Advanced Search

Search

Advanced Search

Jacket cover images copied to clipboard.

General Recommendations

SJPL Picks: YA Lit with Disability Representation

By:

sjpl_teenhq

San José Public Library

Staff-created list

It's a wide world out there, with many different people and many different stories to tell; that's part of the joy of reading - meeting new people and learning more about how they see the world. For these reads, characters with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities take center stage, and can help: clue everyone in on perspectives of living with a disability; expand representation of characters with disabilities; and challenge engrained ableism at the same time. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.

By:

sjpl_teenhq

San José Public Library

1-25 of 53 items

1-25 of 53 items

Time and Time Again

Time and Time Again

by Greenfield, Chatham

Book - 2024

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Phoebe Mendel has been living the same day for a month. On August 6th she fell asleep with a stomachache and woke up to fi...Show more Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Phoebe Mendel has been living the same day for a month. On August 6th she fell asleep with a stomachache and woke up to find the space-time continuum broken. Ever since, she's been stuck living the same sweltering summer day - pancakes with Mom in the morning, Scrabble with Dad in the afternoon, and a constant, desperate search for answers on how to escape the time loop and make it to her appointment with a doctor who will take her irritable bowel syndrome seriously. It's the same thing day after day--until Phoebe's childhood crush Jess hits her with their car and comes crashing into the time loop, too. Now stuck together, Jess convinces Phoebe to break out of her routine and instead use their days to have fun. With virtually no consequences, Phoebe and Jess can do whatever they want! From draining their bank accounts to snag concert tickets, to enacting (mostly) harmless revenge, to late-night road trips, Jess pulls Phoebe further and further out of her comfort zone--and deeper and deeper in love with Jess. But the more Phoebe falls, the more she must grapple with dreams of a future that may be impossible to reach. Show less

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Phoebe Mendel has been living the same day for a month. On August 6th she fell asleep with a stomachache and woke up to fi...Show more Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Phoebe Mendel has been living the same day for a month. On August 6th she fell asleep with a stomachache and woke up to find the space-time continuum broken. Ever since, she's been stuck living the same sweltering summer day - pancakes with Mom in the morning, Scrabble with Dad in the afternoon, and a constant, desperate search for answers on how to escape the time loop and make it to her appointment with a doctor who will take her irritable bowel syndrome seriously. It's the same thing day after day--until Phoebe's childhood crush Jess hits her with their car and comes crashing into the time loop, too. Now stuck together, Jess convinces Phoebe to break out of her routine and instead use their days to have fun. With virtually no consequences, Phoebe and Jess can do whatever they want! From draining their bank accounts to snag concert tickets, to enacting (mostly) harmless revenge, to late-night road trips, Jess pulls Phoebe further and further out of her comfort zone--and deeper and deeper in love with Jess. But the more Phoebe falls, the more she must grapple with dreams of a future that may be impossible to reach. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Joined at the Joints

Joined at the Joints

by Eller, Marissa

Book - 2024

Chronic Illness. When baking-obsessed Ivy meets a super-hot boy who shares her rare diagnosis, sparks fly outside of the kitchen for the first time in her...Show more Chronic Illness. When baking-obsessed Ivy meets a super-hot boy who shares her rare diagnosis, sparks fly outside of the kitchen for the first time in her life! Chronically ill seventeen-year-old Ivy has stayed in watching the Food Network all summer—pies are better than people, and they don’t trigger her social anxiety. So when her (also) chronically ill mom and sister cook up a plan to get Ivy out of the house and into a support group, Ivy doesn’t expect to say more than a few words. And she certainly doesn’t expect Grant. Grant is CUTE: class-clown cute, perfectly-messy-hair cute, will-always-text-you-back cute. There’s an instant connection between them. He has the same diagnosis as her--juvenille rheumatoid arthritis. Ivy has always tried her best to appear pain-free, but between treatment plans, symptom management, and struggling with medical self-advocacy, being sick feels more and more difficult. Will Ivy’s delicious new romance pan out? Can she keep up the façade, for him and for the world… or should she be brave and let it go? Show less

Chronic Illness. When baking-obsessed Ivy meets a super-hot boy who shares her rare diagnosis, sparks fly outside of the kitchen for the first time in her...Show more Chronic Illness. When baking-obsessed Ivy meets a super-hot boy who shares her rare diagnosis, sparks fly outside of the kitchen for the first time in her life! Chronically ill seventeen-year-old Ivy has stayed in watching the Food Network all summer—pies are better than people, and they don’t trigger her social anxiety. So when her (also) chronically ill mom and sister cook up a plan to get Ivy out of the house and into a support group, Ivy doesn’t expect to say more than a few words. And she certainly doesn’t expect Grant. Grant is CUTE: class-clown cute, perfectly-messy-hair cute, will-always-text-you-back cute. There’s an instant connection between them. He has the same diagnosis as her--juvenille rheumatoid arthritis. Ivy has always tried her best to appear pain-free, but between treatment plans, symptom management, and struggling with medical self-advocacy, being sick feels more and more difficult. Will Ivy’s delicious new romance pan out? Can she keep up the façade, for him and for the world… or should she be brave and let it go? Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

