Text Set

In this text set, you will find a variety of

specific examples of literature that a
teacher or parent could share with a
class, or read to educate themselves
when discussing inclusion.

How this Text Set is Split Up:

Children's Books
Supplementary
Texts
Sources for Adults

Childrens Books
In the following seven slides, you will be exposed
to seven childrens books that can be helpful
when using inclusion in a classroom or another
similar situation.
For each book, you will find the following
information:

A picture of book cover

Author
Age/grade level
Summary of the book
A link to purchase the book

All Kinds of Friends, Even Green!

Author: Ellen Senisi

Age/grade level: Preschool +
Summary: In school, Moses, and the rest of his class are given the assignment of choosing a
friend to write about. As he wonders which person to choose, he thinks of his circle of friends
and what they share together. Some friends are kids like Jimmy, who says funny things, and
Manuel, who races with Moses on the playground. Other friends are grown-ups like Mom and
Dad, and teachers. Neighbors too, can be friends, like Kate, his teen-aged babysitter. Kate owns
two really cute iguanas. One of the iguanas, Zaki, is missing toes. That's it! Moses will write
about Zaki. After all, they really have something in common. Moses and Zaki both have special
needs. Zaki, with her missing toes, must figure out new ways to move around and get to where
she wants to go, which is exactly what Moses must do in his wheelchair! More than just a story
about friendship, ALL KINDS OF FRIENDS, EVEN GREEN! looks at difference---such as being in a
wheelchair or missing toes---in a unique way. With this beautifully photographed and engaging
story, children discover that living with disability and facing its challenges can be seen as
interesting, even positive. With an Afterword about disabilities, Moses, and iguanas, the story
provides material for discussing inclusion at school and home (Amazon).
Link: http://www.amazon.com/All-Kinds-Friends-Even-Green/dp/1890627356

The Sibling Slam Book: What

Its Really Like to Have a
Brother or Sister with Special
Needs

Author: Don Meyer

Age/grade level: 11 years old +
Summary: Give teenagers a chance to say what's on their minds, and you might be surprised by what you
hear. That's exactly what Don Meyer, creator of Sibshops and author of VIEWS FROM OUR SHOES did when
he invited together a group of 80 teenagers, from all over the United States and abroad, to talk about
what it's like to have a brother or sister with special needs. Their unedited words are found in THE SIBLING
SLAM BOOK, a brutally honest, non-PC look at the lives, experiences, and opinions of siblings without
disabilities. Formatted like the slam books passed around in many junior high and high schools, this one
poses a series of 50 personal questions along the lines of: What should we know about you? What do you
tell your friends about your sib's disability? What's the weirdest question you have ever been asked about
your sib? If you could change one thing about your sib (or your sib's disability) what would it be? What
annoys you most about how people treat your sib? THE SIBLING SLAM BOOK doesn't slam in the
traditional sense of the word. The tone and point-of-view of the answers are all over the map. Some
answers are assuredly positive, a few are strikingly negative, but most reflect the complex and conflicted
mix of emotions that come with the territory. Whether they read it cover to cover or sample it at random,
teenagers will surely find common ground among these pages and reassurance that they are not alone. It
is a book that parents, friends, and counselors can feel confident recommending to any teenager with a
brother or sister with a disability (Amazon) .
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Sibling-Slam-Book-BrotherSpecial/dp/1890627526/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418161557&sr=11&keywords=What+Its+Really+Like+to+Have+a+Brother+or+Sister+with+Special+Needs

Views From Our Shoes: Growing Up With

a Brother or Sister With Special Needs

Author: Donald Joseph Meyer

Age/grade level: 9 years old +
Summary: In Views From Our Shoes, 45 siblings share their
experiences as the brother or sister of someone with a
disability. The children whose essays are featured here range
from four to eighteen and are the siblings of youngsters with a
variety of special needs, including autism, cerebral palsy,
developmental delays, ADD, hydrocephalus, visual and hearing
impairments, Down and Tourette syndromes.
Their personal tales introduce young siblings to others like
them, perhaps for the first time, and allow them to compare
experiences. A glossary of disabilities provides easy-tounderstand definitions of many of the conditions mentioned
(Amazon).
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Views-Our-Shoes-GrowingBrother/dp/0933149980/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1
418161667&sr=11&keywords=Views+From+Our+Shoes%3A+Growing+Up+With
+a+Brother+or+Sister+With+Special+Needs

