When 16-year-old poetry blogger Tessa Dickinson is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days, she feels like her whole world has been turned upside-down.
Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile...and no legs.
Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition -- no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can't see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it's the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.
Tessa spurns Weston's obnoxious optimism, convinced that he has no idea what she's going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him -- and Weston can't imagine life without her. But he still hasn't told her the truth, and when Tessa's sight returns he'll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa's world...or overcome his fear of being seen.
100 Days of Sunlight is a poignant and heartfelt novel by author Abbie Emmons. If you like sweet contemporary romance and strong family themes then you'll love this touching story of hope, healing, and getting back up when life knocks you down.
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book
What does it take to follow your dreams? Where You See Yourself is a relatable, romantic, and necessary story about a girl who has to figure out what--and who--will bring her the happiness she deserves.
By the time Effie Galanos starts her senior year, it feels like she's already been thinking about college applications for an eternity--after all, finding a college that will be the perfect fit and be accessible enough for Effie to navigate in her wheelchair presents a ton of considerations that her friends don't have to worry about.
What Effie hasn't told anyone is that she already knows exactly what school she has her heart set on: a college in NYC with a major in Mass Media & Society that will set her up perfectly for her dream job in digital media. She's never been to New York, but paging through the brochure, she can picture the person she'll be there, far from the Minneapolis neighborhood where she's lived her entire life. When she finds out that Wilder (her longtime crush) is applying there too, it seems like one more sign from the universe that it's the right place for her.
But it turns out that the universe is full of surprises. As Effie navigates her way through a year of admissions visits, senior class traditions, internal and external ableism, and a lot of firsts--and lasts--she starts to learn that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of. And maybe being more than just friends with Wilder is one of those dreams...
Schneider Family Book Award, Best Teen Honor Book 2020
Contemporary fiction fans will find it hard to put down The Silence Between Us--a YA novel that doesn't shy away from real-life issues including the challenges faced by those in the Deaf culture, relationship struggles, communication problems, and complicated families.
Deaf teen Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn't hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating. As Maya looks past graduation and focuses on her future dreams, nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will derail her pursuits or cause her to question her own self worth.
The Silence Between Us:
The Silence Between Us is eminently un-put-down-able. (NPR)
Gervais deftly renders both the nuanced, everyday realities of life with disability and Maya's fierce pride in her Deafness, delivering a vibrant story that will resonate with Deaf and hearing audiences alike. - Booklist
A solid addition to middle/high school fiction that allows for deep discussion about stereotypes concerning disabilities. School Library Journal
This is a great YA contemporary (clean) romance that follows Maya as she navigates a new school and plans for her future. The addition of representation by a Deaf character was really beautifully done. Highly recommend for people looking for a sweet, engaging, and educational romantic read. (YA and Kids Book Central)
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book
What does it take to follow your dreams? Where You See Yourself is a relatable, romantic, and necessary story about a girl who has to figure out what--and who--will bring her the happiness she deserves.
By the time Effie Galanos starts her senior year, it feels like she's already been thinking about college applications for an eternity--after all, finding a college that will be the perfect fit and be accessible enough for Effie to navigate in her wheelchair presents a ton of considerations that her friends don't have to worry about.
What Effie hasn't told anyone is that she already knows exactly what school she has her heart set on: a college in NYC with a major in Mass Media & Society that will set her up perfectly for her dream job in digital media. She's never been to New York, but paging through the brochure, she can picture the person she'll be there, far from the Minneapolis neighborhood where she's lived her entire life. When she finds out that Wilder (her longtime crush) is applying there too, it seems like one more sign from the universe that it's the right place for her.
But it turns out that the universe is full of surprises. As Effie navigates her way through a year of admissions visits, senior class traditions, internal and external ableism, and a lot of firsts--and lasts--she starts to learn that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of. And maybe being more than just friends with Wilder is one of those dreams...
Delightful stories about navigating the ups and downs of adulthood while living with a disability. The characters' perspectives are fresh and honest as they overcome heartbreak, face disappointments, renew friendships and celebrate triumphs. An informative read for anyone who is curious about what it is like to live with a disability, or just wants a feel good tale about the power of friendship and belonging.
Tom and Jillian have done it again - engaging their audience in stories that speak to the lived experience of individuals with developmental disabilities. Being able to see and hear oneself in the characters of a story or play is empowering. The characters in Something's Brewing are sure to be a hit with readers around the world.
When 16-year-old poetry blogger Tessa Dickinson is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days, she feels like her whole world has been turned upside-down.
Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile...and no legs.
Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition -- no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can't see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it's the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.
Tessa spurns Weston's obnoxious optimism, convinced that he has no idea what she's going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him -- and Weston can't imagine life without her. But he still hasn't told her the truth, and when Tessa's sight returns he'll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa's world...or overcome his fear of being seen.
