The following books are great resources about different types of disabilities. Some titles are available for free at the Cottonwood Lending Library (designated as LL below) or on Sora through NorthNet Library (designated as NN below). You must add NorthNet Library to your Sora account to access the books designated NN. To add NorthNet Library system, go to Sora. Under the Explore heading on the left, click the caret next to The Cottonwood School, then click Add Library, and enter NorthNet Library in the search bar.  You’ll then be able to view the available titles.

Books for Grades K-2

All My Stripes (LL)
Author: Shaina Rudolph & Danielle Royer
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: autism
Summary: Zane the Zebra feels picked on because of all his autism stripes. Then his mother tells him all the things that are special about him.
Resources: All My Stripes Lesson Plan

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin (LL)
Author:  Julia Finley Mosca
Grade Level: K-5
Topic: autism
Summary: As a child, Dr. Temple wasn’t expected to talk. But she became one of the most powerful voices in science.
Resources: The Girl Who Thought in Pictures Literature Guide

Hiya Moria
Author: Victoria Nelson
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: disabilities
Summary: Seven-year-old Moriah shares what life is like for her from being hospitalized to going to school.
Resources: Hiya Moria Experience Box Lesson Plan

Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller

Author: Matt Tavares
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: deaf-blindness
Summary: The life and times of Helen Keller are recounted in this lavishly illustrated picture book.
Resources: Helen’s Big World Educator’s Guide

How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine
Author: Amy Guglielmo & Jacqueline Tourville
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: autism
Summary: Temple doesn’t like getting hugs, so she builds a machine that simulates them.
Resources: A Curriculum Guide to How to Build a Hug

Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You (LL/NN)
Author: Victoria Nelson
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: disabilities/picture book
Summary: Just like a garden has different plants & flowers, the world has different kinds of children.
Resources: Just Ask! Literature Guide

MyaGrace Wants to Get Ready

Author: Jo Meserve Mach & Vera Lynn Stroup-Rentier

Grade Level: K-3
Topic: intellectual disabilities/cerebral palsy/non-fiction
Summary: A colorful book that shows children with disabilities can do anything their peers can do.
Resources: MyaGrace Wants to Get Ready Teacher’s Guide

Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog

Author: Luis Carlos Montalvan
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: service animals, physical disability
Summary: A day in the life of a service dog as told from the dog’s perspective.

Resources: Tuesday Tucks Me In Activity Lesson

The William Hoy Story

Author: Nancy Churnin
Grade Level: K-4

Topic: hearing impaired/non-fiction
Summary: Seven-year-old Moriah shares what life is like for her from being hospitalized to going to school.
Resources: Hiya Moria Experience Box Lesson Plan

Books for Grades 3-6

A Boy Called Bat
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: autism
Summary: Bixby Alexander Tam (aka Bat), is an autistic boy. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, brings home a baby skunk.
Resources: A Boy Called Bat Educator’s Resource

Rip and Red: A Whole New Ballgame
Author: Phil Bildner
Grade Level: 4-6
Topic: autism
Summary: Book 1 in the Rip and Red series. 5th grade best friends Rip and Red have a new and unconventional basketball coach. Red, who has autism, is having a hard time dealing with the changes.
Resources: Rip and Red Teacher Guide

Last Wild Trilogy
Author: Piers Torday
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: mutism
Summary: 12-year old Kester, who cannot speak, is able to communicate with animals.
Resources: The Dark Wild and The Last Wild Activity Pack


A Dog Called Homeless
Author: Sarah Lean
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: deaf/blind/emotional & behavioral disorders
Summary: Cally has a new dog friend, Sam, who is both deaf and blind.
Resources: A Dog Called Homeless Teacher’s Guide

El Deafo
Author:  CeCe Bell
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: hearing impairment
Summary: A rabbit named Cece develops deafness from spinal meningitis and must learn to use hearing aids and read lips.
Resources: El Deafo Teacher Guide

Fish in a Tree (NN)
Author: Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: dyslexia
Summary: Ally is afraid to ask for help in school. After all, how can you cure dumb? Her new teacher sees the bright child underneath the facade.
Resources: Educator Guide to Lynda Mullaly Hunt Books

Hank Zipzer series (LL)
Author: Henry Winkler
Grade Level: 2-6
Topic: dyslexia
Summary: Follow the everyday adventures of a bright young boy, Hank, who struggles with learning disabilities.
Resources: A Classroom Guide to Hank Zipzer

The London Eye Mystery (NN)
Author: Siobhan Dowd
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: autism
Summary: Ted’s unique thought processes come in handy as he and Kat search for their cousin.
Resources: The London Eye Resource Pack for Primary Schools

Looking for Heroes: One Boy, One Year, 100 Letters (NN)
Author: Aidan A. Colvin
Grade Level: 4-12
Topic: dyslexia
Summary: A high school student writes letters to 100 successful dyslexics, many of whom write back. Non-fiction.
Resources:

Me and Mr. Bell
Author: Phillip Roy
Grade Level: 4-6
Topic: hearing impaired
Summary: Through his encounters with Alexander Graham Bell and Helen, Eddie gains the confidence to learn how to read and write.
Resources: Me and Mr. Bell Teacher Resource

Meena Meets Her Match
Author:  Karla Manternach
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: epilepsy
Summary: First Sophia stops playing with her at recess, and now Meena is having seizures. Ugh!
Resources: Teacher Guide for Meena Meets Her Match

