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Honor Roll titles

Photo of Lyn Miller-Lachmann
July 31, 2014

Defined By Others

When privileged outsiders define us, they often do so out of ignorance, self-interest, or malice, and their versions of ourselves, rather than our own realities, become the norm.

Photo of Merrie Haskell
July 30, 2014

Interview with Merrie Haskell about Handbook for Dragon Slayers

A princess with a clubfoot. Who can resist? We can’t, and apparently the Schneider Family Book Award jury couldn’t, either. Merrie Haskell’s 2014 win of the award was just one of the reasons we wanted to discuss her MG fantasy novel Handbook for Dragon Slayers with her.

Photo of Rachel M. Wilson
July 28, 2014

Interview with Rachel M. Wilson about Don’t Touch

Don’t Touch is an insightful look into the life of a girl with OCD, and we were delighted to interview author Rachel M. Wilson about this wonderful debut.

July 25, 2014

Discussion: Intersectionality and Disability

Diversity in children’s literature is often represented as an either/or, without intersectionality; characters can either be autistic or gay, for example, or a wheelchair user or Black, but rarely both. Why is that?

Cover for The Elementals
July 23, 2014

Review: The Elementals by Saundra Mitchell

Julian Birch has a “withered” leg from a childhood bout of polio, and Mitchell’s depiction of him is one of the most believable, relatable portrayals of disability I’ve come across.

Photo of Jennifer Castle
July 21, 2014

Interview with Jennifer Castle about You Look Different in Real Life

You Look Different in Real Life is a contemporary YA novel in which the broken friendship between the protagonist and her autistic best friend plays a central role–a thoughtfully handled plot thread that we were eager to talk to author Jennifer Castle about.

July 18, 2014

Discussion: Warning Flags and Turn-Offs

Clichés, ableist language … what kinds of words, phrases, or situations used in book or character descriptions send up warning flags for our contributors?

Cover for Girl, Stolen
July 16, 2014

Interview with April Henry about Girl, Stolen

April Henry’s main character in Girl, Stolen is a well-researched, well-written example of blindness, and we were thrilled to discuss the book with her.

Cover for Wild Awake
July 14, 2014

Interview with Hilary T. Smith about Wild Awake

s.e. smith’s rave review of Wild Awake was one of the very first posts on this blog. We invited s.e. and author Hilary T. Smith to discuss books, mental illness, and everything in between.

A picture showing covers of 2014's Schneider Award winners: A Splash of Red, Handbook for Dragon Slayers, and Rose Under Fire.
July 12, 2014

Interview with Alyson Beecher, 2015 Schneider Family Book Award Jury Chair

We’ve been wanting to shake hands with the good folks of the Schneider Family Book Award — an ALA award which highlights depictions of disability in children’s literature — for a while, and July 2014 marked the perfect time: while we celebrated our first anniversary, the Schneider celebrated its tenth!

July 11, 2014

Discussion: If We Could Tell an Author One Thing …

If our contributors could tell an author writing a character with their disability one thing – besides “do your research” – what would it be?

Cover for El Deafo
July 9, 2014

Chapter 9 of El Deafo Almost Wasn’t — Here’s Why

The toughest chapter to write in El Deafo, by far, was the chapter in which I reject sign language.

Photo of Shaunta Grimes
July 7, 2014

Interview with Shaunta Grimes about Viral Nation

Shaunta Grimes’s Viral Nation is the rare YA dystopian novel with an autistic protagonist; we were keen to sit down with the author to discuss the book, its sequel Rebel Nation, and its protagonist Clover Donovan.

July 4, 2014

Discussion: Is any representation better than no representation?

Is any representation better than no representation? That argument frequently comes up in response to criticism, but is it valid?

Photo of Shannon Hale
July 2, 2014

Interview with Shannon Hale about Dangerous

A one-armed astronaut superhero is the lead in Dangerous, the unusual new novel by NYT bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale, who sat down with us for a great interview.

July 1, 2014

Kicking Off Our Anniversary Celebrations!

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been a whole year since Disability in Kidlit was first launched. We’re so excited for this milestone and so grateful for all of your support.