When you hear disability what do you think of? Many of us have been programmed to go to someone in a wheelchair and with mental issues. While this is a true disabled person there are many of other types of disabilities and some cannot be seen. July is Disability Awareness Month or officially National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Some places even call it Disability Pride Month and have parades. This year we are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so it is extra special! Today I am two books that share what life is like with different disabilities and a bit about loving someone with a disability. One book is a middle grade graphic novel, and the other is a young adult nonfiction book sharing real stories from couples of different abilities. We will start with the graphic novel. It is Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia with art by Brittney Williams and lettering by Tyler Smith. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
About the Book:
New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia has returned with a middle grade graphic novel about the struggles of a game-loving girl who gets diagnosed with dyslexia and her loving support network that help her along in the journey.Stella knows fifth grade will be the best year ever. Her closest friends, Emiko and Latasha, are in her class and they all got the teacher they wanted. Then their favorite television show, Witchlins, announces a new guidebook and an online game!
But when the classwork starts piling up, Stella struggles to stay on top. Why does it take her so long to read? And how can she keep up with friends in the Witchlins game if she can’t get through the text-heavy guidebook? It takes loving teachers and her family to recognize that Stella has a learning difference, and after a dyslexia diagnosis she gets the support and tools she needs to succeed.
Bestselling author Kami Garcia was inspired to write this special book by her daughter’s dyslexia journey; her own neurodivergent experience; and the many students she taught over the years. With subtle design and formatting choices making this story accessible to all readers, Mixed-Up shows that our differences don’t need to separate us.
Mixed-Up has been lettered in Dyslexie to make reading as comfortable as possible for dyslexic readers.
From Me:
Stella's experience is so much like other students with undiagnosed disabilities. She struggles to keep up with her classmates. She feels like she must be stupid. She doesn't know what to do, but luckily Stella's teacher realizes what is going on and gets her help. Stella has even pulled away from her best friends because the game based on the television show they love requires reading the guidebook and she is struggling to read and understand it. Her friends do not know what is wrong or why is acting so aloof. They have decided she no longer enjoys the game. Once she gets help and finally learns how to have success with her disability, dyslexia, she can join in the fun with her friends again and is able to open up to them about what was going on.
I love how much this book shares the internal struggles of Stella. It is eye-opening to someone without dyslexia but who works with students with it all the time. I also love how the message Stella receives from her teacher is that her brain just works differently and they have to figure out how to help it learn. The teachers do not tell her she is broken or disabled. They help her find ways to read and access the material in a way her brain can handle. I also love that the book is written in Dyslexie so readers with dyslexia can read this book! This book is an amazing back to school book because it opens how some kids may be feeling and lets them know that there is help if they are feeling like Stella. I love how the book truly tells the reader her inner thoughts and struggle. It is perfect for a summer read as well as a school read. At the end of the book there is information and resources about dyslexia and organizations that can help. Not all people with dyslexia have the same experiences so it is important for kids to know this. Overall this book is wonderful. It deals with some of the stigmas around kids with dyslexia and thoughts from adults like graphic novels are not real books.
Our other book is for young adults and is from the YouTubers, Squirmy and Grubs. It is Interabled: True Stories About Love and Disability from Squirmy and Grubs and Other Interabled Couples by Shane and Hannah Burcaw. It is recommended for ages 12 to 18.
About the Book:
YouTube sensations Shane and Hannah Burcaw are back with a groundbreaking and uproarious collection of essays and short stories about what it means to be in an interabled relationship.With their signature wit and hilarious voice, authors, bloggers, and entrepreneurs Shane and Hannah Burcaw have put together a true story collection of sweet and unforgettable love stories about interabled couples.
Follow the lives of several couples as they navigate their love story in an ableist world. Sometimes tear-jerking, sometimes funny, and always heartwarming, this moving collection comprised of interviews and short stories - with interludes from Shane and Hannah about their own dating and marriage journey - will have readers laughing and sobbing as they discover true stories of love and commitment.
From Me:
This book is full of love stories, struggles, and life told with humor and care. The couples are diverse with various disabilities. There are same sex couples as well as different sex. The ages of the couples range greatly as well. Some of the couple's stories are told as a question and answer where the reader learns about how they met, their dating life and more. Some couples are married and some are not. Some have been together since elementary school and others have met more recently. Some stories are just that the story of the couple. It is what they are willing to share with the world. The diversity is amazing, and the stories are so interesting. Throughout the book the reader sees Shane and Hannah's personalities shine through. They share many different stories from their own relationship as well as some of the process of writing this book. They let the readers know that even if a chapter is written in one person's point of view, they both wrote the chapter. The love and humor throughout the book are wonderful.
In the introduction, Shane and Hannah share a bit about their adventure together including starting the YouTube channel Squirmy and Grubs. They were shocked by the number of followers their channel received but also were disheartened by some of the comments. They decided to write this book to share stories about what it is like to be in an interabled relationship. Since so many people tend to judge their own relationship. They were amazed by the number of couples that volunteered to share their story and had to be selective for the book. The book is full of diverse couples and their stories. The writing is fun and easy to read. It is interesting and it does what they set out to do. It educates the world about interabled relationships and what it takes to be in them. I find it so interesting when reading the book because I often am thinking that the care they have for each other and give each other should be the care in every relationship. Yes, obviously there are some physical needs of some of the disabilities but overall shouldn't everyone in a relationship want to care and support their partner with love and respect whether it is physical or emotional care? Some of the couples even comment on this topic. This book is eye-opening, and I hope it will help fight the stigma over people with disabilities.
