Children’s librarians at the Central Arkansas Library System and the William F. Laman Public Library compile some of their favorite books for and about children with special needs.

Central Arkansas Library System, Main Library

Picture Books

• “The Deaf Musicians”
  By Pete Seeger and Paul DuBois Jacobs; Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
  
  Musician Pete Seeger helped write this story about Lee, a jazz pianist who has to leave his band when he begins losing his hearing. When Lee meets a deaf saxophone player in a sign language class, they form a snazzy new band that takes the world by storm.

• “Moses Sees A Play”
  Written and illustrated by Isaac Millman
  
  Moses and his classmates, who are deaf or hard of hearing, attend a play at their school by the Little Theatre of the Deaf. Millman, who also illustrates his books, incorporates written English and American Sign Language into the Moses series; other titles include “Moses Goes to the Circus” and Moses Goes to a Concert.”

• “My Pal, Victor”/“Mi Amigo, Victor”
  By Diane Gonzales Bertrand; Illustrated by Robert Sweetland
  
  The narrator in this story spends the summer enjoying all of the typical activities of boys alongside his friend Victor, who isn’t able walk. Even better, the tale comes in English and Spanish for bilingual families (or those who want to be!).

• “My Sister, Alicia May”
  By Nancy Tupper Ling Illustrated by Shennen Bersani
  
  Big sister Rachel details the ups and downs of her relationship with Alicia, her younger sister who has Down syndrome. Rachel’s emotions range from resentment to pride in the realistic sibling portrayal.

• “The Pirate of Kindergarten”
  Written by George Ella Lyon; Illustrated by Lynne Avril
  
  Ginny’s eyes play tricks on her and she sees everything double, which sometimes makes kindergarten extra difficult. But when the school nurse discovers her problem during a routine vision, Ginny learns that her eye issues can be cured—with the help of a “pirate” patch.

Chapter Books

• “A Mango-Shaped Space”
  By Wendy Mass
  
  Afraid that she is crazy, thirteen-year-old Mia has an unusual secret. Mia has synesthesia, a condition that allows her to see a special color with every letter, number and sound; but she also has to deal with school, changing relationships and the death of her beloved cat, Mango.

• “Out of My Mind”
  By Sharon Draper
  
  Melody is a brilliant fifth grader with a photographic memory, but her doctors, teachers and classmates think she is developmentally disabled, because the 11-year-old lives with a debilitating case of cerebral palsy that won’t allow her to walk, write or talk…until she discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.

• “Things Not Seen”
  By Andrew Clements
  
  One morning fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up to find himself invisible. Though his parents want to keep his condition a secret, Bobby shares his story with a new friend Alicia, who is able to “see” him despite being blind.

Teens

• “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian”
  By Alexie Sherman; Illustrated by Ellen Forney
  
  This coming-of-age novel finds Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation, coming to terms with his medical problems, attending an all-white school with an Indian mascot and discovering his inner strength.

• “Accidents of Nature”
  By Harriet McBryde Johnson
  
  Jean always prided herself on blending in with “normal” people despite her cerebral palsy, but the seventeen-year-old begins to question her role in the world while attending a summer camp for children with disabilities.

William F. Laman Public Library

Picture Books

• “Amelia Lends a Hand”
  Written and illustrated by Marissa Moss
  
  Amelia wants to make friends with her new neighbor Enzo, who is deaf. She starts learning sign language, which comes in handy after she suffers an asthma attack and has trouble speaking.

• “Best Friend on Wheels”
  By Debra Shirley; Illustrated by Judy Stead
  
  The narrator meets Sarah, a new girl who uses a wheelchair. After some initial trepidation, they become fast friends. They do everything together and the narrator learns that Sarah is not different at all, only that she likes fudge coconut cherry ice cream and the narrator prefers vanilla.

• “Fireflies”
  By Alice Hoffman; Illustrated by Wayne McLoughlin
  
  This quasi-fairytale is about a clumsy boy named Jackie, who never seems to succeed at anything. After a bought of teasing, he flees to the mountains and inadvertently frees the fireflies, thus saving the town from a permanent winter.

• “The Junkyard Wonders”
  Written and Illustrated by Patricia Polacco
  
  Trisha moves to a new town so that she won’t be in a “special” class anymore, only to find out that her new class is known as “The Junkyard.” Though her teacher may be quirky and the students odd, each has a unique talent that makes for a marvelous group of misfits.

• “You Can Be a Friend”
  By Tony and Lauren Dungy; Illustrated by Ron Mazellan
  
  Former NFL player and retired head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy, teamed up with wife Lauren to write a line of positive storybooks. In this title, Jade is planning to have her birthday party at a water park, but struggles to decide how to include her new friend Hannah, who is in a wheelchair.

• “Just Kids: Visiting a Class for Children with Special Needs”
  By Ellen B. Senisi
  
  This photo book takes young children inside a classroom for children with special needs. Based on a true story, Senisi writes about a girl who is asked to spend time in this classroom after teasing a disabled child. There, she meets a new group of friends, some with epilepsy, others with Down syndrome, autism and more.

Chapter Books

• “Trout and Me”
  By Susan Shreve
  
  Ben has always had trouble with school. His stomach hurts as he climbs the steps to his classes. His behavior and bad grades are attributed to his Attention Deficit Disorder. When Ben meets Trout, a new kid who everyone thinks is a weird troublemaker, Ben finally finds someone he can relate to.

• “Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World”
  By Sy Montgomery
  
  Montgomery tells the true story of Temple Grandin, a woman who didn’t let her autism stop her from obtaining her PhD in animal science, revolutionizing the livestock industry, becoming a college professor, writing bestselling books and advocating for herself and others with autism. The biography is accompanied by a foreword from Grandin, as well as her personal photos.

• “Siblings: You’re Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together”
  Co-written by James J. Crist and Elizabeth Verdick
  
  Brothers and sisters can be best friends, AND a real pain in the you-know-what. This book focuses on building positive sibling relationships, and teaches kids how to cope with some of the emotions that come with families, from having a new baby in the home to siblings with special needs.

For Parents

• “The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and Honestly About the Extraordinary Highs and Heartbreaking Lows of Raising Kids with Special Needs”
  Edited by Denise Brodey
  
  Inspired by her four-year-old son’s diagnosis of childhood depression and sensory integration dysfunction, editor Denise Brodey compiled these poignant essays from real moms and dads of children with special needs—from ADHD to Asperger’s syndrome.

Arkansas Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped

Reading is a joy for children who are visually impaired or blind, too! Supplement the books you check out at your local library with books in recorded or Braille format, provided free of charge by the Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped. 

Part of the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped network and the Arkansas State Library, this resource allows you to borrow popular books and magazines. The materials are mailed straight to your home, or can be downloaded through the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) online program.

The library is located in the Arkansas State Library, 900 W. Capitol, Ste. 100, Little Rock. For more info: 682-1155, Library.Arkansas.gov.