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different…and lonely. Can Cece
channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?
NONFICTION

Ugly by Robert Hoge

“Robert Hoge doesn’t look like anyone else in the world. But if you’ve ever felt different, worried
about the way you look, or wondered where you belong, you’ll see yourself in him. This true
story of Robert’s struggles, triumphs, and adventures will leave you recognizing the beauty in
who you already are.”

FICTION

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

“Jason Blake is an autistic twelve-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Most days, it’s just a
matter of time before something goes wrong. But Jason finds a glimmer of understanding when
he comes across PhoenixBird, who posts stories to the same online site as he does. Jason can
be himself when he writes, and he thinks that PhoenixBird–her name is Rebecca–could be his
first real friend. As desperate as Jason is to meet her, he’s terrified that if they do meet,
Rebecca will only see his autism and not who he really is.”

A Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel

“Alice never thought albinism–or the blindness that goes with it–was a big deal. Sure, she uses
a magnifier to read books. A cane keeps her from bruising her hips on tables. Putting on
sunscreen and always wearing a hat are just part of life. But that’s the way things always have
been for Alice. Until Sinkville, aka Stinkville. For the first time in her life, Alice feels different–like
she’s at a disadvantage. Back in her old neighborhood, everyone knew Alice, and she knew her
way around. In Sinkville, Alice finds herself floundering–she can’t even get to the library on her
own. But when her parents start looking into schools for the blind, Alice takes a stand.”

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Aven Green didn’t lose her arms in an alligator wrestling match or a wildfire in Tanzania. That’s
just what she tells people when she gets the “looks.” The truth is Aven was born without arms,
but, at age 13, that hasn’t stopped her from doing almost anything. Then her parents take a job
running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown Western theme park in Arizona, and Aven has to leave
everything she knows behind. Aven struggles to make friends at her new school, where the kids
can’t seem to see past her missing arms. But her life takes another unexpected turn when she
meets Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability.”

One-Handed Catch by MJ Auch

“What would it be like to go through life with only one arm? That’s exactly what eleven-year-old
Norm finds out when he loses his left hand in an accident at his family’s store. It’s July 4, 1946.
World War II has ended, and life is getting back to normal. But for Norm, the pressing question
now is whether he will ever be able to play baseball again. And what about his dreams of
becoming an artist? Norm can’t even figure out how to tie his shoes anymore. How will he ever
learn to pitch or catch or swing a bat with no left hand? It’s up to Norm to find the strength to get
beyond the roadblock and move on with his life.”
Roll With It by Jamie Sumner
“Ellie tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a girl in a wheelchair and think she’s
going to be all sunshine and cuddles. The thing is, Ellie has big dreams to chase. She might be
eating Stouffer’s for dinner, but one day she’s going to be a professional baker. When she’s not
writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she’s practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if
not overworked, mother. But when Ellie and her mom move so they can help take care of
Grandpa, who is struggling with dementia, Ellie has to start all over again in a new town at a
new school. Except she’s not just the new kid–she’s the new kid in the wheelchair who lives in
the trailer park on the wrong side of town. It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie
begins to make her first-ever friends. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might
be the best thing that ever happened to them!”

Rules by Cynthia Lord

“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 trying to
teach David the rules from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in
public" -- in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors.But the summer Catherine meets
Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for,
it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is
normal?

The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

“Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read
or write. But those troubles don’t compare with grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend,
Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard. An investigation drags on, and
Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story
Mason has told about that day.”