My Sister Rose Has Diabetes

Author: Monica Beatty
Age/grade level: 8 years old +
Summary: Discusses the management of Type I
diabetes, highlighting the issues of those
without diabetes who sometimes feel
forgotten in a family preoccupied with this
chronic condition (Amazon).
Link: http://www.amazon.com/My-SisterRose-HasDiabetes/dp/0929173279/ref=sr_1_1?s=books
&ie=UTF8&qid=1418161761&sr=11&keywords=My+Sister+Rose+Has+Diabetes

Joey Pigza Loses Control

Author: Jack Gantos

Age/grade level: 10-14 years old
Summary: When Joey Pigza meets his dad for the first
time in years, he meets a grown-up version of his old outof-control self. Carter Pigza is as wired as Joey used to be - before his stint in special ed, and before he got his new
meds. Joey's mom reluctantly agrees that he can stay with
his dad for a summer visit, which sends Joey racing with
sky-high hopes that he and Carter can finally get to know
each other. But as the weeks whirl by, Carter has bigger
plans in mind. He decides that just as he has pulled
himself up by his own bootstraps, Joey can do the same
and become as normal as any kid, without the help of a
doctor's prescription. Carter believes Joey can do it and
Joey wants to believe him more than anything in the
world (Amazon).
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Joey-Pigza-Loses-ControlGantos/dp/0374399891/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&q
id=1418162065&sr=11&keywords=%09Joey+Pigza+Loses+Control

It Happened to Nancy: A True Story

From the Diary of a Teenager
Author: Anonymous Teenager
Age/grade level: 12-17 years old
Summary: The editor of the classic GO ASK
ALICE has compiled the poignant journals
of a 14-year-old date-rape victim who
contracted AIDS and died (Amazon).
Link: http://www.amazon.com/HappenedNancy-Teenager-StoryDiary/dp/0380773155/ref=sr_1_1?s=book
s&ie=UTF8&qid=1418161869&sr=11&keywords=It+Happened+to+Nancy%3A
+A+True+Story+From+the+Diary+of+a+Tee
nager

Icy Sparks

Author: Gwyn Hyman Rubio

Age/grade level: 17 years old +
Summary: Icy Sparks is the sad, funny and transcendent tale of a young girl growing
up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky during the 1950s. Gwyn Hyman Rubios
beautifully written first novel revolves around Icy Sparks, an unforgettable heroine
in the tradition of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird or Will Treed in Cold Sassy Tree. At
the age of ten, Icy, a bright, curious child orphaned as a baby but raised by adoring
grandparents, begins to have strange experiences. Try as she might, her "secrets"
verbal croaks, groans, and physical spasmskeep afflicting her. As an adult, she will
find out she has Tourettes Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, but for years her
behavior is the source of mystery, confusion, and deep humiliation. Narrated by a
grown up Icy, the book chronicles a difficult, but ultimately hilarious and
heartwarming journey, from her first spasms to her self-acceptance as a young
woman. Curious about life beyond the hills, talented, and energetic, Icy learns to cut
through all barriersphysical, mental, and spiritualin order to find community
and acceptance. Along her journey, Icy faces the jeers of her classmates as well as
the malevolence of her often-ignorant teachersincluding Mrs. Stilton, one of the
most evil fourth grade teachers ever created by a writer. Called willful by her
teachers and "Frog Child" by her schoolmates, she is exiled from the schoolroom
and sent to a childrens asylum where it is hoped that the roots of her mysterious
behavior can be discovered. Here Icy learns about differenceher own and those
who are even more scarred than she. Yet, it isnt until Icy returns home that she
really begins to flower, especially through her friendship with the eccentric and
obese Miss Emily, who knows first-hand how it feels to be an outcast in this tightly
knit Appalachian community. Under Miss Emilys tutelage, Icy learns about lifes
struggles and rewards, survives her first comical and heartbreaking misadventure
with romance, discovers the healing power of her voice when she sings, and
ultimatelytakes her first steps back into the world. Gwyn Hyman Rubios Icy
Sparks is a fresh, original, and completely redeeming novel about learning to
overcome others ignorance and celebrate the differences that make each of us
unique (Amazon).
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Icy-Sparks-Oprahs-BookClub/dp/0142000205/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418161929&sr=11&keywords=icy+sparks