Roll With It (NN)
Author: Jamie Sumner
Grade Level: 5-6
Topic: cerebral palsy
Summary: Ellie wants to be a baker. When she and her mom move in with her grandparents, she has to start all over again in a new school.
Resources: Roll With It Discussion Guide

She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer
Author: Sally Hobart Alexander
Grade Level: 4-7
Topic: deaf/blind
Summary: Rendered deaf and blind by illness, Laura Bridgman relearns how to communicate.
Resources: She Touched the World Teacher Resources

Song for a Whale (NN)
Author: Lynne Kelly
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: hearing impairment
Summary: Iris’s isolation at a hearing school helps her relate to a whale who is a loner, too.
Resources: Song for a Whale Teacher’s Guide

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin
Author: Jen Bryant
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: physical impairment
Summary: Wounded in WWI, Horace Pippin learns to use his left arm to guide his right arm to continue creating art. Non-fiction.
Resources: Teacher Ideas for A Splash of Red

Books for Grades 7-8

Everyday Hero
Author:  Kathleen Cherry
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: autism
Summary: Alice doesn’t like noise, smells, or stranges. Then she meets Megan and is forced to break several of her many rules.
Resources: Everyday Hero Teacher’s Guide

Freak the Mighty (NN)
Author: Rodman Philbrick
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: learning disabilities
Summary: Two very different 8th graders join forces to combat bullies both real and imaginary.
Resources: Freak the Mighty Lesson Plan and Worksheets

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus (NN)
Author: Dusti Bowling
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: physical disabilities
Summary: Although Aven was born without arms, she shows inner strength as she moves to a new school and makes new friends.
Resources: Educator Guide

Lucky Broken Girl (LL)
Author: Ruth Behar
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: physical disability
Summary: Ruthie just immigrated to New York City from Cuba with her family. A car accident leaves her disabled.
Resources: Lucky Broken Girl Educator Guide

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
Author:  Sarah Miller
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: deaf/blind
Summary: Annie Sullivan, who has a vision impairment, tries to teach and communicate with six-year-old Helen Keller, deaf and blind since the age of 2.
Resources: Miss Spitfire Reader Guide

Now is the Time for Running
Author: Michael Williams
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: mental disabilities
Summary: Doe and his mentally handicapped older brother, Innocent, are fleeing Zimbabwe after their relatives are killed. A story of survival.
Resources: Now is the Time for Running Educator Guide

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World (NN)
Author: Sy Montgomery
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: autism
Summary: Temple Grandin advocates for the humane treatment of cattle and other animals.
Resources: Temple Grandin Discussion Guide

The War That Saved My Life (NN)
Author:  Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Grade Level: 4-7
Topic: physical disability, club foot
Summary: During WWII, 12-year-old Ada, who has a club foot, moves to the countryside and discovers all that she can be.
Resources: The War That Saved My Life Educator’s Guide

Wonder (NN)
Author: R. J. Palacio
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: disabilities, birth defects
Summary: After being homeschooled for four years, Auggie, who suffers from a severe facial deformity, enters a public school.
Resources: Teaching Wonder website

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B (NN)
Author: Teresa Totem
Grade Level: 7-9
Topic: mental health, OCD
Summary: Adam meets Robyn in a teen OCD support group.
Resources: The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B Reading Guide

Books for Grades 9-12

Anger is a Gift (NN)
Author: Mark Oshiro
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: behavioral/emotional disorders/panic attacks/marginalized groups/discrimination
Summary: Struggling with the death of his father, Moss becomes a crusader for injustices taking place in his school.
Resources: Anger is a Gift Reading Group Guide

Because You’ll Never Meet Me
Author: Leah Thomas
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: disabilities
Summary: Ollie, who is allergic to electricity, and Moritz, who has a pacemaker and no eyes, become penpals.
Resources: Because You’ll Never Meet Me Teacher’s Guide

A Certain October
Author: Angela Johnson
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: autism/black
Summary: Scotty feels responsible for a train crash involving herself, a new friend, and her brother, who is autistic.
Resources: A Certain October Reading Guide

Dicey’s Song (NN)
Author: Cynthia Voight
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: mental health
Summary: When Dicey’s mom is admitted to a psychiatric facility, Dicey and her siblings set off on a journey to find someone to take them in.
Resources: Dicey’s Song Teacher’s Guide

Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Grade Level: 10-12
Topic: mental health/immunodeficiency
Summary: 18-year-old Madeline is allergic to the world and hasn’t stepped outside her house since she was an infant.
Resources: Everything, Everything Discussion Guide

Finding Audrey (NN)
Author: Sophia Kinsella
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: mental health/anxiety disorders
Summary: Audrey always wears dark glasses, even indoors. She struggles to talk to new people or leave the house. She meets a new friend that she can talk through her fears.
Resources: Finding Audrey Discussion Guide

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (NN)
Author: Mark Haddon
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: autism
Summary: A boy with autism sets out to solve the murder of a neighbor’s dog.
Resources: How to Teach The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Silence Between Us (NN)
Author:  Alison Gervais
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: hearing impairment
Summary: Once a student at a school for the deaf, Maya must now get used to attending a “hearing” school.
Resources: Silence Between Us Educator’s Guide

When I Was the Greatest
Author: Jason Reynolds
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: invisible disabilities
Summary: A coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighborhood lines and the hardship of life for an urban teen.
Resources: Hiya Moria Experience Box Lesson Plan