Topic: Disability Literature

Harriet McBryde Johnson was born in 1957 in North Carolina.  She spent most of her life, though living in South Carolina.  She died in SC in 2008.  She had a B.A. in History, a Master's in Public Administration, and a J.D. (Juris Doctorate) in Law.  She was a strong disability rights activist and was very outspoken on topics such as euthanasia of children with disabilities and the Terri Schiavo case.  She specialized, though, in aiding people with disabilities who couldn't work receive social security.  Harriet herself was disabled.  She had a neuromuscular disease and used a wheelchair.  She was not confined by the wheelchair, though.  She did not let it define her.  Because of her activism, she was named, in 2003, Person of the Year by New Mobility Magazine.

Harriet wrote 15 works between 1998 and 2008, when she died.  Some of the titles include "Too Late to Die Young: Nearly True Stories from a Life," "Wheelchair Unbound," "Not Dead at All: Why Congress Was Right to Stick Up for Terri Schiavo," and "Alas for Tiny Tim, He Became a Christmas Cliche."  Accidents of Nature was her only young adult novel.

Accidents of Nature was a truly insightful young adult novel for me.  Having a sister with disabilities myself, I am always wondering what she is thinking and how she sees the world.  While I am still unable to discern exactly what my sister is thinking, Accidents of Nature certainly has given me clues.  Jean, a girl with cerebral palsy, thinks of herself as a normal girl.  She goes to a normal high school, has friends, goes to clubs, etc.  Her perspective on the world is completely changed after her parents send her to a 10-day camp for people with disabilities.  There, she meets a number of people, namely Sara, who show her the world of the "crips" in terms of how people view them and how they are treated.  The book takes place in the 1970s, so it is easy to see some of the things that have changed since then and what has stayed the same.

Children's books to accompany Accidents of Nature: 
Russel is Extra Special by Charles A. Amenta, III
Andy and His Yellow Frisbee by Mary Thompson
Helen Keller, A Life in Pictures by George Sullivan
Rainbow Joe and Me by Maria Diaz Strom
The Handmade Alphabet by Laura Rankin
Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis

Discussion Questions:
(Things to keep in mind when reading picture books:)
Who is the intended audience?
Does the book help us to understand the disability or generalize with stereotypes?
What are the hardships, if any, that are portrayed?
What kinds of things would you discuss with children from this book?
What is the overall tone of the book?
Would you use this book in your collection or classroom?

The Handmade Alphabet

1. How would you "read" this book to a classroom? 
2. Is it more of a one-on-one read?
3. Who might be the intended audience?

Susan Laughs

1. Does the fact that you are unaware of Susan's handicap until the end of the book change the way children might interact with the book?  
2. Should you make children aware of the "twist" prior to reading this book?

Rainbow Joe

1. How would Cai classify this book?  (Consider the race of the characters)
2. Is it helpful for children when issues of race and disability occur in the same book?  Why?
3. How would children respond to this book?

Other books of interest:

Waiting for No One by Beverley Brenna

My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete

Just Because by Rebecca Elliott

Close to Families by John Bauer

WonderStruck by Brian Selznick

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Publishers of interest:

• http://www.disabilitiesbooks.com This publishing company was started by Stanley Klein who recognized that the experts in the field of disabilities was actually people with disabilities and their parents.  Most of the books he publishes are written by people with disabilities and by parents with children who have disabilities.
• http://www.inclusion.com/inclusionpress.html They have a motto, "Together we're better, All means All, and Inclusion means WITH not just IN."  They support a lot of branches that being "inclusive" covers, including John and Connie O'Brien Books, that help create full lives for people with disabilities the world over.
• http://jasonandnordic.org  Turtle Books by Jason and Nordic fill the missing gap in children's lit.  Their books are easy to read talk honestly about what it's like to be a child with disabilities.
• http://www.albertwhitman.com  This company has been around since 1919 and are known for their books that help kids understand disabilities and disease.  From asthma and allergies to living in a wheelchair and fight off cancer, they  have a growing collection of books designed to educate and enlighten, often in fun ways and always in ways children can understand.

Awards for :

• Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award.  This award is given to recognize authors, illustrators, and publishers of high quality fictional and biographical children, intermediate, and young adult books that appropriately portray individuals with developmental disabilities.
• Schneider Family Book Award.  The Schneider Family Book Award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child or adolescent audiences.

Websites of interest:

• www.newmovility.com  New Mobility encourages the integration of active-lifestyle wheelchair users into mainstream society, while simultaneously reflecting the vibrant world of disability-related arts, media, advocacy, and philosophy.