Are Disability Stories in Kid Lit (Finally) Having a Moment?

Looking back at the books I read last year and loved, I was pleasantly surprised to find so much disability representation. True, I do tend to seek out these books, but it definitely seemed like there were a lot available to reach for. The titles that blew me away were also predominantly written by authors writing, at least in part, from their own lived experience. Sweet!

As recently as six years ago, when my own based-on-lived-experience debut YA Cursed came out, there were not as many disability-themed kid lit titles to choose from. The titles that were available were largely written by and featuring cis/het white folks and often weren’t written by authors who identify as disabled or neurodivergent. Both of those statistics are beginning to change—but very slowly. Still, it’s great to see progress happening.

Interested in reading more #DisLit? Here’s bit about the books I’ve read recently and recommend to get you started:

Published in 2024

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  2024 was a BANNER year for disability rep in kid lit!

  Joined at the Joints by Marissa Eller. A swoony romance featuring a main character with juvenile arthritis and anxiety. 
• Chronically Delores by May Van Wagenen (2025 Schneider Family Book Award winner). Delores, who has  interstitial cystitis, launches a mutually beneficial partnership with new autistic friend Terpsichore, from which both teens hope to benefit.
• Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal (2025 Schneider Family Book Award honor book). Painfully real depiction of living with anorexia, told in verse.
• Bitsy Bat, School Star by Kaz Windness. Described as “from an autistic perspective” by the autistic author, Bitsy finds school way too stimulating for comfort but nevertheless finds a way to shine.
• Next Level: A Hymn in Gratitude for Neurodiversity written by Samara Cole Doyon and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. A joyful book that invites readers to “level up” and witness our shared humanity.

Published in other years but read by me in 2024:

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  GREAT disability rep! GREAT reads!

  Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt  (2024 Schneider Family Book Award honor book). A novel-in-verse about a neurodivergent girl who comes to understand and celebrate her differences. (2023)
• No Matter the Distance by Cindy Baldwin. A novel-in-verse about a kid with cystic fibrosis who forms a special bond with an ill dolphin. (2023)
• Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez (2024 Pura Belpré Honor book), a novel-in-verse about a 12-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis. (2023)
• How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox. One of the most illuminating and empathetic depictions of schizophrenia I’ve ever encountered. (2019)
• Lover Birds by Leanne Egan—a sapphic enemies-to-lovers story set in Liverpool featuring a powerful portrayal of ADHD. (2025)
  

Note: You may have noticed a lot of novels-in-verse in the list above. Not only do I love the form, but my current work-in-progress is a verse novel. 

Wish me luck—and happy reading!

KAROL RUTH SILVERSTEIN is an award-winning children's book author and disability activist. She lives in West Hollywood, CA with two impossibly fluffy cats.