Happy Disability Pride Month, bookworms! To celebrate, we’re recommending ten books with disability representation. This list includes a diverse variety of representations, including characters with chronic illnesses and physical impairments, as well as books with neurodivergent characters. From contemporary to fantasy and even non-fiction, this list has something for every genre reader!
Content Warning: The Honey POP encourages mindful reading and checking the author’s website for content warnings.
Give Me A Sign By Anna Sorinto
Anna Sortino’s Give Me a Sign follows Lilah, who, because she has hearing loss, doesn’t feel that she is “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf but also not hearing enough to meet the expectations of the world. When Lilah takes a job as a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, she is planning to work on her ASL, but she never expects to find a community along the way. Plus, there’s the adorable Deaf counselor Isaac who has been helping her practice signing. This book sounds like the perfect summer read!
Content Warnings: ableism, bullying, violence
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Different Not Less: A Neurodivergent’s Guide To Embracing Your True Self And Finding Your Happily Ever After By Chloe Hayden
How about some nonfiction? Different, Not Less is by Chloé Hayden, an advocate, actor, and social media star who created this practical guide to celebrate neurodivergence. Its mission is to help make the world a more accepting place and to help neurodivergent people on their journey to embracing who they are. We are always on the lookout for inspiring nonfiction books, and Different, Not Less is an excellent read for neurodivergent people and those that are supporting them, an excellent read for Disability Pride Month!
Content Warnings: ableism, bullying, eating disorder, sexual assault, suicide
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The Girls I’ve Been By Tess Sharpe
We never pass up on the opportunity to read a queer thriller, and The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe is a fantastic one! In this book, we follow Nora, who, for the majority of her life, worked with her con artist mother to target criminal men. Except, nothing goes as planned when her mother actually falls for a target, and Nora has no choice but to escape. After 5 years, Nora believes she’s left that life behind until she and her two friends (Wes, her ex-boyfriend, and Iris, her current girlfriend) end up as hostages in a bank robbery. Now to protect her friends and herself, Nora will have to dust off the skills she left behind. This book also has Endometriosis representation through Iris, Nora’s girlfriend (one of our favorite characters who we absolutely adore!). You do not want to miss out on this thrilling adventure into Nora’s past and present!
Content Warnings: child abuse, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, sexual assault, gun violence
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One For All By Lillie Lainoff
If you’re a fan of The Three Musketeers, you’ll love our next recommendation! One for All by Lillie Lainoff is filled with daring sword fights, beautiful balls, and deception at every turn. This YA book has own-voices POTS representation and follows Tania, a girl who desperately wants to be a great fencer like her former Musketeer father but is looked down upon by her small village because of her dizziness. When her father is mysteriously murdered, Tania is sent to attend finishing school as per her father’s dying wish. Tania is surprised to learn that the school is actually secretly training young women to become spies and Musketeers. Before long, her fellow trainees become like her sisters, but they’ll need all their strength and determination if they’re going to stop a potential assassination plot.
Content Warnings: ableism, death of a parent, violence, mention of sexual assault
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A Curse So Dark And Lonely By Brigid Kemmerer
Are you a fantasy reader? Then A Curse So Dark and Lonely is for you! This Beauty and the Beast retelling follows Prince Rhen of Emberfall, who has been turned into a vicious beast by an enchantress. The only way to break this curse is if a girl can fall for him, except he’s lost all hope of that ever happening. We also follow Harper, who has always been underestimated by her brother because of her cerebral palsy. But one day, when she tries to help a stranger, she’s suddenly transported into a magical world. As she spends time with the prince, she starts to understand what really is at stake, and with the odds growing against them, Rhen and Harper need everything they have to save the kingdom of Emberfall.
Content Warnings: violence, death of a parent, kidnapping, torture, grief, suicide attempt, cancer, sexual assault
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Cursed By Karol Ruth Silverstein
Charlesbridge
Next up on our list, we have Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein. Cursed is about Erica “Ricky” Bloom, who is angry to learn that she’s been diagnosed with a painful chronic illness. To cope with her family troubles and her pain, she decides that cursing and cutting school are her best options. Except when her absences start to pile up, she’ll have to work extra hard to catch up, or else she’ll have to repeat ninth grade.
Content Warnings: bullying, cancer
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Breathe And Count Back From Ten By Natalia Sylvester
If you love mermaids, then you have to read Breathe and Count Back from Ten! It follows Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia who loves to swim. She dreams of auditioning to be a professional mermaid at Mermaid Cove, an underwater attraction in her town. Except her conservative parents would never approve, and they would definitely not approve of her being with Alex, her new cute neighbor. But when Verónica decides to take her life into her own hands, she’s surprised to learn that her parents have been keeping secrets from her. This book screams summer reading and would be a great beach read!
Content Warnings: ableism, body shaming, medical content, sexual assault
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Unseelie By Ivelisse Housman
Who doesn’t love a good twin story? Unseelie tells the tale of Iselia, an autistic changeling who looks exactly like her twin sister Isolde but struggles to fit in the human world. When a heist goes wrong, the twins will soon uncover a mystery much bigger than they anticipated and make some unexpected allies along the way. But the question is, will Seelie be able to master her magic in time to keep them safe?
Content Warnings: violence, ableism, child abuse
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Sick Kids In Love By Hannah Moskowitz
Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz is all about Isabel, a teen with rheumatoid arthritis who has one rule: no dating whatsoever. But things get complicated when she meets another boy with a chronic illness that understands her more than anyone. You’ve got to read this beautiful love story!
Content Warnings: ableism, toxic friendship, medical content, abandonment
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Where You See Yourself By Claire Forrest
You can’t go wrong with a classic coming-of-age story! Where You See Yourself follows Effie, who is just starting her senior year of high school. She’s been thinking about her college applications for a long time, and it’s been difficult finding one that is wheelchair accessible and fits her goals. She thinks she finally found a match in an NYC college where she can pursue her dream of working in digital media, plus it just so happens that her crush Wilder is also applying. While navigating admissions visits, ableism, and senior class traditions, Effie discovers that maybe growing up means being open to new possibilities.
Content Warnings: ableism, chronic illness, dysphoria
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What books are you reading to celebrate Disability Pride month? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPop! You can also visit us on Facebook and Instagram!
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