A Great Resource: Disability in Kidlit
The
Disability in Kidlit web page offers the opportunity to look beyond stereotypes to the reality of disabilities. The “About” section on their web page states, “Disability in Kidlit is dedicated to discussing the portrayal of disability in middle grade and young adult literature. We publish articles, reviews, interviews, and discussions examining this topic from various angles—and always from the disabled perspective.”
The book reviews presented on the site are of titles that feature a child or teen with a disability, reviewed by people who often also have that disability, to give librarians and others a better idea of what to look for when selecting books for their collections or recommending titles for readers.
Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play by Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook will draw in young listeners during story time. Each two-page spread features a clothesline holding things like a shirt, shorts, maybe gloves, a hat, or such, with an item or two on the ground that correspond to a particular sport. It then asks “What sport does he (or she) play?” The kids will shout the answer, and the next page also tells the answer. This is a title I missed for my 2016 summer reading program booklist so I am happy to let you know about it now. An earlier title by the same authors and illustrator is
Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do, which I also recommend. Thank you to Sandy at Lincoln City Libraries for bringing these books to my attention.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free, via the Regional Library Systems, to Nebraska school and public libraries.)
