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Talking disability and ableism with kids
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Hi Reader, Do you, your child, or someone they love have a disability? Approximately 1 in 4 Americans has a disabilty, but it's not something most of us talk with children about very often. I've been busy the last 2 weeks creating new resources and updating an old one to help you have conversations with kids of all ages so that all of us can better understand - and dismantle - ableism. (If you're new to the term, I'd sum up ableism as all the beliefs, behaviors, patterns, and laws in our society that devalue disabled people and discriminate against them.) New book list: Chapter books that challenge ableism (with suggestions for ages 7 - 14) There's so much variety in this list, from one of my favorite historical fiction books about a community in Massachusetts where both hearing and deaf people used sign language in the early 1800s to a novel-in-verse about a neurodivergent kid who pushes his family to see he's ready for challenges outside a self-contained classroom. Theater kids will love the book by Wicked performer Ali Stroker, which focuses on a girl who knows that she can dance along with the rest of the case while using her wheelchair. I've included the novel my son and I read together soon after realizing he had ADHD, which prompted a lot of good discussion. Some of these books explicitly unpack different forms of disability and how it shapes the main character's life. Others simply show disabled kids living their everyday lives. (It's important to read both kinds of books!) My favorite is a book by disabled co-authors that shows why extra attention (including positive attention about how "you're so amazing") can be so uncomfortable for kids. I've included two excellent books that unpack concepts like ableism and access for young readers, without being boring. There are fun stories: one about an exuberant and little bit naughty puppy and his best friend (a wheelchair user) and another about a long day exploring the beach, where the main character happens to be disabled. New family-friendly resource guide: Learning about disability and taking action against ableism This guide is available for Pay What You Can pricing starting at $3. (I don't want cost to be a barrier, so please reply to this email if that's more than you're able to pay.) This 16 page guide ncludes:
Happy learning, Rebekah Rebekah Gienapp (she/her/hers) | rebekahgienapp.com | Connect on Instagram | Coffees for Gaza | Knit 4 Justice |
Raising antiracist kids
Are you a parent, caregiver, or educator who wants to help children become brave justice seekers? Subscribe for practical tips, children's book recommendations, and resources for antiracist families and classrooms.
Hi Reader, Over the next 11 days, your family will be exposed to a lot of half-truths and myths about the history of the United States. Celebrating the Declaration of Independence's assertion that "all men are created equal" without acknowledging the same celebrated document talks about how Britain hasn't protected colonists from "the merciless Indian Savages." Upholding the uniqueness of the U.S. Constitution, with no recognition that many of its ideas were taken from the Haudenosaunee...
Hi Reader, This Friday is Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the actual end to slavery, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Historian Jemar Tisby recently referred to Juneteenth as "the counter-narrative to America 250" because it focuses on truth-telling rather than myth-making. My newest blog post has 9 children's books, plus videos, activities, and resources for Juneteenth. Here's what's inside: 🖤a brand new picture book that reads like a love letter...
Hi Reader, I've never met Dr. Debbie Reese, a children's literature scholar who is a member of the Nambé Pueblo nation, but I consider her a mentor. It's been years since I first heard her talk about what happens when you do an internet image search for Native Americans, but I still think about what she shared regularly. Typically, the top images are all of Native people of the past, not the present. This isn't true when you do searches for other racial and ethnic groups. When kids do realize...