The Loudest Silence

The Loudest Silence

by Langford, Sydney

Book - 2024

Deafness; Hearing impairment. Anxiety. CASEY KOWALSKI once dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Then the universe threw her a life-altering curvebal...Show more Deafness; Hearing impairment. Anxiety. CASEY KOWALSKI once dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Then the universe threw her a life-altering curveball— sudden, permanent, and profound hearing loss. Now, she's learning to navigate the world as a Deaf-Hard of Hearing person while trying to conceal her hearing loss from her new schoolmates. HAYDEN GONZÁLEZ-ROSSI is also keeping secrets. Three generations of González men have risen to stardom on the soccer field, and Hayden knows his family expects him to follow in their footsteps, but he wants to quit soccer and pursue a career on Broadway. If only his Generalized Anxiety Disorder didn't send him into a debilitating spiral over the thought of telling the truth. Casey and Hayden are both determined to hide who they really are. But when they cross paths at school, they bond over their shared love of music and their mutual feeling that they don't belong, and the secrets come spilling out. Their friendship is the beating heart of this dual-perspective story featuring thoughtful disability representation, nuanced queer identities, and a lovably quirky supporting cast. Show less

Deafness; Hearing impairment. Anxiety. CASEY KOWALSKI once dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Then the universe threw her a life-altering curvebal...Show more Deafness; Hearing impairment. Anxiety. CASEY KOWALSKI once dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Then the universe threw her a life-altering curveball— sudden, permanent, and profound hearing loss. Now, she's learning to navigate the world as a Deaf-Hard of Hearing person while trying to conceal her hearing loss from her new schoolmates. HAYDEN GONZÁLEZ-ROSSI is also keeping secrets. Three generations of González men have risen to stardom on the soccer field, and Hayden knows his family expects him to follow in their footsteps, but he wants to quit soccer and pursue a career on Broadway. If only his Generalized Anxiety Disorder didn't send him into a debilitating spiral over the thought of telling the truth. Casey and Hayden are both determined to hide who they really are. But when they cross paths at school, they bond over their shared love of music and their mutual feeling that they don't belong, and the secrets come spilling out. Their friendship is the beating heart of this dual-perspective story featuring thoughtful disability representation, nuanced queer identities, and a lovably quirky supporting cast. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Tilly in Technicolor

Tilly in Technicolor

by Eddings, Mazey

Book - 2023

ADHD. After struggling through high school because of the executive functioning issues that accompany her ADHD, Tilly is spending the summer in Europe int...Show more ADHD. After struggling through high school because of the executive functioning issues that accompany her ADHD, Tilly is spending the summer in Europe interning at her older sister's company. Looming over the trip is her mom's declaration that Tilly has to make a more practical career choice than writing, her passion. But the summer gets off to a less-than-ideal start when Tilly spills ketchup all over her handsome seatmate on the plane, and the embarrassment only escalates from there: Oliver Clark turns out to be her sister's other intern. But after their disastrous beginning, Tilly and Oliver discover that they have more in common than they first thought. Oliver is autistic, and unlike Tilly, he is already pursuing his love of design—specifically, colors. But their connection and Tilly's dreams are threatened by the looming end of the summer Show less

ADHD. After struggling through high school because of the executive functioning issues that accompany her ADHD, Tilly is spending the summer in Europe int...Show more ADHD. After struggling through high school because of the executive functioning issues that accompany her ADHD, Tilly is spending the summer in Europe interning at her older sister's company. Looming over the trip is her mom's declaration that Tilly has to make a more practical career choice than writing, her passion. But the summer gets off to a less-than-ideal start when Tilly spills ketchup all over her handsome seatmate on the plane, and the embarrassment only escalates from there: Oliver Clark turns out to be her sister's other intern. But after their disastrous beginning, Tilly and Oliver discover that they have more in common than they first thought. Oliver is autistic, and unlike Tilly, he is already pursuing his love of design—specifically, colors. But their connection and Tilly's dreams are threatened by the looming end of the summer Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Sixteen Souls

Sixteen Souls

by Talbot, Rosie

Book - 2023

Physical/mobility disability. Ever since closeted 16-year-old Charlie Frith—who lost his legs to meningitis and uses prosthetics—was resuscitated after dy...Show more Physical/mobility disability. Ever since closeted 16-year-old Charlie Frith—who lost his legs to meningitis and uses prosthetics—was resuscitated after dying from a horrific ghost attack, he has been able to see and converse with the dead souls of York, England. After pushing away his two closest friends, he’s also withdrawn emotionally and confides only in his constant spirit companions. But he’s soon approached by Sam Harrow, a living transgender teenage seer who claims that local ghosts have been disappearing. Though Charlie has been wary of his hidden abilities, he hesitantly agrees to investigate with the help of his spectral best friends Heather and Ollie. When the group finds their first suspect murdered, Charlie worries that this investigation might be harder—and more dangerous—than he originally feared. Show less

