Children’s Books Recognized For Inclusive Storylines

Several books are gaining praise for their representation of the experience of disability as part of a special set of awards given together with the venerable Newbery and Caldecott medals.

The American Library Association announced three winners and six honoree of its Schneider Family Book Awards this week.

The awards, given annually, recognize the authors and illustrators of the books that embody an «artistic expression of the disability experience.» The books are chosen in three categories aimed at different age groups: younger children from 4 to 8 years, medium grade students from 9 to 13 years and young adults, considered 14 to 18 years.

The winner in the category of younger children is «a bit like magic», the story of a girl who uses a wheelchair who is nervous to attend an ice festival. She loses her horse figure in the event and discovers magic in the cold when she returns to look for the lost article.

Books of honor in the category of young children include «Monster Hands» about the best friends who use ASL who rhyme to deal with their fear of a monster under the bed, and «You are so incredible!» About a child with extremities differences that is fed up that people tell him how good it is to do common things.

The Libraries Association awarded the average grade prize to «Popcorn», which follows the ups and downs of an anxiety and touches while navigating the day of images at school. The honor books in this category are «stronger than hunger» about a young teenager with an eating disorder and «shark teeth», about a girl with an unstable home life.

In the division of young adults, the winner is «chronically Dolores», the story of a girl with a chronic bladder condition that hits a plan with a new friend with autism to recover her former best friend. Books of honor for young adults include «light enough to float» about a teenager who is an eating disorder and «on the positive side», who finds a high school student who adapts deaf to a conventional school With the help of a child who is learning a diagnosis that changes his life.

The Schneider Family Book Awards awards were announced at the Liblarnx conference of the American Library Association in Phoenix. The winners will receive $ 5,000 and a commemorative plaque at the annual organization of the organization in June.