Fighting for Yes! The Story of Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann

Nostalgic illustrations and straightforward narration spotlight the path to advocacy for disability rights activist Judith Heumann (b. 1947) in this picture book biography. When Heumann, “a bright, talkative little girl” who loves books and music, tries to attend kindergarten in 1952, her family is told “NO” over and over again. One principal initially takes “one look at Judy’s wheelchair” and declares the child “a fire hazard.” At nine, Heumann is excited to learn in a classroom, only to find herself, and other “special-ed” students, “in the basement, away from everyone,” and as she matures, she finds that “stairs were everywhere... with no ramps” provided. At Camp Oakhurst, a summer camp for kids with disabilities, Heumann dreams “that someday the whole world would be like camp.” Graduating college and becoming a teacher, she encounters and combats hiring discrimination, leading to national advocacy and legal protections. Mildenberger’s stylized gouache and digital illustrations evoke the style of a personal diary. An afterword by Heumann concludes. Ages 6–9. (Aug.)