Physical/mobility disability. Ever since closeted 16-year-old Charlie Frith—who lost his legs to meningitis and uses prosthetics—was resuscitated after dy...Show more Physical/mobility disability. Ever since closeted 16-year-old Charlie Frith—who lost his legs to meningitis and uses prosthetics—was resuscitated after dying from a horrific ghost attack, he has been able to see and converse with the dead souls of York, England. After pushing away his two closest friends, he’s also withdrawn emotionally and confides only in his constant spirit companions. But he’s soon approached by Sam Harrow, a living transgender teenage seer who claims that local ghosts have been disappearing. Though Charlie has been wary of his hidden abilities, he hesitantly agrees to investigate with the help of his spectral best friends Heather and Ollie. When the group finds their first suspect murdered, Charlie worries that this investigation might be harder—and more dangerous—than he originally feared. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Unseelie

Unseelie

by Housman, Ivelisse

Book - 2023

Neurodivergent/autism. Seelie looks just like her twin, but as an autistic changeling, she has always known she is different. Seelie's unpredictable magic...Show more Neurodivergent/autism. Seelie looks just like her twin, but as an autistic changeling, she has always known she is different. Seelie's unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in and draws the sisters into a hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make some unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike. -- Also available as an eBook and Audiobook. Show less

Neurodivergent/autism. Seelie looks just like her twin, but as an autistic changeling, she has always known she is different. Seelie's unpredictable magic...Show more Neurodivergent/autism. Seelie looks just like her twin, but as an autistic changeling, she has always known she is different. Seelie's unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in and draws the sisters into a hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make some unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike. -- Also available as an eBook and Audiobook. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Stars in Their Eyes

Stars in Their Eyes

by Walton, Jessica

Book - 2023

Amputation. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a l...Show more Amputation. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love? -- Also available as an eBook. Show less

Amputation. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a l...Show more Amputation. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love? -- Also available as an eBook. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

At the Speed of Lies

At the Speed of Lies

by Otis, Cindy L.

Book - 2023

Rheumatoid arthritis. Canandaigua, N.Y., high school junior Quinn Calvet—who has rheumatoid arthritis and uses a wheelchair—runs a well-known Instagram ac...Show more Rheumatoid arthritis. Canandaigua, N.Y., high school junior Quinn Calvet—who has rheumatoid arthritis and uses a wheelchair—runs a well-known Instagram account called The Whine, where she reports on events within her community, such as track meets and extracurricular proceedings. When fellow student Cade Bird requests that Quinn use The Whine to promote his new club, Defend Kids, she’s initially hesitant, seeing Cade as a bully. She relents, however, when he reveals that Defend Kids was founded to help locate two kidnapped youths. After the club—and The Whine—go viral, Quinn, her classmates, and the rest of the community are swept along on Cade’s hunt, until cracks begin to appear in the missing kids’ mystery. Show less

Rheumatoid arthritis. Canandaigua, N.Y., high school junior Quinn Calvet—who has rheumatoid arthritis and uses a wheelchair—runs a well-known Instagram ac...Show more Rheumatoid arthritis. Canandaigua, N.Y., high school junior Quinn Calvet—who has rheumatoid arthritis and uses a wheelchair—runs a well-known Instagram account called The Whine, where she reports on events within her community, such as track meets and extracurricular proceedings. When fellow student Cade Bird requests that Quinn use The Whine to promote his new club, Defend Kids, she’s initially hesitant, seeing Cade as a bully. She relents, however, when he reveals that Defend Kids was founded to help locate two kidnapped youths. After the club—and The Whine—go viral, Quinn, her classmates, and the rest of the community are swept along on Cade’s hunt, until cracks begin to appear in the missing kids’ mystery. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Will on the Inside

Will on the Inside

by Eliopulos, Andrew

Book - 2023

Crohn's disease. Will loves playing center midfield on his middle school soccer team. This year, though, Will hasn't felt like himself; his stomach has be...Show more Crohn's disease. Will loves playing center midfield on his middle school soccer team. This year, though, Will hasn't felt like himself; his stomach has been bothering him, and he has no energy at all. When his new doctor diagnoses him with Crohn's disease, Will hopes that means he’ll start feeling better soon and he can get back to playing with his team before the season ends. But Will's new medicines come with all kinds of side effects. Forced to sit out afternoon practice, Will finds himself hanging out with a kid at school, Griffin. This could be a real problem, seeing as Griffin just asked Will’s guy best friend to the spring dance. What would Will’s teammates say if they knew the whole story? Not to mention Will’s friends at church.-- Also available as an eBook and Audiobook. Show less

Crohn's disease. Will loves playing center midfield on his middle school soccer team. This year, though, Will hasn't felt like himself; his stomach has be...Show more Crohn's disease. Will loves playing center midfield on his middle school soccer team. This year, though, Will hasn't felt like himself; his stomach has been bothering him, and he has no energy at all. When his new doctor diagnoses him with Crohn's disease, Will hopes that means he’ll start feeling better soon and he can get back to playing with his team before the season ends. But Will's new medicines come with all kinds of side effects. Forced to sit out afternoon practice, Will finds himself hanging out with a kid at school, Griffin. This could be a real problem, seeing as Griffin just asked Will’s guy best friend to the spring dance. What would Will’s teammates say if they knew the whole story? Not to mention Will’s friends at church.-- Also available as an eBook and Audiobook. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

