The first time I walked around a nearby lake, I noticed an older woman feeding geese. When I stopped, she pointed out one goose in particular whose left foot was foot twisted in an unnatural way. He hobbled with labored steps.

“I named him Festus, which means joyful.” She laughed. “I make a point to throw him cracked corn every day. Out of all the geese, he seems the most grateful for my efforts. Just seeing him lifts my spirit and inspires me to be a kinder person.”

Now, I search out Festus every time I walk. He’s often hovering on the edge of the lake, seemingly conscious of his limitations and yet still finding a way to thrive in the wild. You have to admire that.

Festus’s situation got me thinking about kids at my school with disabilities. Kids that are deaf, in wheelchairs, that have dyslexia, diabetes, asthma, and even cancer. I wondered if maybe, like Festus, stories featuring a disabled character would encourage and inspire them too. With that in mind, here are four of my favorite books that fit that category.

• Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw by Josie Siler, who struggles with chronic illness herself. The book includes a precious prayer at the end that every child (and parent) with a disability should read. It is an inspiring and specifically Christian book.
• Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester has a likable character with a speech impediment. Rodney gets ridiculed by his classmates but ends up saving the day and proving his worth.
• Hands and Hearts is a beautifully illustrated picture book by Donna Jo Napoli featuring a deaf child and her mother exploring a beach. They communicate not with words, but with sign language.
• Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin is one of my favorites to read aloud with a friend—one person being the child and the other the grandfather. The Native American duo retells a favorite memory, and in the recounting, the reader realizes that although the child is blind, he is fully immersed in the world around him.

How about you? Can you add a book to my list? If so, please put it in the comments below.

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See you next month!

Lori Z. Scott

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