Site of the Day: Schneider Family Book Award

One of the keys to getting children involved in reading is finding books that speak to their experiences. But finding books that really relate to what children with special needs go through can take a lot of searching. One good place to look is among the honorees of the American Library Association's Schneider Family Book Award, which recognizes books that emphasize "the artistic expression of the disability experience for children and or adolescent audiences," and portray "some aspect of living with a disability or that of a friend or family member, whether the disability is physical, mental or emotional." The current winners include a picture book called The Deaf Musicians; the pre-teen novel Rules about a girl with an autistic brother; and the teen novel Small Steps about the unlikely friendship between a juvenile delinquent and a girl with cerebral palsy. On the site, you can also look up past winners, and consult a Select Bibliography of Children's Books About the Disability Experience.

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