The Byways

The Byways

A Novel

by Pascual, Mary

Book - 2023

ADHD/sensory processing. CeeCee Harper is no stranger to unsympathetic teachers, bullies who’s think she’s weird, and other hardships that come with being...Show more ADHD/sensory processing. CeeCee Harper is no stranger to unsympathetic teachers, bullies who’s think she’s weird, and other hardships that come with being a high school student with sensory processing disorder and ADHD. She also has impulse-control issues that make her temper rise at inconvenient times, especially when she’s frustrated. Her only ally is her best friend, Trudy, but CeeCee wonders if she really understands her. After a particularly difficult day, an angry CeeCee makes the wrong choice and shoplifts a rabbit keychain from a local store in her unnamed city; the fear and regret that follow lead her to flee down a side alley off a main street, and that’s how she ends up crossing into “the byways”—a parallel realm where magical humanoids live under the rule of the Queen and her enforcers. CeeCee befriends part-cat/part-boy Jesse, who guides her through the absurd world of the byways as she tries to find her way back home. Pascual’s take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) results in a smart, delightful novel that features a pinch of danger, a spoonful of political unrest, and a dash of romance (found in the most unexpected way). Show less

ADHD/sensory processing. CeeCee Harper is no stranger to unsympathetic teachers, bullies who’s think she’s weird, and other hardships that come with being...Show more ADHD/sensory processing. CeeCee Harper is no stranger to unsympathetic teachers, bullies who’s think she’s weird, and other hardships that come with being a high school student with sensory processing disorder and ADHD. She also has impulse-control issues that make her temper rise at inconvenient times, especially when she’s frustrated. Her only ally is her best friend, Trudy, but CeeCee wonders if she really understands her. After a particularly difficult day, an angry CeeCee makes the wrong choice and shoplifts a rabbit keychain from a local store in her unnamed city; the fear and regret that follow lead her to flee down a side alley off a main street, and that’s how she ends up crossing into “the byways”—a parallel realm where magical humanoids live under the rule of the Queen and her enforcers. CeeCee befriends part-cat/part-boy Jesse, who guides her through the absurd world of the byways as she tries to find her way back home. Pascual’s take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) results in a smart, delightful novel that features a pinch of danger, a spoonful of political unrest, and a dash of romance (found in the most unexpected way). Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Where You See Yourself

Where You See Yourself

by Forrest, Claire

Book - 2023

Cerebral Palsy. A teen with cerebral palsy combats ableist school administrators while searching for the perfect college in Forrest’s refreshing and empow...Show more Cerebral Palsy. A teen with cerebral palsy combats ableist school administrators while searching for the perfect college in Forrest’s refreshing and empowering debut. Because of her high school’s poor accessibility compliance, wheelchair user and senior Effie Galanos is used to her mother stepping in to campaign for proper accommodations. Effie’s mom, knowing she won’t be there to help her daughter at college, compiles a list of wheelchair-friendly universities, but Effie dreams of studying multimedia at Prospect University in New York, “one of the least accessible cities in America.” Encouraged by Wilder, her crush and fellow Prospect applicant, Effie determines to prove to herself and to others that she can advocate for her own accommodations by speaking up against school administrators for the right to participate in senior off-campus lunch. But after discovering seemingly insurmountable accessibility barriers on Prospect’s campus, Effie and her family must reevaluate how to move forward. Show less

Cerebral Palsy. A teen with cerebral palsy combats ableist school administrators while searching for the perfect college in Forrest’s refreshing and empow...Show more Cerebral Palsy. A teen with cerebral palsy combats ableist school administrators while searching for the perfect college in Forrest’s refreshing and empowering debut. Because of her high school’s poor accessibility compliance, wheelchair user and senior Effie Galanos is used to her mother stepping in to campaign for proper accommodations. Effie’s mom, knowing she won’t be there to help her daughter at college, compiles a list of wheelchair-friendly universities, but Effie dreams of studying multimedia at Prospect University in New York, “one of the least accessible cities in America.” Encouraged by Wilder, her crush and fellow Prospect applicant, Effie determines to prove to herself and to others that she can advocate for her own accommodations by speaking up against school administrators for the right to participate in senior off-campus lunch. But after discovering seemingly insurmountable accessibility barriers on Prospect’s campus, Effie and her family must reevaluate how to move forward. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Give Me A Sign

Give Me A Sign

by Sortino, Anna

Book - 2023

Deaf/blindness. Seventeen-year-old Lilah, who wears hearing aids, returns to a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind as a counselor, eager to improve her ASL and find her place in the community, but she did not expect to also find romance along the way. Deaf/blindness. Seventeen-year-old Lilah, who wears hearing aids, returns to a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind as a counselor, eager to improve her ASL and find her place in the community, but she did not expect to also find romance along the way. Show less

Deaf/blindness. Seventeen-year-old Lilah, who wears hearing aids, returns to a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind as a counselor, eager to improve her ASL and find her place in the community, but she did not expect to also find romance along the way. Deaf/blindness. Seventeen-year-old Lilah, who wears hearing aids, returns to a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind as a counselor, eager to improve her ASL and find her place in the community, but she did not expect to also find romance along the way. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Pedro & Daniel

