We'll want a list of books we can pass in Dexter's sisters' directions... books to help them see they are not the only ones with a brother who struggles to communicate and move independently.
So, we've tripped through one website and another, collecting a list of books... books about people with special needs... books with brave, stubborn, strong, resilient, cheeky, loving and confident characters, who also have a disability.
These were resourced from various websites. We've not read them. We're not certain on age specifics, and sometimes, the disability is not named.
We sorted the books as: cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, vision impairments, hearing impairments, autism/Aspergers, wheelchairs, limb differences and 'various'. This post contains the books relating to Down syndrome. To go to the books with the other books, click on the links:
limb differences
cerebral palsy
vision and hearing impairments
autism and Aspergers
wheelchairs
various (muscular dystrophy, facial deformity, ADHD)
Feel free to let us know of other great books out there.
by Kirsten De Bear (Author), Laura Dwight (Author, Illustrator)
Meet Marina. She is a four-year-old who likes to dance, play with dolls, go on the see-saw, and dress up. She also screams and shouts and makes a lot of noise.
Meet Moira. She is also a four-year-old who likes to do the same things that Marina likes to do. But she likes quiet and when Marina makes a lot of noise, she is freightened. She runs away when Marina makes a lot of noise.
At first, Marina, who has cerebral palsy, and Moira, who has down syndrome, could not play together because of their differences. But eventually the two girls become best friends.
The story of the friendship that develops between Marina and Moira is written with accessible language and includes expressive pictures that will captivate all children.
This is a moving story about Matthew, whose adored older brother Ben has Downs Syndrome. Matthew is horrified when Ben turns 16 and has to go off to a special school - he will miss him very much. Gradually Matthew comes to realise that it is best for Ben and that he will need to find his own friends. When Matthew's teacher decides to focus on Ben for a class project on 'Interesting People in the Community' the class comes to recognise what an amazing person Ben is.
Charlie and her brothers are in the final of the local five-a-side tournament, and they need to practise hard. But when it snows heavily overnight, their plans soon change. Charlie's brother, Bobby, is marooned in the snow and she must attempt a daring adventure to rescue him. But with the team reunited once more, how will they manage to play on the frozen pitch, never mind win the game?
Series books
A 9-year-old girl from Cornwall has written her first book, which aims to help other children who become a sibling to a child with Down’s syndrome.
Mia Goleniowska, who lives with her family near Truro, found it difficult to understand why her baby sister Natty had to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Treliske Hospital, Truro, when she was born. Natty was born with Trisomy 21 – better known as Down’s syndrome – and a heart condition.
One of a series of stories for the child who is beginning to enjoy reading. Each volume is printed in large, clear type and attention is paid to length and word-spacing. In this story, Jessy, a Down's Syndrome child who loves to go shopping, finds her game of hide-and-seek beginning to go wrong.
This is the second story to feature Bobby, the Down's Syndrome football enthusiast, and his big sister Charlie. This time they are off to summer camp. Also with them is Paul, a boy who hides underneath a furry parka and will not speak. Bobby instantly decides that the two of them are best friends, and as he is potty about football, he tries to play it with him as much as possible. Charlie is being a responsible older sister and keeping a watch on Bobby, which is demanding enough, but she also has a challenge of her own. One of the planned camp activities is a relay race over water, and she is very scared of water. But thanks to the wonderful positivity that Bobby exudes all round him, Charlie beats her demons, Bobby plays football whether it's planned or not, and Paul? Well, Bobby gets him talking! He makes him Man of the Match!
Isabelle and Charlie are friends. They both like to draw, dance, read, and play at the park. They both like to eat Cheerios. They both cry if their feelings are hurt. And, like most friends, they are also different from each other. Isabelle has Down syndrome. Charlie doesn't. Written by Isabelle's mother, this charming tale encourages readers to think about what makes a friendship special.
As six-year-old Emma anticipates the birth of her new baby brother or sister, she vividly imagines all of the things they can do together. They'll go to Grandpa's farm to feed the calves, ride in the back of the mini-van making faces at the cars that go by, fly on airplanes, and someday, they'll even go to Africa on a safari to see elephants and rhinos. And she can't wait to go to the art festival and show the baby how to paint a picture with a rubber octopus. Emma feels ready to be a big sister!
Then when the baby is born, her dad tells her that it's a boy named Isaac, and he has something called Down syndrome. As her dad shares this news, Emma senses his concern and wonders if Isaac will be able to go on all those adventures after all.