JDAIM Reads 2024 Selections for Adults
Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole
by Rabbi Dr. Julia Watts Belser
2024 Featured Selection
“What’s wrong with you?” Scholar, activist, and rabbi Julia Watts Belser is all too familiar with this question. What’s wrong isn’t her wheelchair, though—it’s exclusion, objectification, pity, and disdain.
Our attitudes about disability have such deep cultural roots that we almost forget their sources. But open the Bible and disability is everywhere. Moses believes his stutter renders him unable to answer God’s call. Jacob’s encounter with an angel leaves him changed not just spiritually but physically: he gains a limp. For centuries, these stories have been told and retold in ways that treat disability as a metaphor for spiritual incapacity or as a challenge to be overcome.
Through fresh and unexpected readings of the Bible, Loving Our Own Bones instead paints a luminous portrait of what it means to be disabled and one of God’s beloved. Belser delves deep into sacred literature, braiding the insights of disabled, feminist, Black, and queer thinkers with her own experiences as a queer disabled Jewish feminist. She talks back to biblical commentators who traffic in disability stigma and shame. What unfolds is a profound gift of disability wisdom, a radical act of spiritual imagination that can guide us all toward a powerful reckoning with each other and with our bodies.
Loving Our Own Bones invites readers to claim the power and promise of spiritual dissent, and to nourish their own souls through the revolutionary art of radical self-love.
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), Rabbi Julia Watts Belser will join us in conversation about the book on February 6. Learn more and register for free!
Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
By Judith Heumann and Kristen Joiner
A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn’t built for all of us and of one woman’s activism—from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington—Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann’s lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society.
Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy’s struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people.
As a young woman, Judy rolled her wheelchair through the doors of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Francisco as a leader of the Section 504 Sit-In, the longest takeover of a governmental building in US history. Working with a community of over 150 disabled activists and allies, Judy successfully pressured the Carter administration to implement protections for disabled peoples’ rights, sparking a national movement and leading to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Candid, intimate, and irreverent, Judy Heumann’s memoir about resistance to exclusion invites readers to imagine and make real a world in which we all belong.
JDAIM Reads 2024 Selections for Teens and Young Adults
Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution
By Judith Heuman and Kristen Joiner
As featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp, one of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her story of fighting to belong.
“If I didn’t fight, who would?”
Judy Heumann was only 5 years old when she was first denied her right to attend school. Paralyzed from polio and raised by her Holocaust-surviving parents in New York City, Judy had a drive for equality that was instilled early in life.
In this young readers’ edition of her acclaimed memoir, Being Heumann, Judy shares her journey of battling for equal access in an unequal world—from fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” because of her wheelchair, to suing the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her disability. Judy went on to lead 150 disabled people in the longest sit-in protest in US history at the San Francisco Federal Building. Cut off from the outside world, the group slept on office floors, faced down bomb threats, and risked their lives to win the world’s attention and the first civil rights legislation for disabled people.
Judy’s bravery, persistence, and signature rebellious streak will speak to every person fighting to belong and fighting for social justice.
“For the first time, I see myself in someone else. Judy’s lifelong fight and fierce advocacy around disability justice have undeniably paved the way for me to achieve what I have today. . . . A must-read for all young people.”
—Ali Stroker, Tony Award–winning actress
The Year My Life Went Down The Toilet
By Jake Maia Arlow
A hilariously honest book about surviving middle school while navigating a chronic illness from the Stonewall Honor-winning author of Almost Flying.
Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life:
1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why.
2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls.
So she holds it in…until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer—she has Crohn’s disease.
But rather than solving all her problems, Al’s diagnosis just makes everything worse. It’s scary and embarrassing. And worst of all, everyone wants her to talk about it—her overprotective mom, her best friend, and most annoyingly her gastroenterologist, who keeps trying to get her to go to a support group for kids with similar chronic illnesses. But, who wants to talk about what you do in the bathroom?
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a wildly funny and honest story about finding community, telling the truth even when it’s hard, and the many indignities of middle school life.
Content Warnings: Non-graphic discussions of poop/pooping, doctor’s offices and hospitals.
JDAIM Reads 2024 Selections for Middle Grades
Maybe It Happened This Way: Bible Stories Reimagined
Written by Leah Berkowitz and Ricki Wovsaniker and illustrated by Katherine Messenger
Take a fresh look at the Bible stories you think you know, retold using the Jewish concept of midrash.
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Moses. We think we know their stories, but the Bible tells us only part of it. What if we could see the full picture?
In “Standing, Sitting, and Signing at Sinai,” a young wheelchair user, Matan, tells of his experiences when the Israelite people gathered at Sinai to receive the Torah. This midrash invites readers to question what it means to be created B’tzelem Elohim, in God’s Image, and interprets the moment when all Jews are called to “stand” together at Sinai. Matan Koch, a disability advocate and former RespectAbility team member, consulted on this chapter.
In “Moses Sees,” Moses could not imagine that the Israelites would want to follow him and felt dread at being asked to lead. This midrash invites readers to understand leadership in a new light.
Maybe these iconic figures of the Bible were people just like us, filled with fear and joy, jealousy and passion, mischief and love.
Maybe it happened this way.
This is a modern take on Bible stories, with relatable characters; not earnest and reverent, but not transgressive either. It explores timeless themes of interest to kids, including fairness, sibling rivalry, perseverance, forgiveness, courage. Maybe It Happened This Way also covers many lesser-known narratives and lifts up the stories of women in the Bible as well.
Includes an introduction explaining of the Jewish concept of midrash–stories created to add new layers to our understanding of the Bible; a discussion guide with questions; an index of values; and a guide to sources for each Bible story.
Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen
By Kate McGovern
Maple is in fifth grade—again. Now everyone will find out she struggles with reading—or will they? An engaging read for anyone who has ever felt different.
Maple Mehta-Cohen has been keeping a secret: she can’t read all that well. She has an impressive vocabulary and loves dictating stories into her recorder—especially the adventures of a daring sleuth who’s half Indian and half Jewish like Maple herself—but words on the page just don’t seem to make sense to her. Despite all Maple’s clever tricks to hide her troubles with reading, her teacher is on to her, and now Maple has to repeat fifth grade. Maple is devastated—what will her friends think? Will they forget about her? She uses her storytelling skills to convince her classmates that she’s staying back as a special teacher’s assistant (because of budget cuts, you know). But as Maple navigates the loss of old friendships, the possibility of new ones, and facing her reading challenges head-on, her deception becomes harder to keep up. Can Maple begin to recognize her own strengths, and to love herself—and her brain—just the way she is? Readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and its bright, creative heroine.
Content Warnings: Ableist Language/Ableism, Bullying
Wonder
By R. J. Palacio
I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope.
R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
Content Warnings: Ableist Language/Ableism, Animal/Pet Death, Bullying
JDAIM Reads 2024 Selections for Children
A Day With No Words
Written by Tiffany Hammond and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
A day with no words is a colorful and engaging picture book for young readers shares what life can look like for families who use nonverbal communication, utilizing tools to embrace their unique method of “speaking.”
The story highlights the bond between mother and child and follows them on a day where they use a tablet to communicate with others.
Brilliant Bea
Written by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich and illustrated by Fiona Lee
Despite her struggles with reading and writing, Beatrice is a natural and brilliant storyteller. With the help of a kind-hearted teacher, Beatrice uses an old-fashioned tape recorder so she can speak her words and then play them back, as a technique for learning in a whole new way. With her new approach, Beatrice can show her classmates who she has been all along.
Can Bears Ski?
Written by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Is Little Bear ignoring his friends when they say hi, or is something else going on? A discovery opens new doors in a tale that will delight kids who are deaf and all children learning to navigate their world.
Little Bear feels the world around him. He feels his bed rumble when Dad Bear wakes him up in the morning. He feels the floor shake when his teacher stomps to get his attention. But something else is missing, like when his friends tell jokes that he isn’t sure he understands, or when all around him Little Bear hears the question, “Can bears ski?” Then, one day, Dad Bear takes him to see an “aud-i-olo-gist,” and Little Bear learns that he is deaf and will start wearing hearing aids. Soon he figures out what that puzzling refrain is: “Can you hear me?” Little Bear’s new world is LOUD and will take some getting used to, but with the love and support of Dad Bear, he will find his way. In this lyrical picture book, award-winning creators Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar draw on their own experiences to tell Bear’s story.
I Have a Question about Cancer: Clear Answers for All Kids, including Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other Special Needs
By Arlen Grad Gaines and Meredith Englander Polsky
Cancer is a difficult topic for any parent, caregiver or educator to explain to a child. This book is designed to help kids, including children with autism spectrum disorder or other additional needs, to understand what it means when someone in their life has cancer.
Using a question and answer format, it explores the life changes and feelings of uncertainty a child may experience if a loved one has cancer. Illustrated with SymbolStix, a symbol-based language for visual thinkers, this book explains a difficult topic to children who might otherwise struggle to understand it. The book also features a short picture story that repeats the complete story for children who process information best through visual cues. Additional guidance for parents and caregivers provides ideas to help children cope with this experience.
I Have a Question about Death: Clear Answers for All Kids, including Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other Special Needs
By Arlen Grad Gaines and Meredith Englander Polsky
Death is a difficult topic for any parent or educator to explain to a child, perhaps even more so when the child has Autism Spectrum Disorder or other Special Needs. This book is designed specifically to help children with these additional needs to understand what happens when someone dies.
The first book of its kind, I Have a Question about Death uses straightforward text and images to walk children through what it means when someone dies, as well as ways they might want to react or to think about the person. Using clear illustrations throughout and with information for parents and guardians, this book is essential for families with a child aged 5-11 with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other special needs.
I Have a Question about Divorce: Clear Answers for All Kids, including Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other Special Needs
By Arlen Grad Gaines and Meredith Englander Polsky
Divorce is a difficult topic for any parent or educator to explain to a child, perhaps even more so when the child has Autism Spectrum Disorder or other special needs. This book is designed specifically to help children with these additional needs to understand what divorce means.
Using a question and answer format, it explores the changes and feelings a child may experience during a divorce, and provides ideas to help cope with this life change. Illustrated with SymbolStix, which uses a symbol-based language for visual thinkers, this book explains a difficult topic to children who might otherwise struggle to understand it and gives additional guidance for parents and carers.
The Everybody Club
Written by Nancy Loewen and Linda Hayen and illustrated by Yana Zybina
The Everybody Club is a feel-good rhyming read-aloud to share with younger children. It’s a book with plenty of heart and a powerful message: We belong. Every one of us.
Join in the fun and see what the Everybody Club is up to in this catchy, joyful romp!
What Happened to You?
Written by James Catchpole and illustrated by Karen George
This accessible, funny, and groundbreaking story addresses the questions children often ask, as well as a disabled child’s choice not to answer.
What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off? A boy named Joe is trying to play pirates at the playground, but he keeps being asked what happened to his leg. Bombarded with questions and silly suggestions, Joe becomes more and more fed up…until the kids finally understand they don’t need to know what happened. And that they’re wasting valuable playtime!
Based on the author’s real childhood experiences, this honest, funny, and authentic picture book is an empowering read for anyone with a disability, and for young readers learning how best to address differences.
