List

Coming Together 2022: Books for Grades 6-8

By Skokie Staff Youth Services

Enjoy materials selected for Coming Together 2022: Sharing Experiences of Disability. More at https://www.comingtogether.in

I Am Not a Label
2020 by Burnell, Cerrie
In this stylishly illustrated biography anthology, you will meet 34 past and present artists, thinkers, athletes, and activists with disabilities. Hear from people like Frida Kahlo and Stephen Hawking about how they owned their differences, overcame obstacles, and paved the way for others by making their bodies and minds work for them. Each person is a leading figure in fields of sports, science, art, breakdancing, and pop music.

Get this item

Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution
2021 by Heumann, Judith E.
Paralyzed from polio and raised by her Holocaust survivor parents, Judy began fighting for equal access early in life. Judy fought her high school, which initially denied her a diploma because of her inability to participate in gym; she fought her college, which described her as "a fire hazard"; and she filed a lawsuit against the New York City school system, which denied her a teacher's license because of her paralysis, and she won.

Get this item

Fish in a Tree
2015 by Hunt, Lynda Mullaly
Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the troublemaker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities and discovers that great minds don’t always think alike.

Get this item

Set Me Free
2021 by LeZotte, Ann Clare
Three years after being kidnapped and rendered a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, 14-year-old Mary Lambert is summoned to teach a younger deaf girl to communicate with sign language. She can't help but wonder--can a child of eight with no prior language be taught? Still, weary of domestic life and struggling to write as she used to, Mary pours all her passion into the pursuit of freeing this child from the prison of her isolation. Mary discovers that there is much more to the girl's story than she ever could have imagined. Freeing her suddenly takes on a much greater meaning--and risk.

Get this item

Lila and Hadley
2020 by Keplinger, Kody
Can a lost girl save a found dog? Find out in this unforgettable story about discovering true friendship, finding home, and the possibilities of forgiveness. Hadley is angry about a lot of things: her mom going to jail, having to move to another state to live with her older sister, Beth, even though they haven't spoken in five years, leaving her friends and her school behind, and--going blind. Then Hadley meets Lila at the local dog rescue where Beth works. Lila doesn't listen to directions or play with the other dogs or show any interest in people. So when Lila comes and sits by Hadley, Beth decides they'll bring Lila home as a foster dog and Hadley can train her. Or can she?

Get this item

Best Friends: Real Friends Series, Book 2
2019 by Hale, Shannon
Follow your heart. Find your people. Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon’s got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is their leader, Jen, the most popular girl in school. But the rules are always changing, and Shannon, who has some anxiety and mild OCD, has to scramble to keep up. She never knows which TV shows are cool, what songs to listen to, and who she’s allowed to talk to. Who makes these rules, anyway? And does Shannon have to follow them?

Get this item