We recommend five books written by authors who draw on their personal experiences of living with disability to create characters or tell their own life story.

You can also find further recommendations by browsing the collection at the bottom of the post.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

This funny and sweet graphic memoir details the author’s early experiences with hearing aids, weaving together quirky superhero sequences with relatable scenes from her school years. Cece becomes ‘severely to profoundly deaf’ when she contracts meningitis at four years old. Her first hearing aid (this is the 1970s) is the obtrusive Phonic Ear, that uses a box strapped to Cece’s torso, and a receiver that connects to a transmitter and microphone worn by her teacher.

The Phonic Ear gives Cece her superpowers (eavesdropping on teachers becomes a speciality), but using it also sets her apart as different, which is not always the effect she wants. Cultivating her brave caped El Deafo alter ego becomes a way for Cece to navigate the ups and downs of school life, and helps her connect with others. Bell’s author note at the end contextualises the greater self-acceptance she found as she got older, and acknowledges that not everyone in the Deaf community wants to ‘fix’ their hearing.

For ages 9 and up.

Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

Thanks to a restless and lovelorn mother, seventh grader Calliope has just moved to a new town again, and she’s really not looking forward to the prospect of finding friends at her new school. She’s relieved when she bonds with popular Jinsong, who lives in her apartment building, but when school starts, their friendship is tested. Calliope tries hard to hide the tics that are part of her Tourette syndrome, but other students quickly notice her facial expressions, sounds and body language.

Through a dual perspective narrative – Calliope’s sections are written in verse, Jinsong’s in prose – we witness cruel jokes at Calliope’s expense, Jinsong’s fears about what his friendship with Calliope might mean for his social standing, and the different ways families operate. This is a nuanced and thoughtful book, with interesting character journeys that deal with bullying, self-acceptance, loyalty, forgiveness and learning to be assertive. Author Ellie Terry is a poet and novelist and, like Calliope, she has Tourette syndrome (TS). She was spurred on to write Forget Me Not because her daughter was looking for middle grade fiction that featured characters with TS.

For ages 9 and up.

Ugly by Robert Hoge

Robert Hoge is an Australian journalist, science writer, political advisor and speechwriter. This young reader’s edition of his memoir covers his childhood and teen years, a time when he had numerous surgeries (Hoge was born with a facial tumour and malformed legs), used prosthetics and had an appearance that was, in his words: ‘A-grade, top-of-the-range ugly.’

Written in a breezy, episodic form that makes for easy reading by kids, this memoir brings to life a childhood full of misadventure, family support and humour, sport, medical interventions, schoolwork, and taunts and insensitive names. Hoge’s gradual movement towards self-acceptance culminates in his independent decision at 14 to forgo any further surgery to alter his appearance.

For ages 8 and up.

There is also an adult edition of Ugly, which is suitable for older teens.

Dare to Be Kind by Lizzie Velasquez

Motivational speaker, author and YouTuber Lizzie Velasquez wrote Dare to Be Kind to encourage others to practice kindness, respect, compassion and self love in the face of bullying. Born with a rare genetic condition that affects her appearance and overall health, at 17 Velasquez famously responded to unbearable online bullying and trolling by creating her own YouTube channel and becoming an anti-bullying activist.

Using frank, funny and painful anecdotes from her school, family and personal life to illustrate, Velasquez delivers warm and rallying opinions and advice in a series of short, entertaining and digestible essays.

For ages 13 and up.

Run by Kody Keplinger

Two teenage girls, Bo and Agnes, run away together, for reasons that only become clear when their narratives cross. Bo, whose family has a multitude of problems ranging from abandonment to addiction, tells the story of their escape, while Agnes’s chapters detail the beginning of their unlikely friendship, moving towards the moment they run away. Both young women have a real need for connection and true friendship.

Tough-on-the-outside Bo has been tarnished unfairly by gossip and her family’s bad reputation, while legally blind Agnes (who can distinguish light and dark, and uses a cane) longs for the challenge and greater freedom that her family haven’t allowed her. Their clandestine road trip becomes the catalyst for realisations, secrets, new experiences and the complications of close friendships.

For ages 13 and up.

Author Kody Keplinger is a co-founder of Disability in Kid Lit, an excellent resource for reviews, suggestions, interviews and opinions.

Leanne Hall is a children’s and YA specialist at Readings Kids. She also writes books for children and young adults.