Literacy Matters Vol. 23 Winter 2023

Hurt Go Happy Rorby, G. (2008). Tom Doherty Associates. ISBN: 978-0-765314420. Topic: Hearing Impairment This Schneider Family Award winning novel tells the story of deaf Joey, who was not allowed to learn sign language as a child, perseveres and becomes an animal activist who signs with and rescues a signing chimpanzee from a research lab. This

What It’s Like to Be Bipolar Publicover, A. (2017). A child’s perspective on a childhood condition. Zaknaru Press. ISBN: 978 0692794401. Topic: Bipolar Disorder The author, an eighth grader, describes and illustrates in student friendly ways his experiences with bipolar disorder in a way that helps peers, teachers, and parents understand better what can trigger impulsive anger outbreaks and dives into depression.

is a story for 9-13 year-olds who love animals and who can benefit from a boost in trusting in their own resilience.

Ideas to Implement Bibliotherapy in the General Education Classroom A few selective ideas to implement bibliotherapy about IwD in the general education classroom include (1) Interactive listening speaking activities : During interactive read-aloud, teachers can prompt students to develop empathy for IwD through discussions of how and why a character with a disability is treated a certain way, how and why other characters treat IwDs and how story readers/ listeners could react to ensure fair integration of IwDs. If students in the class live with a disability represented in the book or have a sibling with the disability displayed in the book, discussion can include hearing from those students in a personal narrative what it is like to live with a disability, what is hard for them to do at home or at school and how peers can help make learning and making friends easier to foster compassion and understanding among class members for IwD (Prince & Hayden, 2021; DeVries & Sunden, 2019). Another way to help students develop compassion for IwD is to engage them in interviews with IwDs and to share their realizations in writing and/or orally in class subsequently. It is advisable for teachers to pre-approve questions to ensure that the interviews stay focused on improving empathy for and integration of IwD in the class community. Also, chapter book discussions following the literature circle model (Daniels, 2002; Herrera & Kiwell, 2018) allow students to reflect in interactive group discussions on dismantling biases about IwD and replacing them with inclusive, integrating interactions with IWD. By using oral or written prompts similar to the ones mentioned for interactive read-alouds, teachers can focus discussion on aspects of the development of compassion, understanding, and reflective analysis of subconscious biases. Such prompts can elicit feelings and reasons for characters’ actions, readers’ feelings and reactions to text and life situations of IwDs, readers’ ideas to improve situations for IwDs, and ideas to improve peers’ behaviors towards IwDs in school and community. (2) Representing activities: After learning about the strengths and challenges of IwDs through readings, role plays with peers or puppets can help make realizations more concrete and shift perceptions about IwD (Malhotra, 2019). Based on oral discussions of the book, students can also engage in visual or performing arts projects to raise awareness for a certain disability at school or the larger community by designing illustrations, little skits, or short videos. They can also engage in a fundraising project to support an agency that supports IwDs); (3) Writing activities : After discussions, follow-up journal writing allows students to reflect on what they have learned about

Jerk Friesen, J. (2008). California. Penguin Group. ISBN: 978-0142412039. Topic: Emotional Disorder (Tourette’s Syndrome) After high school graduation, a

Literacy Matters Feature Article

teenager with Tourette’s syndrome embarks on a cross-country journey to find out about his dead father. With the help of a family friend, a girlfriend, and a weird car, he learns to embrace his disability and mature. This book won the Schneider Family Award for 14-18 year-olds.

A Kind of Spark McNocoll, E. (2021). Crown Books for Young Children. ISBN: 978-1913311056. Topic: Autism In this 2022 Schneider Family Award -winning novel, teen readers learn from Addie what it feels like to live with autism. They discover how she perceives herself as a person who senses events in her environment and what she reads more deeply than

others. Addie demonstrates how this difference helps her stand up for injustices she learns about and experiences. Since this book includes discussions of women during the witchcraft period, it could be used in social studies.

Marcelo in the Real World Stork, F. (2009). Arthur Levine Books. ISBN: 978 0545054744. Topic: Autism This Schneider Family Award-winning novel for teens tells the story of Marcelo Sandoval, who has Asperger Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism in which individuals often have unusual gifts. Marcelo is pushed beyond his comfort zone when he is forced to take a job in his father’s law firm. Marcelo learns what

it is to be a friend, to stand up for what he believes in and that he can create a meaningful place for himself in the real world.

Literacy Matters | Volume 22 • Winter 2023 | 17 |

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