These books for young readers explore a variety of disabilities and chronic illnesses, showing characters adapting to their differences and thriving.
Brooms
Jasmine Walls, illus. by Teo DuVall. Levine Querido, Oct. Ages 12–up
This graphic novel fantasy follows six young witches living in an alternate 1930s Mississippi, where broom-racing has been outlawed and magic sharply curtailed. The Night Storms racing team flouts the law in an effort to raise funds to move to a state that allows Black people to use magic and race. Billie Mae, the team’s captain, has chronic pain (as does Walls) that affects her magic; Emma, who is Choctaw, Black, and Deaf, uses Indian Sign Language.
Conditions of a Heart
Bethany Mangle. McElderry, Feb. 2024. Ages 14–up
Mangle’s latest YA novel centers on high schooler Brynn, who initially tries to hide how Ehlers-Danlos syndrome—a connective tissue disorder that the author shares—makes her different from her peers. During a school suspension that makes Brynn question the wisdom of keeping her condition a secret, she realizes she must come to terms with her disability and how it impacts her identity.
The Dancing Letters
Evelyne Fournier, illus. by Aurélien Galvan. CrackBoom!, Sept. Ages 3–up
This picture book about dyslexia follows Olivia, a “true original” who loves art and plays her own piano compositions, as she struggles to write a story for her grandmother’s birthday. Galvan’s illustrations depict how letters misbehave when Olivia writes them down. Fournier based the story on her daughter’s experience and includes resources in an author’s note.
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn
Sally J. Pla. Quill Tree, out now. Ages 10–up
In what PW’s starred review called “a vulnerable portrait of one girl seeking to empower and redefine herself outside of her personal traumas,” 13-year-old Maudie spends summer with her dad in the beach town where he grew up. She struggles to tell her dad how her mom and stepdad treat her, even as she learns to surf, makes new friends, and comes to terms with her autism.
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Give Me a Sign
Anna Sortino. Putnam, out now. Ages 12–up
This celebration of Deaf culture is set at a summer camp for Deaf and blind children, where 17-year-old Lilah—who is hard of hearing and uses hearing aids—has taken a counselor job to polish her American Sign Language skills. “Sortino highlights a variety of Deaf experiences,” per PW’s starred review, “exploring the community’s pride and culture, as well as the trauma some Deaf individuals face in interactions with strangers and loved ones alike.”
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I Think I Think a Lot
Jessica Whipple, illus. by Josée Bisaillon. Free Spirit, Aug. Ages 5–10
Inspired by Whipple’s experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder, this picture book for older readers surveys neurodivergence, overthinking, and obsessive thoughts. Bisaillon’s illustrations depict how the main character, who compares herself to her classmates, comes to appreciate the ways she and her peers are different. Back matter includes a discussion guide and a note about OCD.
One in a Million
Claire Lordon. Candlewick, Oct. Ages 14–up
Lordon’s graphic memoir recounts her high school experience of developing fatigue, headaches, difficulty focusing, and depression, among other symptoms whose cause long evaded diagnosis. Eventually, doctors found the answer: Cushing’s disease, a condition that causes the body to make too much cortisol. Most pages are rendered in muted shades of purple, punctuated by black-and-white illustrations capturing how Lordon’s chronic illness feels.
Stars in Their Eyes
Jessica Walton, illus. by Aśka. Graphix, Aug. Ages 12–up
Maisie, a bisexual Australian teen, can’t wait to attend her first fan convention, where she hopes to meet her hero, an actor who uses a lower-leg prosthesis like she does. Instead, she ends up befriending and falling for Ollie, who is nonbinary. According to PW’s starred review of the graphic novel, “Walton—who is ‘proud to be disabled,’ per an author’s note—balances tension surrounding Maisie’s disability with a prevailing sense of optimism that highlights the power of inclusivity and representation in popular media.”
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Too Much!
Jolene Gutiérrez, illus. by Angel Chang. Abrams Appleseed, Aug. Ages 3–5
This rhyming picture book portrays an overwhelming day in the life of a girl with sensory processing disorder. Gutiérrez’s own familiarity with sensory overload and her work as a teacher-librarian at a school for diverse learners informs the text, and Chang’s illustrations demonstrate the experience of both negative and positive sensory inputs.
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet
Jake Maia Arlow. Dial, Aug. Ages 10–14
In this novel by Stonewall Honoree Arlow, a 12-year-old girl is diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and joins a support group where she develops a crush on another girl. “Arlow presents an honest and exceptional story of a tween’s experience dealing with rapid and abundant change,” per PW’s starred review, “while tenderly reflecting upon themes of chronic illness, found family, interdependence, and queerness.”
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