| Here is a list of books for middle school students that | | | | decide not to report that the substitute teacher failed |
| have at least one character with a disability. All of the | | | | to show up. |
| characters with disabilities are portrayed in a positive | | | | * Freak the Mighty, Rodman Philbrick and W.R. |
| light. There are characters who have autism, down | | | | Philbrick--At the beginning of eighth grade, learning |
| syndrome, intellectual disabilities, visual impairments, | | | | disabled Max and his new friend Freak, whose birth |
| hearing impairments, speech delays, dyslexia, spina | | | | defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, |
| bifida, synesthesia and who use a wheelchair. | | | | find that when they combine forces they make a |
| The list was created using the winners of the Dolly | | | | powerful team. |
| Gray Award and the Schneider Family Book Award | | | | * Al Capone Does My Shirts, Gennifer |
| and lists compiled by Sandy Lahmann, Cherl Pesto at | | | | Choldenko--Moose Flanagan and his family, including his |
| Disaboom and Mary Anne Prater & Tina Taylor | | | | 15-year-old sister, Natalie, who has autistic-like |
| Dyches from Teaching Exceptional Children. | | | | characteristics, move to Alcatraz in 1935 so that his |
| * Hank Zipzer Series, Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver/Jesse | | | | father can work as a prison guard and Natalie can |
| Joshua Watson--Inspired by his own experiences with | | | | attend a special school. However, the school does not |
| undiagnosed dyslexia, actor/director Henry Winkler | | | | allow Natalie to attend until Moose and the prison |
| presents this series about the high-spirited and funny | | | | warden's daughter seek help from an unlikely |
| adventures of a fourth-grader with learning | | | | source-the most notorious criminal on the island, Al |
| differences. | | | | Capone. |
| * The View from Saturday, E. L. Konigsburg--Four | | | | * Tru Confessions, Janet Tashjian--Computer-literate, |
| students, with their own individual stories, develop a | | | | twelve-year-old Tru keeps an electronic diary where |
| special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, | | | | she documents her desire to cure her handicapped |
| a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their | | | | twin brother and her plan to create a television show. |
| class in the Academic Bowl competition | | | | * Reaching for Sun, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer--even if |
| * And Don't Bring Jeremy, Marilyn Levinson--Moving to | | | | Josie wants to forget that she was born with a |
| a new neighborhood is difficult, but Adam Krasner has | | | | disability, her mom can't seem to let it go. Yet when a |
| the additional burden of dealing with Jeremy, his | | | | strange new boy?Jordan?moves into one of the |
| neurologically impaired brother, who can't seem to do | | | | houses nearby, he seems oblivious to all the things that |
| anything right. | | | | make Josie different. |
| * Rules, Cynthia Lord--Twelve-year-old Catherine just | | | | * Mango-shaped Space, Wendy Mass--Mia Winchell |
| wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you | | | | has synesthesia, the mingling of perceptions whereby |
| have a brother with autism and a family that revolves | | | | a person can see sounds, smell colors, or taste |
| around his disability. The summer Catherine meets | | | | shapes. Forced to reveal her condition, she must look |
| Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the | | | | to herself to develop an understanding and |
| next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own | | | | appreciation of her gift in this coming-of-age novel. |
| shocking behavior that turns everything upside down | | | | * Waiting for Normal, Leslie Connor--Addie has spent |
| and forces her to ask: What is normal? | | | | most of her twelve years ?waiting for normal,? a |
| * Becoming Naomi Leon, Pam Munoz Ryan--When | | | | stable family and a real home. Connor?s resilient |
| Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi | | | | heroine uses humor, creativity and her ?love of |
| runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and | | | | learning? to compensate for her dyslexia. Through |
| younger brother in search of her father. | | | | music and good friends, Addie discovers that she can |
| * Things Not Seen, Andrew Clements--When Bobby | | | | accomplish anything. |
| wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents | | | | * So B. It, Sarah Weeks--From the bestselling author of |
| and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what | | | | "Regular Guy" comes a novel about a young girl living |
| caused his condition and how to reverse it. | | | | in Reno with her mentally disabled mother who, |
| * Me and Rupert Goody, Barbara O'Connor--Jennalee | | | | haunted by a mysterious word in her mother's |
| is jealous when a slow-thinking black man arrives in her | | | | 23-word vocabulary, embarks on a cross-country |
| Smoky Mountains community and claims to be the son | | | | journey |
| of Uncle Beau, the owner of the general store and | | | | * Westing Game, Ellen Raskin--The mysterious death |
| Jennalee's only friend. | | | | of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely |
| * Flying Solo, Ralph Fletcher--Rachel, having chosen to | | | | assortment of heirs who must uncover the |
| be mute following the sudden death of a classmate, | | | | circumstances of his death before they can claim their |
| shares responsibility with the other sixth-graders who | | | | inheritance. |