By Rebecca Ballenger, Worlds of Words, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Some children have disabilities; many people will gain a disability in their lifetimes; and all people benefit from engaging with the disability community. These facts may be uncomfortable for people who don’t have disabilities and don’t have much interaction with people who do; however, engaging in accessible activities and inclusive communication eases discomfort and brings new understandings and joy. These twelve titles offer examples, and sometimes instruction, on initiating conversation and play between people of all abilities.
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All of Us: A First Conversation about Disability by Megan Madison w/ Jesica Ralli & Jonathan Eden (il.), 9780593521021, Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2025.
This deceptively simple primer tells kids with disabilities that everyone has a difference & teaches kids without disabilities how to listen & help create access with deeper ways to continue the conversation in the backmatter.
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Let’s Rumble: A Rough-and-Tumble Book of Play by Rachel G. Payne & Jose Pimienta (il.), 9780593750698, Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2025.
Three siblings engage in active & safe play using their words to negotiate boundaries. Backmatter provides specific advice for creating rules of engagement.
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Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor & Rafael López (il.), 9780525514121, Philomel, 2019.
Each kid brings their unique set of abilities to contribute to a community garden, asking questions as they go.
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Included by Jayneen Sanders & Camila Carrossine (il.), 9781925089790, Educate 2 Empower, 2022.
Changing rules, giving extra time, respecting boundaries or appreciating the competitive nature of friends are all ways the characters in this book share playtime.
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Maybe Just Ask Me! by Katie Mazeika, 9781665949897, Simon & Schuster, 2025.
Mazie’s classmates let their imaginations run wild about her headscarf & eye patch without ever talking to her; & if they just ask, they’d learn she is a pretty good storyteller.
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Ways to Play by Lyn Miller-Lachmann & Gabriel Alborozo (il.), 9781646142590, Levine Querido, 2023.
Riley has autism & an interest in carefully created patterns that his cousin finds “boring,” but there are many ways to play & each can lead to fun shared experiences.
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This Is How We Talk by Jessica Slice, Caroline Cupp & Kayla Harren (il.), 9780593529935, DIAL, 2025.
This rhyming book & companion to This Is How We Play depicts a range of communication methods that includes Augmentative & Alternative Communication, American Sign Language, emotive expression & other communicative forms that provide a base for understanding but also a key to engaging with people with innovative ways to share their thoughts.
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The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker & Stacy Davidowitz, 9781419743931, Amulet, 2021.
Nat’s parents may be more comfortable in the inclusive spaces they know, but Nat is ready to make friends in musical theater and be on the stage.
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Constellation Clues: The Cipher of the Seven Stars by Lee Reed, 9781632997838, River Grove, 2024.
Quinn’s debilitating migraines cause her to feel isolated from the other kids, but she builds friendships with other kids, who also have invisible disabilities, to use STEM concepts to solve a mystery.
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Tank Chair by Manabu Yashiro, 9798888771358, Kodansha, 2024.
Shizuka puts her brother in murderous (comic book-style) situations as a way to connect, which may not be the kindest form of inclusion but works in this dystopian manga.
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On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino, 9780593697887, Putnam, 2024.
After being paired together at school, Ellie (Deaf) and Jackson (experiencing numbness in his legs) learn to build community & follow their hearts.
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You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh, 9781774884751, Tundra, 2025.
This fake dating trope brings together Jamie, a messy type A with anxiety, & the meticulous but carefree Axel, who learn that time together brings new understandings, including that not all people can be crossed off a list. (Teen Reading Ambassador Approved.)
WOW Dozen features a list of 12 global books for children and adolescents around a theme, topic, issue or personal favorites. Each Dozen consists of ten newly-published titles with two older “must have” books. Please share or recommend additional books that fit the theme in the comments section or on social media using #WOWDozen. Use the printer icon in the upper left corner of this post to print or save this list as a PDF.
- Themes: Ali Stroker, All of Us: A First Conversation about Disability, Anna Sortino, Camila Carrossine, Caroline Cupp, Chance to Fly, Constellation Clues, disability, Disability Visibility, Gabriel Alborozo, Included, Jackie Khalilieh, Jayneen Sanders, Jesica Ralli, Jessica Slice, Jonathan Eden, Jose Pimienta, Just Ask, Katie Mazeika, Kayla Harren, Lee Reed, Let’s Rumble, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Manabu Yashiro, Maybe Just Ask, Megan Madison, On the Bright Side, Rachel G. Payne, Rafael Lopez, Rebecca Ballenger, Sonia Sotomayor, Stacy Davidowitz, Tank Chair, This Is How We Talk, Ways to Play, You Started It
- Descriptors: WOW Dozen











