Shane Burcaw answers questions you were afraid to ask about having a disability and he’ll make you laugh while doing it.
Shane Burcaw was born with a disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which means his muscles do not develop and he uses a wheelchair to get around and relies on lots of help to do everyday things. In his picture book Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability (2017), Shane answers lots of questions kids might have when they see someone using a wheelchair. He uses lots of humor and answers questions frankly and with a positive attitude. He’s quick to say that there’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just different and we’re all different in lots of ways.
March is Disability Awareness Month and it’s the perfect time to share this book with young children in your life and to learn about the experiences of people with disabilities. For more youth literature about disability experiences, check out the Schneider Family Book Award’s complete list of winners and past winners.
Teens and adults may also be interested in checking out Shane’s memoir Laughing at My Nightmare (2014), which is a laugh-out-loud funny and very frank look at his life living with a disability. If you’ve never read a book written by a person with a disability, you should definitely check this out and read about Shane’s experiences.
More great books about disability experiences:
- Ugly by Robert Hoge (2016, 200 pages). This memoir is a great choice for readers who enjoyed the fiction book Wonder by R.J. Palaccio (2012; 314 pages).
- Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper (2010; 295 pages). This fiction story is told through the point of view of a girl with cerebral palsy who cannot speak.
- On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis (2016; 456 pages). The protagonist of this #ownvoices post-apocalyptic novel has autism and worries that she will not be allowed on a ship fleeing the dying planet.
— Abby Johnson, Collection Development Leader