Pedro & Daniel

by Erebia, Federico

Book - 2023

Neurodivergent. Pedro and Daniel are Mexican American brothers growing up in 1970s Ohio. Their mother resents that Pedro is a spitting image of their dark...Show more Neurodivergent. Pedro and Daniel are Mexican American brothers growing up in 1970s Ohio. Their mother resents that Pedro is a spitting image of their darker-skinned father; that Daniel likes dolls; that neither boy plays sports. Both are gay and neurodivergent. They are alike, but they are dissimilar in their struggles, their dreams, their approach to life. Pedro & Daniel is a sweeping and deeply personal novel that spans from childhood, through their teen years, and into adulthood. Theirs is a bond that won’t be broken. Together they endure an abusive home life, coming out, first loves, first jobs, and the AIDS pandemic, in a coming-of-age story unlike any other. Despite everything, there is much joy in the stories in the book. Their resilience and special bond help the boys face one evil after another. While Pedro suffers more at home, Daniel is particularly susceptible to the malevolence of the outside world. They are similar: gay, neurodivergent Latinos in love with all things Mexico. Son tal para cual. They are cut from the same cloth. They are different: Pedro is darker-skinned, oppressed, repressed, introverted, and agnostic. Daniel is precocious, carefree, mischievous, religious, and unguarded. Mismo perro, distinto collar. Same dog, different collar. Show less

Neurodivergent. Pedro and Daniel are Mexican American brothers growing up in 1970s Ohio. Their mother resents that Pedro is a spitting image of their dark...Show more Neurodivergent. Pedro and Daniel are Mexican American brothers growing up in 1970s Ohio. Their mother resents that Pedro is a spitting image of their darker-skinned father; that Daniel likes dolls; that neither boy plays sports. Both are gay and neurodivergent. They are alike, but they are dissimilar in their struggles, their dreams, their approach to life. Pedro & Daniel is a sweeping and deeply personal novel that spans from childhood, through their teen years, and into adulthood. Theirs is a bond that won’t be broken. Together they endure an abusive home life, coming out, first loves, first jobs, and the AIDS pandemic, in a coming-of-age story unlike any other. Despite everything, there is much joy in the stories in the book. Their resilience and special bond help the boys face one evil after another. While Pedro suffers more at home, Daniel is particularly susceptible to the malevolence of the outside world. They are similar: gay, neurodivergent Latinos in love with all things Mexico. Son tal para cual. They are cut from the same cloth. They are different: Pedro is darker-skinned, oppressed, repressed, introverted, and agnostic. Daniel is precocious, carefree, mischievous, religious, and unguarded. Mismo perro, distinto collar. Same dog, different collar. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Venom & Vow

Venom & Vow

by McLemore, Anna-Marie

Book - 2023

Mobility/physical disability. Bigender Val lives simultaneously as Valencia, a lady-in-waiting of the nation of Eliana (inspired by Mexico), and Gael, a b...Show more Mobility/physical disability. Bigender Val lives simultaneously as Valencia, a lady-in-waiting of the nation of Eliana (inspired by Mexico), and Gael, a boy assassin. Cade is a transgender prince of Adare (inspired by Ireland) who has no interest in taking the throne but often doubles for his brother, Patrick. For years, both Val and Cade have believed the other to be responsible for the curse that enchanted both their families into sleep, which deepened the ongoing war between Eliana and Adare. Cade has vowed to protect Gael, not knowing Val is the same person; Val doesn’t realize that when she’s fighting Patrick, she’s actually fighting Cade. Thanks to their concealed identities, the two trans teens begin to fall in love while not realizing that they’re trying to destroy each other. Val and Cade are incredibly layered, and they complement each other so well, which makes it fun to watch their relationship unfold. Both Cade and Val have disabilities that are interwoven beautifully into every aspect of the story: Val uses a cane to help support hypermobility and scoliosis, while Cade uses a staff after a knee injury. Show less

Mobility/physical disability. Bigender Val lives simultaneously as Valencia, a lady-in-waiting of the nation of Eliana (inspired by Mexico), and Gael, a b...Show more Mobility/physical disability. Bigender Val lives simultaneously as Valencia, a lady-in-waiting of the nation of Eliana (inspired by Mexico), and Gael, a boy assassin. Cade is a transgender prince of Adare (inspired by Ireland) who has no interest in taking the throne but often doubles for his brother, Patrick. For years, both Val and Cade have believed the other to be responsible for the curse that enchanted both their families into sleep, which deepened the ongoing war between Eliana and Adare. Cade has vowed to protect Gael, not knowing Val is the same person; Val doesn’t realize that when she’s fighting Patrick, she’s actually fighting Cade. Thanks to their concealed identities, the two trans teens begin to fall in love while not realizing that they’re trying to destroy each other. Val and Cade are incredibly layered, and they complement each other so well, which makes it fun to watch their relationship unfold. Both Cade and Val have disabilities that are interwoven beautifully into every aspect of the story: Val uses a cane to help support hypermobility and scoliosis, while Cade uses a staff after a knee injury. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

The Luis Ortega Survival Club

The Luis Ortega Survival Club

by Reyes, Sonora

Book - 2023

Autism. Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers--despite her bold fashion choices....Show more Autism. Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers--despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen. Luis's attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party--while Ari didn't say no, she definitely didn't say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning--thanks, she's sure, to Luis's ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she'll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night--and risk everything to see justice done. Show less

