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BostonPL_Disabled, Not Unable 2024: 75 Books for Children, Teens, & Adults

The Disabled, Not Unable booklist is a list of recent books for all ages about the diverse experiences of the disabled and neurodivergent community. This inaugural printing is published as part of the Boston Public Library's observance of Disability Pride Month. These titles may be available in other formats or languages. Check the catalog for availability. #BPLDisabledNotUnable

75 items

  • Children. Things are looking up for prankster Airi after she is diagnosed with dyslexia. She even decides to sign up for the school play, but everything is in jeopardy when a prank goes wrong.
    BookNew York, NY : Philomel Books, 2023. — J FICTION TOKUSHIG Z
  • Children. Ani lives to swim but must keep her weekly practices a secret from her mother. When stiff and aching joints lead to a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, her secret is revealed, and her world turns upside-down.
    BookNew York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. — JORDAN MENDEZ J
  • Children. Isaac is a shy boy with OCD, but after meeting new friends who introduce him to role-playing games, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and growth.
    Graphic NovelNew York, NY : Little, Brown Ink, 2023. — J GRAPHIC BUZZING
  • Dancing Hands

    a Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language

    Que, Joanna,
    Children. Sam is fascinated by her new neighbors and their ability to talk with their hands, and when she meets Mai, she starts to learn Filipino sign language so they can communicate.
    Picture BookSan Francisco : Chronicle Books, 2023. — J PICTURE QUE J
  • Children. Neurodivergent Maudie loves spending the summer in California with her dad, but a wildfire forces them to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up - and where she finds a love for surfing.
    BookNew York : Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2023] — J FICTION PLA S
  • Children. Henrietta thought her dyscalculia would be her biggest problem when switching schools, but now she must deal with family drama, the girls’ soccer team, and so much more.
    BookNew York, NY : Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2023] — FIC
  • Children. Selah has rules for school, rules for home, rules for keeping her feelings in check, and rules for "being normal". When she loses control at school and is threatened with expulsion, she starts to learn that being different…
    BookNew York : Scholastic Press, 2023. — J FICTION KUYATT M
  • Children. Henry, a boy on the autism spectrum, loves the predictability that defines life in Classroom Ten. But when the weekly routine is disrupted by a special parade, Henry learns about friendship, speaking up, and finding new ways to…
    BookSan Francisco, California : Chronicle Books, 2023. — E
  • Children. Eleven-year-old Penny has a lot going on. Her best friend is moving away, she’s having cystic fibrosis flare-ups, and a dolphin just mysteriously appeared in the creek near her house. When a school assignment asks her to define…
    BookNew York, NY : Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2023] — J FICTION BALDWIN C
  • Children. Obioma is a football star, but when her family moves to a big city she becomes just “the girl with the wheelchair”. When Ayana asks Obioma to play, she’s ready to show the whole school her football skills.
    Picture Book[London] : Cassava Republic Press, [2023] — J PICTURE UNIGWE C
  • Children. When Maddie, who has dyspraxia, gets dropped off at theater camp, she discovers she is sharing a bunk with her former bestie Chloe. With a whole summer together, can the two piece their friendship back together?
    BookNew York : Henry Holt and Company, 2023. — J FICTION KAPIT S
  • Children. An intergenerational story of different ways families live and communicate with each other. With her caregivers by her side, a little girl who wears hearing aids and uses sign language learns, explores, and grows.
    Picture BookNew York : Alfred A. Knopf, [2023] — J PICTURE STUTZMAN J
  • Vision

    My Story of Strength

    Perez, Precious,
    Children. Precious was born blind, but that did not stop her love of singing! When her high school music teacher advocates for her talent, Precious starts to focus on the strength of her disability and achieves her dream of attending…
    BookNew York, N.Y. : Norton Young Readers, [2023] — HV1792.P468 A3 2023
  • A young boy trying to play pirates at the playground keeps getting interrupted with questions about what happened to his leg. As he gets more and more fed up, the other kids finally understand they don't need to know what happened.
    Picture BookNew York : Little, Brown and Company, 2023. — J PICTURE CATCHPOL J
  • Children. When seventh grader Al is diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, it looks like her life is going down the toilet. Luckily, she joins a support group, where she discovers community and a budding new crush on a girl named Mina.
    BookNew York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. — J FICTION ARLOW J
  • Teen. A group of marginalized teens in 1930s Mississippi join an illegal broom-racing team to earn money to move west, where magic isn’t forbidden.
    Graphic NovelMontclair : Levine Querido, 2023. — TEEN GRAPHIC BROOMS
  • Teen. In the years since they last saw each other, Rebecca lost a parent and the use of her legs while Ethan became his mom’s caretaker. When the childhood crushes reconnect, they’ll learn whether grief can bring them closer together.
    BookToronto, Ontario, Canada : Inkyard Press, [2023] — TEEN FICTION JOHNSON A
  • Teen. Freya isn’t surprised to learn she’s autistic, but she doesn’t want anyone to know. The more she tries to fit in, the more tired she gets of pretending.
    BookDublin : The O'Brien Press, 2023. — TEEN FICTION COLLINS M
  • Teen. Lilah, a teen who uses hearing aids, is excited to find community at a summer camp for Deaf and Blind people. When a fellow counselor offers to help her brush up on ASL, she quickly finds herself falling for him.
    BookNew York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2023. — TEEN FICTION SORTINO A
  • Teen. When Bradley, a high school football player with OCD, is paired with his ex-best friend Celine at an outdoor survival course, their messy history and academic rivalry starts turning into chemistry.
    BookNew York, : Joy Revolution, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023. — TEEN FICTION HIBBERT T