Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (Penguin, 2004) – I read this book in college as part of a "Children’s Literature" course. The main character, Moose Flanagan, moves with his family to live on Alcatraz island, where his dad works as a guard at the prison. Moose tries to adjust to his new life while helping to take care of his older sister, Natalie, who has severe autism. The story takes place in 1935, when Autism Spectrum Disorder was not understood the way it is now. Moose and his frenemy Piper—the prison warden’s daughter—try to figure out a way to get Natalie the education she needs. What struck me about this book is that it shows how the people around the person with the disability are affected. Siblings and parents should be able to air their frustrations, and this book shows that point of view well—the love and the confusion, the protectiveness, and the anger. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick (Scholastic, 1993) – Truth be told, my first introduction to this book was through a movie based on the novel called The Mighty. The film has star power (Meat Loaf, James Gandolfini, and Sharon Stone, for starters), but the book carries weight, too. Max, the narrator, is a teenager with a learning disability. He befriends Kevin, a boy in his grade whose disability affects his body instead of his brain. Their friendship is an example of total acceptance and can teach kids with disabilities to focus on their strengths instead of letting their weaknesses define them. The duo gets the best of the neighborhood bully and catches a criminal, proving that disabled does not equal helpless. Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby (Starscape, 2006) – In this book we meet Joey Willis, a teenager who has been deaf since she was six. Joey tries to get by through lip reading, but the only person she can talk with easily and comfortably is her mother, and Joey’s mom refuses to let her learn sign language. One day, Joey is looking for mushrooms in the woods behind her house when she meets Dr. Charles Mansell and his pet chimpanzee, Sukari, who communicates through sign language. The two inspire Joey to fight for her independence, and later, Joey must fight for Sukari’s freedom, too. I found the writing impressive, because it really drives home how isolated Joey feels. The book also touches on sensitive ideas—a hearing parent’s fear of losing her daughter to the world of deaf culture, old ingrained notions about stigma, and the idea of love transcending boundaries (even between species)—thoughtfully and fairly, from all sides. Disabilities are complicated, and this book doesn’t sugarcoat the gray areas. A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass (Little Brown, 2003) – Mia Winchill has synesthesia, meaning that she sees certain colors and shapes for different sounds, numbers, and words. This makes math and French classes difficult at school, but it also makes her a great artist. Mia is initially embarrassed of what makes her different—after an especially humiliating experience in third grade math class, she hadn't admitted seeing colors since. Eventually, though, she tells her parents the truth, and they learn that Mia is not alone. Mia begins to embrace her unique gifts, sometimes so much so that she forgets about schoolwork and friends. The book stands out, not only for the unique condition it covers, but also for the way it shows the challenging process of coming to accept yourself for all that you are.