Autism. Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers--despite her bold fashion choices....Show more Autism. Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers--despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen. Luis's attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party--while Ari didn't say no, she definitely didn't say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning--thanks, she's sure, to Luis's ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she'll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night--and risk everything to see justice done. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Under This Forgetful Sky

Under This Forgetful Sky

by Yero, Lauren

Book - 2023

Limb disability. A pair of star-crossed lovers find each other against the backdrop of a devastated futuristic world in what was once Chile. A 16-year-old...Show more Limb disability. A pair of star-crossed lovers find each other against the backdrop of a devastated futuristic world in what was once Chile. A 16-year-old from one of the advanced, privileged Upper Cities, Rumi Sabzwari, who is of Pakistani descent, has only known life behind the walls of St. Iago. But when his father is deliberately infected with a fatal virus by the rebel faction Las Oscuras, Rumi crosses over to the forbidden Lower City of Paraíso, desperately hoping to find a cure. Fifteen-year-old Paz Valenzuela-Valenzuela is from Paraíso, a city ravaged by climate change, pandemics, and poverty and falling apart at the seams. Like many in her environmentally toxic community, brown-skinned Latine Paz is disabled; she was born with an atrophied right arm. Some say these are marks of humanity’s sins. Possessing a revolutionary soul and drawn to flirting with danger, Paz considers joining the rebels bent on upending the current world order. When Rumi’s and Paz’s paths cross, they are both prisoners: Unexpectedly thrown together, they find themselves momentarily allied when Paz—working undercover for the rebels—agrees to be Rumi’s guide and spy on him. But the more Paz gets to know Rumi, the less she feels she can betray him. Show less

Limb disability. A pair of star-crossed lovers find each other against the backdrop of a devastated futuristic world in what was once Chile. A 16-year-old...Show more Limb disability. A pair of star-crossed lovers find each other against the backdrop of a devastated futuristic world in what was once Chile. A 16-year-old from one of the advanced, privileged Upper Cities, Rumi Sabzwari, who is of Pakistani descent, has only known life behind the walls of St. Iago. But when his father is deliberately infected with a fatal virus by the rebel faction Las Oscuras, Rumi crosses over to the forbidden Lower City of Paraíso, desperately hoping to find a cure. Fifteen-year-old Paz Valenzuela-Valenzuela is from Paraíso, a city ravaged by climate change, pandemics, and poverty and falling apart at the seams. Like many in her environmentally toxic community, brown-skinned Latine Paz is disabled; she was born with an atrophied right arm. Some say these are marks of humanity’s sins. Possessing a revolutionary soul and drawn to flirting with danger, Paz considers joining the rebels bent on upending the current world order. When Rumi’s and Paz’s paths cross, they are both prisoners: Unexpectedly thrown together, they find themselves momentarily allied when Paz—working undercover for the rebels—agrees to be Rumi’s guide and spy on him. But the more Paz gets to know Rumi, the less she feels she can betray him. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Something More

Something More

by Khalilieh, Jackie

Book - 2023

Autism. Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to...Show more Autism. Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script. Show less

Autism. Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to...Show more Autism. Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

A Prayer for Vengeance

A Prayer for Vengeance

by Schwartz, Leanne

Book - 2023

Autism. Centuries after a miracle vanquished Tresttato’s monsters and turned the soldiers fighting them to stone, Milo lovingly tends to the statues of th...Show more Autism. Centuries after a miracle vanquished Tresttato’s monsters and turned the soldiers fighting them to stone, Milo lovingly tends to the statues of those who protected the city. Raised with devout templars and scholars, autistic temple ward Milo wants nothing more than to be accepted into their ranks. When his prayers admiring her heroic sacrifice accidentally free Gia from stone, she wakes with a fury to kill the man Milo owes his life to, Primo Sanct Ennio. Gia claims that the immortal holy leader Milo lives to serve is the same man who betrayed her and transformed her into a statue―and what Milo always believed was a miracle was actually a curse that Gia will stop at nothing to break. Even if she has to kill his followers to do it. Even if she must kill the boy who woke her. Show less

Autism. Centuries after a miracle vanquished Tresttato’s monsters and turned the soldiers fighting them to stone, Milo lovingly tends to the statues of th...Show more Autism. Centuries after a miracle vanquished Tresttato’s monsters and turned the soldiers fighting them to stone, Milo lovingly tends to the statues of those who protected the city. Raised with devout templars and scholars, autistic temple ward Milo wants nothing more than to be accepted into their ranks. When his prayers admiring her heroic sacrifice accidentally free Gia from stone, she wakes with a fury to kill the man Milo owes his life to, Primo Sanct Ennio. Gia claims that the immortal holy leader Milo lives to serve is the same man who betrayed her and transformed her into a statue―and what Milo always believed was a miracle was actually a curse that Gia will stop at nothing to break. Even if she has to kill his followers to do it. Even if she must kill the boy who woke her. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

by White, Andrew Joseph

Book - 2023

Autism. Set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, sixteen-year-old autistic transgender boy Silas must expose a power-hungry s...Show more Autism. Set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, sixteen-year-old autistic transgender boy Silas must expose a power-hungry secret society while confined to a cruel finishing school designed to turn him into the perfect wife. -- Also available as an eBook and Audiobook Show less

