Best Books To Read for Disability Pride Month

This autobiographical picture book is all about a kid whose experience in the world is the way it wasn’t built for disabled bodies, and she’s determined to make a change. Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins was frustrated by the way simple things like going to school or eating lunch in the cafeteria were hard for her because the world wasn’t built with wheelchairs in mind. So, when the Americans with Disabilities Act was proposed to Congress, Jennifer wanted to use her voice to help make the world a better and more accessible place. This story is full of grit and determination, and it’s perfect for a story time read! 

This book is full of the affirmation that no matter your background, experiences, or abilities, you are enough just as you are. Written by an 11-year-old actress and model with Down Syndrome, this picture book’s vibrant and beautiful illustrations, along with the reminder that being different is good, will help young readers embrace who they are. Plus, the book includes extensive information about Down syndrome and steps people can take to be more accepting, inclusive, and kind. 

A picture book of a park encounter, When Charley Met Emma is a sweet story of friendship and learning how to accept people different than you. Emma is a girl with limb differences, and she uses a wheelchair to get around. When Charley first meets her, he’s not positive about how to react, but as they interact, they begin to grow a friendship and understanding of one another.  

All about a boy with a stutter, this autobiographical picture book by Canadian poet Jordan Scott is a must-read. Lyrical and stunning, this book is about a boy whose words get stuck when he’s trying to talk and how his father is able to reach out and empower him to find his voice again. This highly acclaimed picture book is an amazing addition to any collection! 

This graphic novel memoir is one that you’ll certainly want to have on your shelves! A story of imagination, loneliness, and a desire for connection, readers will fly through this book as they meet Cece and her alter ego, El Deafo. The winner of the Newbery Honor, Cece’s writing and illustrations work together to tell her story in a way kids and adults alike can enjoy while learning about how to be a better friend.   

Honestly, I haven’t gotten the chance to read this one, but it comes out in August and is very high on my TBR list. It follows twelve-year-old Olive who has Brittle Bone Disease (osteogenesis imperfecta) and her first foray into public school after being homeschooled for her entire life. When the first day goes disastrously, she seeks out a magical, wish-granting hummingbird, and struggling to find it on her own, she partners with some unlikely allies to discover the truth. You’re also going to want to add this one to your TBR pile so we can all read it the moment it comes out! 

This book is high on my TBR as well, but I haven’t quite gotten around to it yet. With its companion novel, Set Me Free, already out, it’s the perfect time for all of us to pick up this book. A historical fiction taking place in 19^th century Martha’s Vineyard, this book tells the story of a thriving Deaf community and the racism, ableism, and colonialism they face as tensions rise between English settlers and the Wampanoag people and as a young scientist arrives to try to discover the reason for the island’s deafness. An award-winning novel by a Deaf author, this book is a must-read! 

Co-written by Ali Stroker, the first person in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway and win a Tony, this story of a young girl in a wheelchair with big theatre dreams will capture your heart. Together, Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz wrote the story of a determined cast doing their best to put on a kids’ production of Wicked. Full of family expectations, crushes, and roadblocks, this uplifting story will linger long after readers have finished reading! 

For a book full of spunky characters, mystery, and a move across the country, you won’t want to miss Insignificant Events in the Lives of a Cactus. It follows Aven Green who was born without arms but loves to make up wild and exciting stories about how she lost them. When she moves across the country with her parents, she meets Connor, a boy with Tourette syndrome who often feels isolated as a result. When they discover a room full of secrets at the theme park Aven’s parents are running, the two work together to solve a mystery!  

With strong female friendships and characters, a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, and a main character with POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) secretly training to be a Musketeer and trying to figure out who murdered her father, this fierce story of adventure, found family, and strength is a must-read. I adored every moment of the book, and the author, Lillie Lainhoff, is an advocate for Disabled authors as well a former varsity fencer where she was one of the first physically disabled athletes to individually qualify for any NCAA Championship event. I can’t recommend this book enough! 

This one is on my TBR and it releases on July 19^th, so I highly recommend that you preorder this book along with me! When Noah and Daisy’s duet at their holiday concert goes viral, they suddenly find themselves in the limelight, and not only that, but they’re also falling for each other. But the narrative is twisted with Daisy suddenly becoming an inspiration for overcoming her cerebral palsy and Noah entering sainthood for showing interest in her. With Daisy tired of her disability being the focus and the attention sending Noah’s anxiety disorder into overdrive, the two must decide if their dreams are worth the cost.  

This hilarious YA rom-com will delight fans of The Bachelor and Gilmore Girls in this story about a girl, Cara, whose mother is the bachelorette on a reality dating show meant for single parents. It all starts with a viral video of Cara ranting about her father that she accidentally posts online which leads to her and her mother getting on the show. As she and her mother clash about which suitors to keep on, Cara finds herself falling for the totally cute but completely off-limits Connor, the son of one of the other contestants. I absolutely devoured this read, and I’m certain you will too! 

With nods to Welsh folklore and mythology, this novel is sure to become a favorite. A historical horror with sibling gravediggers, magic, and a mysterious mapmaker, this is the perfect book to binge read, especially for fans of Holly Black and V.E, Schwab. When one of the siblings and the mysterious mapmaker have to go on a journey together, they face both a curse and buried truths about themselves, and with another book, The Drowned Woods, coming in August that’s set in the same world, now’s the perfect time to pick up this magical and spellbinding read! 

Did you know that one in five people in the US live with a disability? That seems especially wild with the lack of representation of disabilities in media and pop culture, and this collection of contemporary essays written by disabled people and pulled together by activist Alice Wong gives a glimpse into the complexity of the disabled experience through firsthand accounts. With a YA adaptation also out, this book is a must-read for both teens and adults! 

Sara Nović follows up her indelible debut novel, Girl at War, with a coming-of-age story following students at a boarding school for the Deaf that you’ll be thinking about long after the last page is turned. (Hint: True biz (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk.) A transporting novel that fans of The Girl with the Louding Voice and A Burning will enjoy. You can catch Sara Nović talking about True Biz on our Poured Over Podcast! 

This memoir is written by Mickey Rowe, the first autistic actor to play the lead role in the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. His memoir is all about his experiences both in the theatre and life as an autistic man, theatre director, father, and husband, particularly, accomplishing the many things that people said he couldn’t do. This memoir is one of both obstacles and triumphs as he reminds readers that both autistic and non-autistic people alike should lean into the things that make them different because so often, those are their strengths. 

Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs, and now spends his days as a motivational speaker. In this book, he tells the story of how his disabilities affected him emotionally and mentally, particularly the toll it took on finding his purpose in life. This book is perfect for anyone who feels a little lost in life or needs some encouragement and a reminder to focus on what is controllable in life.  

This memoir-in-essays from the creator of the Instagram account, @sitting_pretty, and disability advocate Rebekah Taussig is an account of a body that looks and moves differently than most bodies. With commentary on the representation of disabilities as monstrous or angelic in media, Taussig wanted something that represents the collection of textures that comes with disabled experiences. This stunning read is a challenge to society to re-write the way disabilities are interacted with and treated.