Supplementary Texts
Supplementary texts are very important to include with
critical literacy because it helps children strengthen the
connections they have just made through the text, and
it helps students witness other perspectives a the same
problem.
In the following three slides, you will find three
supplementary resources that will include the
following:

What type of resource it is

Title
author
Description/summary
Link to the source

Come Touch His Cheek

Type: Poem
By: Gary Shulman
Summary: This poem is written by
a parent of a child with special
needs. It provides a unique
perspective as the parent
encourages the reader to
approach others who are different
because they really are no
different than anyone else.
Link:
http://www.familyfriendpoems.co
m/poem/about-children-withdisabilities-come-touch-his-cheek

Come Touch His Cheek

By Gary Shulman
This child of mine you stare at so,
Please come closer so you will know
Just who my child is and what I see
when those sweet eyes stare back at me
I see no limits to my child's life
Although I know
It will be filled with strife,
I'm hoping that doors will open each day
I'm praying that kindness
will come his way
You look frightened?
You tremble with fear?
Come, come closer
touch him my dear
Touch his cheek so soft
so sweet
Be one of those people
he needs to meet
Someone who will look
and hopefully see
The skill, the talent
The ability
Please come closer
You don't have to speak
Come a little closer
Just touch his cheek
And when you do
you will see
this sweet, sweet child
is no different
than you or me

Critical Literacy for Xenophobia: a

Wake-up Call
Type: Journal
By: Stevens, L. P., & Stovall, D. O.
Summary: This journal touches on the current debate
Arizona State Bill 1070 and Arizona House Bill 2281. These
two bills are highly controversial because they state that
the police have the ability to stop anyone to question their
immigration status. This will basically only occur to
Hispanics. The second bill allows schools to exclude
historical events that discuss overtaking the US government
or show resentment towards a particular group of people.
A great supplementary text for an upper grade class just
reading about inclusion.
Link: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40961542

Temple Grandin
Type: Movie
Director: Mick Jackson
Summary: This is a film about Temple Grandin.
Her Autism allowed for her to invent a highly
effective process for producing livestock. Even
though she has Autism, she has been highly
successful. The below link is Grandins official
website. It gives more information on her story
and her views of approaching Autism in a social
way.
Link: http://www.templegrandin.com

Sources for Adults

It is important for adults to have resources on inclusion
in the classroom and society too, so I have created a
special place where you will find two sources just for
adults. It is always a great idea to be very
knowledgeable on a topic before bringing it infront of a
class or a group of children.
The sources will include the following:

Picture of the source

Title and author
Description/summary
Link to source

Understanding (dis)abilities Through

Children's Literature
Author: Kurtts, S. A., & Gavigan, K. W.
Description: This piece of literature
gives a lot of information of how to
teach critical literacy for inclusion in
a classroom.
Link:
http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/libsci
_facpub/40/

Seamless Teaching : Navigating the

Inclusion Spectrum

Creator: Teaching Tolerance

Description: This website article spells out exactly what general education teachers
need to know about including children with special needs into a classroom. It also
discusses the inclusion spectrum. Inclusion will take on a variety of definitions
depending on which students are in a classroom; this website describes such
diversity and what can be done in many different situations.
Link: http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-43-spring-2013/seamlessteaching

References
Coffey, H (n.d.). Critical literacy. Learn NC. Retrieved from
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4437
Gopalakrishnan, A. (2011). Disabilities and the special child. In
Multicultural children's literature: A critical issues approach. (p. 207-226)
Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Kurtts, S. A., & Gavigan, K. W. (2008). Understanding (dis)abilities through
children's literature. Education Libraries, 31(1), 23-31.
Miller, D. L. (2012). Literature opens doors for all children. Phi Delta
Kappan, 94(4), 28-33.
Seamless Teaching : Navigating the Inclusion Spectrum. (2013, January 1).
Retrieved from http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-43-spring2013/seamless-teaching
Shulman, Gary. Come Touch His Cheek. Children Poems. New York: 2013.
Web.
Stevens, L. P., & Stovall, D. O. (2010). Critical literacy for xenophobia: a
wake-up call. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(4), 295-298.
Temple grandin, phd! (2012, January 1). Retrieved from
http://www.templegrandin.com