People with Disabilities Literature Set - Reflection of the text set as a whole:

My literature set is made up of books that include people with disabilities. The books that I have chosen to focus on are Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, Ian’s Walk by Laurie Lears, and Big Brother Dustin by Alden R. Carter. These books all depict a person with a disability in a positive and realistic manner, in a dynamic manner, and having positive relationships with others. As a future special educator, I felt that it was important that I explore this category of children’s literature for this project because it is something that is often overlooked and not considered to be multicultural or diverse literature. I am excited to give my students the opportunity to see themselves in the literature that is on my bookshelves and to provide literature for them that is different from what they are normally exposed to. Our discussions across the semester and this project have allowed me to feel more confident that the literature that I pick out for my future library will benefit my students, not only because it is enjoyable to read, but because it will give them windows to see other cultures, and mirrors to see their own in.

Thank you, Mr. Falker is a book that tells the honest story of a young student’s struggle to feel smart and accepted in her classroom because of her dyslexia. With the help of a smart, understanding teacher, Trisha begins to understand her disability and works on ways to succeed in her typical classroom. Ian’s Walk shows the difficultly of having a sibling who is different and presents challenges. But it also shows the story of a young boy who has Autism and is happy and independent, not held captive by his disability. Big Brother Dustin gives its readers pictures of a young boy with Down Syndrome who plays the role of protector and isn’t forced into the role of victim. All of these texts are great examples of what the professional resource recommends putting on bookshelves for students to read. The authors were very intentional in the way they presented their characters to give their readers a way to learn more about a different culture and a way to identify personally with a piece of literature.