Different Abilities

Many children live with disabilities but refuse to be defined by them. Fortunately, more authors are including differently-abled children in their books. Here are a few we found that feature children of color.

(Book descriptions from Amazon.com)

61npnZRDOHL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voices of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism by Naoki Higashida, translated by KA Yoshida (Published by Random House, 2013; 176 pages; ages 12+) Written by a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within. Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: “Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s answer: “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights—into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory—are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again.

Wenatchee Excavation recommended this book to us.

Different Abilities