Autism. Set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, sixteen-year-old autistic transgender boy Silas must expose a power-hungry s...Show more Autism. Set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, sixteen-year-old autistic transgender boy Silas must expose a power-hungry secret society while confined to a cruel finishing school designed to turn him into the perfect wife. -- Also available as an eBook and Audiobook Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

My Brain Is Different

My Brain Is Different

Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders

by Monzusu

Book - 2022

In this manga essay anthology, follow the true stories of nine people (including the illustrator) navigating life with developmental disorders and disabilities. In this manga essay anthology, follow the true stories of nine people (including the illustrator) navigating life with developmental disorders and disabilities. Show less

In this manga essay anthology, follow the true stories of nine people (including the illustrator) navigating life with developmental disorders and disabilities. In this manga essay anthology, follow the true stories of nine people (including the illustrator) navigating life with developmental disorders and disabilities. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Hell Followed With Us

Hell Followed With Us

by White, Andrew Joseph

Book - 2022

Autism. Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the w...Show more Autism. Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with. But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all. Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own. Show less

Autism. Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the w...Show more Autism. Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with. But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all. Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own. Show less

All copies in use Availability details

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Sugaring Off

Sugaring Off

by French, Gillian

Book - 2022

Deafness/hearing impairment. Growing up in an isolated, small town is difficult at best, but for 17-year-old Owl, partially deaf as the result of her fath...Show more Deafness/hearing impairment. Growing up in an isolated, small town is difficult at best, but for 17-year-old Owl, partially deaf as the result of her father's abuse, it is the haven she needed to find safety and love. Adopted by her uncle Seth and his wife, Holly, Owl has healed with stories from Holly's Passamaquoddy culture and Seth's steady hand as they go about the business of farming maple syrup. Seth hires the grandson of their neighbor; Cody is the product of serial foster homes and is resistant to kindness, but Owl is charmed by his city ways and his pleasure in discovering the wilderness. As they work together, he slowly opens up to Owl and they begin a friendship that turns to more. Owl often feels at odds, not quite at home in either the deaf or hearing world. With the help of her deaf instructor, she begins to accept herself. When Cody's past comes to claim him, Owl intervenes to help, placing herself and her loved ones in danger. Show less

Deafness/hearing impairment. Growing up in an isolated, small town is difficult at best, but for 17-year-old Owl, partially deaf as the result of her fath...Show more Deafness/hearing impairment. Growing up in an isolated, small town is difficult at best, but for 17-year-old Owl, partially deaf as the result of her father's abuse, it is the haven she needed to find safety and love. Adopted by her uncle Seth and his wife, Holly, Owl has healed with stories from Holly's Passamaquoddy culture and Seth's steady hand as they go about the business of farming maple syrup. Seth hires the grandson of their neighbor; Cody is the product of serial foster homes and is resistant to kindness, but Owl is charmed by his city ways and his pleasure in discovering the wilderness. As they work together, he slowly opens up to Owl and they begin a friendship that turns to more. Owl often feels at odds, not quite at home in either the deaf or hearing world. With the help of her deaf instructor, she begins to accept herself. When Cody's past comes to claim him, Owl intervenes to help, placing herself and her loved ones in danger. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

The Whispering Dark

The Whispering Dark

by Andrew, Kelly

Book - 2022

Deafness/hearing impairment. Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she's Deaf. So when she's accepted into a prestigious pr...Show more Deafness/hearing impairment. Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she's Deaf. So when she's accepted into a prestigious program at Godbole University that trains students to slip between parallel worlds, she's excited for the chance to prove herself. But her semester gets off to a rocky start as she faces professors who won't accommodate her disability, and a pretentious upperclassman fascinated by Delaney's unusual talents. Colton Price died when he was nine years old. Quite impossibly, he woke several weeks later at the feet of a green-eyed little girl. Now, twelve years later, Delaney Meyers-Petrov has stumbled back into his orbit, but Colton's been ordered to keep far away from the new girl... and the voices she hears calling to her from the shadows. Delaney wants to keep her distance from Colton -- she seems to be the only person on campus who finds him more arrogant than charming -- yet after a Godbole student turns up dead, she and Colton are forced to form a tenuous alliance, plummeting down a rabbit-hole of deeply buried university secrets. But Delaney and Colton discover the cost of opening the doors between worlds when they find themselves up against something old and nameless, an enemy they need to destroy before it tears them -- and their forbidden partnership -- apart. Show less

Deafness/hearing impairment. Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she's Deaf. So when she's accepted into a prestigious pr...Show more Deafness/hearing impairment. Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she's Deaf. So when she's accepted into a prestigious program at Godbole University that trains students to slip between parallel worlds, she's excited for the chance to prove herself. But her semester gets off to a rocky start as she faces professors who won't accommodate her disability, and a pretentious upperclassman fascinated by Delaney's unusual talents. Colton Price died when he was nine years old. Quite impossibly, he woke several weeks later at the feet of a green-eyed little girl. Now, twelve years later, Delaney Meyers-Petrov has stumbled back into his orbit, but Colton's been ordered to keep far away from the new girl... and the voices she hears calling to her from the shadows. Delaney wants to keep her distance from Colton -- she seems to be the only person on campus who finds him more arrogant than charming -- yet after a Godbole student turns up dead, she and Colton are forced to form a tenuous alliance, plummeting down a rabbit-hole of deeply buried university secrets. But Delaney and Colton discover the cost of opening the doors between worlds when they find themselves up against something old and nameless, an enemy they need to destroy before it tears them -- and their forbidden partnership -- apart. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

