Children's Fiction and Disabilities

Recently, THIS ARTICLE appeared in the Guardian, discussing the emergence of protagonists with disabilities in Young Adult fiction, and how important that young readers with disabilities see themselves represented in fiction.  While I do love Young Adult (YA) fiction, I don't read as much of it as I would like since my students are K-5.  The article made me reflect on the portrayal of characters with disabilities in middle-grade fiction.  In recent years, not only have several books been published that feature characters with disabilities, they have been excellent books, and among the most popular in the Parmalee Library.  The increased prevalence of protagonists with disabilities in children's literature is an important recent development in publishing.  The Schneider Family Book Award is an American Library Association book award and grant awarded annually to books that "embody an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences."  Recent winners include:

   

Other excellent titles in recent years include :