Special Reads for Special Needs
by Joni Celmer
While most children cruise lightly through life, there are many
who must contend daily with a physical, intellectual or emotional
issue. When this is the case, parents, siblings, friends and the
affected child are often overwhelmed with feelings of confusion and
isolation. Several well-crafted books are available to help
alleviate these worries and provide a much-needed comfort and
awareness of the way special needs can add a meaningful diversity to
all of our lives. Listed below are a few contributive titles.
Picture Books
In The Deaf Musicians by Pete Seeger and Paul DuBois
Jacobs, Lee, a piano player, loses his hearing and then his job in a
jazz band. While on his way to sign language classes, he meets other
musicians on the subway who have suffered the same fate. Their love
for playing music continues as they form a band using their hands
instead of instruments. An interpreter is hired as their singer and
they all enjoy giving concerts in the subway station. This
heartwarming story sends a beautiful message about finding happiness
in spite of life’s obstacles.
 We’ll Paint the Octopus Red and The Best Worst Brother
by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen are lovely picture books that address Down
syndrome and its effects on sibling relationships. In We’ll Paint
the Octopus Red, six-year-old Emma and her father discuss all
the things she and her new baby brother Isaac will do together, when
she learns that he has Down syndrome. Emma is gently reminded that
with time and patience, she and Isaac will still be able to enjoy
activities together. Emma grapples with the challenge of teaching
her three-year-old brother to communicate in The Best Worst
Brother and is rewarded through her perseverance and love for
him.
In
Mr. Worry: A Story about OCD by Holly L. Niner, young
Kevin is debilitated by constant anxiety and the need to check
things over and over again. An overall worry that he might be crazy
leads him and his parents to seek professional help, where he is
diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Kevin learns to
control his OCD with therapy and medication. The realistic setbacks
and eventual success in overcoming his fears make the story credible
and will serve well as a comfort to those families trying to cope
with this perplexing condition.
Chapter Books
 Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever is a
series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. A lighthearted approach to
learning differences is delivered in this humorous series of stories
about a resourceful school-aged boy struggling with dyslexia. Each
book finds Hank getting into hilarious trouble while he searches for
a way to work around difficult school assignments and activities.
Readers with and without learning differences will find these books
to be touching and fun. The author, Henry Winkler, is a well-known
actor, producer and director who suffered throughout his own
childhood with dyslexia.
In Rules by Cynthia Lord, 12-year-old Catherine keeps a
list of rules for her younger autistic brother in an effort to keep
him from embarrassing her with his inappropriate behavior.
Eventually, she creates protective rules for herself when a desire
to make a friend doesn’t pan out. Befriending a wheelchair-bound boy
who can only communicate using a book of pictures adds to her
conflicted feelings, until she learns that accepting differences in
people is better than trying to maintain a code of behavior. This
moving story of compassion and understanding differences will
provoke deep thought and discussion among its readers.
Parenting
 Solace and community can be found in the pages of Denise Brodey’s
The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately
and Honestly About the Extraordinary Highs and Heartbreaking Lows of
Raising Kids with Special Needs. The book is a collection of
essays by parents who are busy rearing children with special needs.
Rather than drawing on the advice of experts in the field, this book
provides the reader with a realistic perspective on managing the
lives of special needs children and the families surrounding them.
The writings are candid and full of tips that one might not find
along the regular route of therapy or in a health manual. A large
spectrum of special needs is covered, including autism, anxiety
disorders, Tourette’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADHD, selective
mutism and other diagnoses.
Visit the East Granby Public Library
The East Granby Public Library strives to provide an environment
that stimulates thought and learning, supports the eager mind and
simplifies the complexities of everyday life. By making available a
wide spectrum of printed, electronic, audio and visual materials,
along with engaging educational and cultural programming, the
library is the ideal location for finding insight, information and a
sense of community.
Programs for children include story times for ages two through
five with reading, crafts, singing and games. Babies and toddlers
are encouraged to drop in with caregivers on Monday mornings for a
casual playtime and conversation.
The library is located at 24 Center Street in East Granby. Please
call 860-653-3002 or visit
www.egpl.org for
information on our quality programs and services. ™
Joni Celmer is the Children’s Librarian for the East Granby
Public Library.
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