100 Days of Sunlight is a poignant and heartfelt novel by author Abbie Emmons. If you like sweet contemporary romance and strong family themes then you'll love this touching story of hope, healing, and getting back up when life knocks you down.
A gentle young adult romance for fans of Sarah Dessen about two teens, each of whom has lost something irreplaceable, finding one another.
Quinn is a teen who loves her family, skateboarding, basketball, and her friends, but after she's diagnosed with a condition called alopecia which causes her to lose all of her hair, her friends abandon her. Jake was once a star football player, but because of a freak accident--caused by his brother--he loses both of his legs. Quinn and Jake meet and find the confidence to believe in themselves again, and maybe even love. Praise for How We Roll: Friend has crafted a heartwarming story that tackles some heavy issues. It will appeal to teens who enjoyed The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson, or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. A strong choice for all YA shelves. --School Library Journal, starred review In a story about the challenges of being different and the difficulty in learning to trust, Friend (The Other F Word) shows great sensitivity in depicting differently abled characters. Small acts of kindness balance the cruelty Quinn has suffered, and the message that single characteristics don't define who people are, invites contemplation. --Publishers WeeklyWe were called The Little Potatoes and Hard to Peel . . . we were smaller than the other kids and maybe not as talented, but we always played with our hearts. So, it didn't matter if we won or lost, we never got down, because we knew on the inside . . . we were tuff and hard to peel.
This is how David's grandfather, Pop Pop, begins a legendary story about his little league baseball team during a family reunion in Kentucky, along the winding Ohio River. As the tale unravels, David starts to think Pop Pop might be teaching him more than just the rules of baseball. Back home in Georgia, David is embarking on a new adventure as he begins middle school, a time of exciting changes that he will navigate single-handedly. David was born without his right hand, a glitch that allows him to adapt differently to all experiences. Soon, he finds himself wondering if he can follow in his grandfather's footsteps and join his little league all-star team with one mitt. Full of vulnerability and despair, humor and hope, we learn the universal power of his grandfather's story as it echoes in David's life, reminding us to not let challenges, obstacles, and perceived limitations peel away the core of our humanity.
Noa Ohunene Jenkins doesn't feel Black enough. Or autistic enough. Or cool enough.
In her new town, the fifteen-year-old strives to make Dean's Merit Society, an elite honor society that she sees as her ticket to success. To make the society, she needs leadership experience, but there's one problem: Noa struggles to socialize appropriately.
Desperate to make it in the society, she creates her own group consisting of autistic students from her school district and names it the Roaring Pebbles.
With the assistance of the Roaring Pebbles, a robot toy invention, her nonverbal brother, and a bit of classical Mozart along the way, Noa clings to her chance to make the society. And to one day, finally feel enough.
Note: Due to a distribution error, some early orders placed before April 2022 received an unformatted interior. If you received an unformatted copy, please contact Kala Allen Omeiza at kalaomeiza.com or readbykay [at] gmail [dot] com for a free new formatted copy
Fifteen-year-old Aiko Cassidy, a bicultural girl with cerebral palsy, grew up in Michigan with her single mother. For as long as she could remember, it was just the two of them. When a new stepfather and a baby half sister enter her life, she finds herself on the margins. Having recently come into contact with her biological father, she is invited to spend the summer with his indigo-growing family in a small Japanese farming village. Aiko thinks she just might fit in better in Japan. If nothing else, she figures the trip will inspire her manga story, Gadget Girl.
However, Aiko's stay in Japan is not quite the easygoing vacation that she expected. Her grandmother is openly hostile toward her, and she soon learns of painful family secrets that have been buried for years. Even so, she takes pleasure in meeting new friends. She is drawn to Taiga, the figure skater who shows her the power of persistence against self-doubt. Sora is a fellow manga enthusiast who introduces Aiko to a wide circle of like-minded artists. And then there is Kotaro, a refugee from the recent devastating earthquake in northeastern Japan.
As she gets to know her biological father and the story of his break with her mother, Aiko begins to rethink the meaning of family and her own place in the world.
An action-packed dystopian drama following a group of neurodivergent teenagers on their quest to free the British people from an army of cloned soldiers.
One million cloned soldiers. A nation imprisoned. A group of neurodiverse rebels fighting back.
Britain as we know it lies destroyed. In the aftermath of the most daring military coup in history, the surviving population is crammed inside giant Citadels, watched over by an army of cloned soldiers. The hope of a nation lies in a tiny number of freedom fighters hidden in the abandoned countryside - most of whom are teenagers who escaped the attack on their special school.
Seen by many as no more than misfits and 'problem children', this band of fighters could never have imagined the responsibility that now rests on their shoulders. But perhaps this war needs a different kind of hero. After a lifetime of being defined by their weaknesses, the teenagers must learn how to play to their strengths, and become the best they can be in a world that has never been on their side.