Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman

In Moses Goes to a Concert, Moses and several of his classmates, all of whom are Deaf, have the opportunity to go on a field trip to a children's concert. While they are there, Moses learns an important lesson about aspirations and goals in life.

The text in the book is accompanied by small American Sign Language lessons, allowing readers to try signing for themselves. Accessibility options for the Deaf children are also addressed, along with ways that the experience can be made better for them.

Moses' story is told in a simple fashion, introducing young readers to a small part of the Deaf culture in an interesting way.

This is the first of several books about Moses, all by Isaac Millman.

Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper is an empowering book about a young woman with cerebral palsy. Melody often feels trapped inside her own body, which won't respond when she wants it to. She cannot speak and has difficulty communicating in other ways. This book allows the reader to follow along on Melody's journey as she finds new ways of communicating and learns how to make friends.

Although it feels somewhat dated at times, Out Of My Mind is a great introduction to people with disabilities for children in late elementary school/early middle school; I think it would also be wonderful for a child who sometimes feels "different" to read and empathize with Melody.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick, is a novel told in words and images, telling the entwined story of a young deaf girl who longs for escape and a boy curious about his mysterious past. The alternating chapters between Rose and Ben forward the story in a moving and interesting way, and Deaf culture is respectfully introduced in such a way that will certainly spike interest among readers.

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

My Most Excellent Year is a young adult novel by Steve Kluger. It follows teenagers T.C., his brother Augie, and Alejandra, and is written in the form of diary entries, instant messages, and emails from them and other supporting characters.

My Most Excellent Year also features a very well-written and -rounded Deaf character named Hucky. Hucky is a six-year-old boy living in a residence for Deaf children after his mother abandoned him. Hucky is befriended by the three main characters, especially T.C.

Hucky is an excellent contrast to many deaf children in literature. He definitely stood out in comparison to the little boy in Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz, who is basically treated as a tragic, misunderstood character with little feelings of his own except what other characters lay onto him. Hucky, by contrast, definitely has his own personality, opinions, way of communicating, and outlook on life.

The little boy is allowed to grow over the course of the novel, along with the other three main characters. By the end of the novel Hucky is very different than he was at the start, and you can see him blossoming.

His communication "problems" are never actually a problem. The characters embrace learning American Sign Language, and there are some funny moments when they can't communicate properly or don't know the right signs. The novel even touches on the difference between ASL and British Sign Language through another character.

This is a really sweet novel that I think is a great example of the way d/Deaf/hard of hearing characters can be written so well. I really liked it and I hope you get the chance to pick it up, too.

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Volume 2 by Keiko Tobe

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child is a manga series, a type of graphic novel written in Japan. The author, Keiko Tobe, takes the experiences of several parents of children with autism in Japan, and consolidates them into the tale of Hikaru and his parents.

In the second volume of this series, Hikaru experiences the later elementary school years. He and his family must deal with several challenges including tragedy at his school. This volume seems to flow more easily than the first and contains a wealth of information about assisting autistic children at this age. The short essays at the back are a fascinating read, as usual.

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

(Reposted from my Goodreads review, August 25, 2009.)

I was really, really impressed with this. The author drew me in quickly with Jason's voice; I immediately felt as though I was in his head, and his thought process was demystified. It was almost painful, at times, to read Jason's thoughts, and know that he wants to answer someone's question, to explain himself to someone, but he just can't. He struggles constantly with his body movements, his words, and his relation to other people, in a very profound and realistic way.

Although very little actually happens in the story - we are taken through several days of Jason's life, his past, and then to an authors' convention in Texas where he steps outside his own boundaries and grows - it was engrossing. I'd never thought that a book that is basically about a few emails back and forth between two teenagers, as well as one of their lives, would be this interesting, but it's a testament to the author's skill that she was able to write the characters and their interactions so skillfully.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

(Reposted from my Goodreads review, December 29, 2009.)

I thought this was a very realistic portrayal of a girl's life with a younger brother who has autism. Although it is a quick read (it's a juvenile book), it manages to pack a lot of depth and thoughtfulness into its pages. All of the characters face challenges here, and I found each of them realistically portrayed. It was obvious just from reading that the author has experience with autism as well as other disabilities. Although David, Catherine's autistic younger brother, isn't really the central focus of the story, he acts as a chaotic influence on Catherine's life, forcing her to constantly adjust her priorities and her plans. Other characters revolve around the periphery of her life: her somewhat clueless parents, a boy she's interested in, her best friend and a possible future friend. Though little is actually resolved at the end of the story, the book is a sort of slice of Catherine's life, leaving the reader with an optimistic view of how she will continue to grow. 

Addition by Toni Jordan

This 2008 novel follows the life of Grace Lisa Vandenburg, a single woman with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who counts her steps and has an imaginary relationship with inventor Nikola Tesla. The first half of this book is an interesting fictionalized account of how a person with OCD would go about their daily lives. However, as the story continues, there's some odd happenings and the question of if the disorder can - or should - be cured. This novel is not one of my favorites, but I enjoyed the writing style.

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Volume 1 by Keiko Tobe

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child is a manga series, a type of graphic novel written in Japan. The author, Keiko Tobe, takes the experiences of several parents of children with autism in Japan, and consolidates them into the tale of Hikaru and his parents. In this first volume, Hikaru's mother must learn to deal with her child's diagnosis, her marital difficulties, and her hopes for Hikaru's future. The volume continues through Hikaru's early elementary school years and concludes with some real-life stories from the parents who inspired the author. I definitely enjoyed this volume and look forward to reading the future volumes in the series.