You, Me, and Our Heartstrings

You, Me, and Our Heartstrings

by See, Melissa

Book - 2022

Cerebral Palsy/anxiety disorder. Daisy and Noah have the same plan: use the holiday concert to land a Julliard audition. But when they're chosen to play a...Show more Cerebral Palsy/anxiety disorder. Daisy and Noah have the same plan: use the holiday concert to land a Julliard audition. But when they're chosen to play a duet for the concert, they worry that their differences will sink their chances. Noah, a cello prodigy from a long line of musicians, wants to stick to tradition. Daisy, a fiercely independent disabled violinist, is used to fighting for what she wants and likes to take risks. But the two surprise each other when they play. They fall perfectly in tune. After their performance goes viral, the rest of the country falls for them just as surely as they're falling for each other. But viral fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. No one seems to care about their talent or their music at all. People have rewritten their love story into one where Daisy is an inspiration for overcoming her cerebral palsy and Noah is a saint for seeing past it. Daisy is tired of her disability being the only thing people see about her, and all of the attention sends Noah’s anxiety disorder into high speed. They can see their dream coming closer than it’s ever been before. But is the cost suddenly too high? Show less

Cerebral Palsy/anxiety disorder. Daisy and Noah have the same plan: use the holiday concert to land a Julliard audition. But when they're chosen to play a...Show more Cerebral Palsy/anxiety disorder. Daisy and Noah have the same plan: use the holiday concert to land a Julliard audition. But when they're chosen to play a duet for the concert, they worry that their differences will sink their chances. Noah, a cello prodigy from a long line of musicians, wants to stick to tradition. Daisy, a fiercely independent disabled violinist, is used to fighting for what she wants and likes to take risks. But the two surprise each other when they play. They fall perfectly in tune. After their performance goes viral, the rest of the country falls for them just as surely as they're falling for each other. But viral fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. No one seems to care about their talent or their music at all. People have rewritten their love story into one where Daisy is an inspiration for overcoming her cerebral palsy and Noah is a saint for seeing past it. Daisy is tired of her disability being the only thing people see about her, and all of the attention sends Noah’s anxiety disorder into high speed. They can see their dream coming closer than it’s ever been before. But is the cost suddenly too high? Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

Forging Silver Into Stars

Forging Silver Into Stars

by Kemmerer, Brigid

Book - 2022

Amputation. [E]nemy realms Syhl Shallow and Emberfell [are] united by the marriage of Syhl Shallow’s queen to Emberfell’s magesmith king. Though magic is ...Show more Amputation. [E]nemy realms Syhl Shallow and Emberfell [are] united by the marriage of Syhl Shallow’s queen to Emberfell’s magesmith king. Though magic is now legal in Syhl Shallow, many citizens still distrust it—particularly rebel Truthbringers, who are planning regicide to restore the status quo. In the remote Syhl Shallow town of Briarlock, teenage friends Jax and Callyn have little time for such concerns; blacksmith Jax, who lost his foot in an accident, works endlessly to pay his abusive, alcohol-reliant father’s debts, and baker Callyn, whose parents were killed by magic, minds her younger sister while trying to keep the family business afloat. When Truthbringers Lady Karyl and Lord Alek offer the teens money to pass sealed messages among their cohort, they accept, figuring the reward outweighs the risk. Then the King’s Courier, 19-year-old Tycho, comes to town, searching for traitors. Show less

Amputation. [E]nemy realms Syhl Shallow and Emberfell [are] united by the marriage of Syhl Shallow’s queen to Emberfell’s magesmith king. Though magic is ...Show more Amputation. [E]nemy realms Syhl Shallow and Emberfell [are] united by the marriage of Syhl Shallow’s queen to Emberfell’s magesmith king. Though magic is now legal in Syhl Shallow, many citizens still distrust it—particularly rebel Truthbringers, who are planning regicide to restore the status quo. In the remote Syhl Shallow town of Briarlock, teenage friends Jax and Callyn have little time for such concerns; blacksmith Jax, who lost his foot in an accident, works endlessly to pay his abusive, alcohol-reliant father’s debts, and baker Callyn, whose parents were killed by magic, minds her younger sister while trying to keep the family business afloat. When Truthbringers Lady Karyl and Lord Alek offer the teens money to pass sealed messages among their cohort, they accept, figuring the reward outweighs the risk. Then the King’s Courier, 19-year-old Tycho, comes to town, searching for traitors. Show less

Available in some locations

Place hold

Add to My For Later Shelf On my shelf

1-25 of 53 items

1
2
3

Powered by BiblioCommons.

BiblioCore: app20 Version 9.25.0 Last updated 2024/10/01 11:54

[]

[]

To Top