Lucas at the Paralympics

by Igor Plohl

Introduce your child to the Paralympics--where physically disabled world-class athletes exemplify strength, determination, and courage.

Lucas and Eddie, two physically disabled friends, visit the Paralympics and cheer on blind and physically challenged athletes as they compete in running, swimming, sitting volleyball, para archery, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair basketball, and more.

Readers learn about some of the rules that expedite play and that even the playing field. For example, blind runners wear blindfolds so none of the competitors (some totally blind and some with limited sight) have an unfair advantage. Also, all of the blind competitors are tethered to guides.

Author Igor Plohl, who lost the use of his legs after a spinal injury, is a teacher and passionate advocate for raising awareness of physical disability. As a teacher, he knows the questions children ask and how to answer them.

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My Friend Suhana: A Story of Friendship and Cerebral Palsy

by Shaila Abdullah

A True Story of Friendship and Winner of the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award
Award-winning author and designer Shaila Abdullah teams up with her 10-year-old daughter Aanyah to bring you this heartwarming tale of a little girl who forms a close bond with a child with cerebral palsy. The girl finds that through her art, she can reach her special friend Suhana.

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Best Day Ever!

by Marilyn Singer

A sweet dog-loves-kid/kid-loves-dog story, in which the kid uses a wheelchair, from an award-winning children’s poet and talented debut illustrator.

This playful puppy thinks she’s having the best day ever! She's so happy to be out with her friend, she doesn't even realize that she's being a little naughty. But then he scolds her, and suddenly—Worst. Day. Ever. Will puppy be able to make amends and turn their day back around?

Join an exuberant, boundary-pushing pup and her exasperated boy in this reassuring story about unconditional love and the challenges of trying to always be on your best behavior.

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I'll Scream Later

by Marlee Matlin

From Children of a Lesser God to Dancing with the Stars, to Switched at Birth, Academy Award– and Golden Globe–winning actress Marlee Matlin shares her incredible life story in a moving and often surprising memoir, I’ll Scream Later.

More than twenty years after becoming the youngest woman to win a Best Actress Oscar for her stunning performance as Sarah Norman, the pupil-turned-custodian at a school for the Deaf in Children of a Lesser God, Marlee Matlin continues to be an inspirational force of nature. A working mother, wife, activist, and role model, she takes readers on the frank and touching journey of her life, from the sudden and permanent loss of her hearing at eighteen months old to the highs and lows of Hollywood, her battles with addiction, and the unexpected challenges of being thrust into the spotlight as an emissary for the Deaf community. With uncompromising honesty, she reveals the shocking incidents of molestation that took her years to reconcile; her passionate and tumultuous relationship with Oscar winner William Hurt; her romances with Rob Lowe, Richard Dean Anderson, and David E. Kelley; and much more. As fresh and invigorating as her memorable television roles on Seinfeld, The West Wing, The L Word, and her dazzling turn on Dancing with the Stars, Marlee Matlin’s self-portrait captures the chutzpah and humor of a celebrated actress who continues to defy all expectations.

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Seeing the World My Way

by Tony Giles

A totally blind and partially deaf guy's global adventures.. 'Seeing the World My Way' follows Tony Giles' journey of hedonism and thrill-seeking adventure as he travels across North America, Asia and Australasia. Full of drama, danger and discovery, this fascinating travel biography is a young blind man's view of the world as he sets out to achieve his dream, dealing with disability whilst living life to the limit. From bungee jumping in New Zealand to booze filled nights out in New Orleans, 'Seeing the World My Way' is a no-holds-barred account that is certainly not for the faint hearted. Travel the world in a whole new way with Tony Giles' frank, honest and exhilarating romp through one adrenaline-fuelled experience after another.

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Disarm Your Limits: The Flight Formula to Lift You to Success and Propel You to the Next Horizon

By Jessica Cox

Have you ever felt like you didn't belong? Like everything was chaos around you, you didn't have the support you wish you had, and your motivation to keep going was slipping through your fingers? If this sounds familiar, then you know how it feels to be "disarmed." Jessica Cox was born without arms, yet she exceeded her limits to become the first woman to fly a plane with her feet, earn a Taekwondo State Champ title, travel the world as a motivational speaker and advocate for people with disabilities, and achieve her greatest triumph of all: unrepentant regard and self-acceptance for herself.Disarm Your Limits delivers the tools you need to design your own "formula for flight" and shows you how to: Innovate to overcome obstaclesAct with courage to push through doubtShake off false roles and embrace your authentic self Persist through hard challenges to reach successTap into faith to soar to new horizonsYou have the ability to turn the obstacles you face around and use them to your advantage. All you need is the formula for flight. Are you ready to become the pilot in command for you?

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Aven Green Sleuthing Machine

By Dusti Bowling

She’s solved many important cases like The Mystery of the Cranky Mom, The Mystery of the Missing Ice Cream, and The Mystery of the Smelly Feet. Her record is nearly 100% (only The Mystery of the Cereal in My Underpants remains unsolved to this day). Aven asks all the right questions, wields her detective kit carefully, and follows up on every clue. Then her teacher’s lunch bag (with her lunch still in it) is taken and Aven’s great-grandma’s beloved dog goes missing! Can this perceptive detective crack two cases at the same time? Luckily, Aven has a super-powered brain full of lots of extra brain cells to take on both cases. See, she was born without arms, so all of the cells that were supposed to make her arms went into making her brain instead. At least that’s her working theory for The Mystery of Why I Have So Many Extra Brain Cells.

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Up and Running: The Jami Goldman Story

By Jami Goldman

Meet tall, beautiful Jami Goldman: world-class athlete, Adidas spokes-person, motivational speaker -- and double amputee. More than a decade ago, a wrong turn on a back road during a blizzard resulted in a terrifying fight for her life. Now for the first time, Jami recounts her gripping story of being trapped in the snow for eleven endless days, the grievous loss of her legs, and the fortitude it has taken to not only walk again but run like the wind -- all the way to freedom. On December 23, 1987, nineteen-year-old Jami Goldman and her friend Lisa Barzano headed home from a ski trip in Purgatory, Colorado, never imagining they would end up in a freezing hell on a back road that the state of Arizona had closed without checking for travelers in distress. The girls' car battery died during that first long night, stranding them in below-zero temperatures. With only a cinnamon roll and a six-pack of frozen Diet Pepsi, the next ten days became an exercise in survival, testing their faith and courage even after they were rescued -- when Jami's legs and feet were deemed beyond saving. Wise, forthright, and astonishing, Up and Running follows Jami's global journey from loss to recovery. Her story, which often reads like a compelling mystery, features her supportive family and friends, a devastating court case, her passionate relationship with the man she married, and finally, her triumph over inconceivably fearful obstacles. In the end, Up and Running shows us all how to use adversity as a stepping-stone -- leading us to heights we previously considered out of reach and beyond our wildest dreams.

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Look What Kate Can Do

By Katie Leatherwood

Kate was born with symbrachydactyly, a big word for upper limb differences. How does a little girl feel about growing up with one hand? How does she answer people's questions? Here's Kate's story in her own words.

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