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If you’re looking for some books to add to your Christmas list featuring great disability representation then make sure to check out our list below. These are available in print format, as well as audio and digital options making them accessible for everyone

All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle |Teens/YA

This young adult rom-com follows Cara and Connor. Cara’s parents have recently gotten divorced and her mum ends up being invited to participate in a reality dating show about single parents. Connor, who has Ehlers-Danos Syndrome, is the son of one of the other contestants, so he and Cara definitely shouldn’t get together… Right?

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | YA

A fantasy high stakes heist that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Six of Crows follows six outcasts all looking to complete a near impossible mission lead by criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker who thanks to a traumatic childhood incident has to walk with a cane and lives with PTSD. Kaz’s mobility is based on the author’s own experiences and the portrayal of his disability has been described as “realistic, respectful and nuanced.”

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert | Romance

The first in a trilogy following the lives of the three Brown sisters, Chloe’s story starts with a near death experience. Chloe, already dealing with chronic illness, decides that she needs to Get a Life and sets herself a series of challenges which she completes with the help of the superintendent of her building. The superintendent she definitely isn’t in love with and actually hates…

Gallant by V E Schwab | Middle Grade/ YA

This gothic and fantastical tale stars orphaned Olivia Prior who is non verbal. She communicates using sign language but as no one at her boarding school knows sign language, the only people she can communicate with are the ghosts that haunt the building. One day she receives a mysterious letter from an uncle who wishes to claim her, but all is not what it seems.

One for All by Lillie Lainoff | Historical fiction

Inspired by the Three Musketeers, One for All follows a group of girls who become the king’s undercover musketeers in 17th century France. One of the girls, like the author and the audio book narrator, has POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) which features heavily throughout the story.

Nowhere to Hide by Nell Pattison | Thriller

This one is a good one to get for Christmas because it takes place over Boxing Day. Seven friends, including Emily who is Deaf, decide to go on a hike to do a spot of bird watching. They decide to separate out into smaller groups but when one is shot, all seven descend into panic and try to get home before the next one is targeted.

True Biz by Sara Nović | Fiction

Set at the River Valley School for the Deaf, this book features the intertwining stories of the students and teachers. School headteacher, February balances her life as head of the school with taking care of her mother who has dementia, while the students deal with the struggles of growing up and day to day life.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin | Fiction

The story of best friends Sam and Sadie who combine their skills and love of video games to set up their own gaming production company earning fame, fortune and everything that goes along with it. Sam’s love of gaming comes from a tragic car accident as a child in which his foot was permanently damaged and later in the book is removed.

Easy Beauty by Chloé Cooper Jones | Memoir

Author Chloé was born with a rare congenital condition and documents her journey through physical and mental pain to becoming a mother herself.

Unbroken: 13 stories starring disabled teens | Anthology

Written by a host of disabled authors and edited by Marieke Nijkamp, this series of short stories explore disability across several genres with everything from adventure to romance.

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz | YA

With a tagline like “they don’t die in this one” you know that this is a little different to books like The Fault in Our Stars and Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. This one features Isabel, who has Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Sasha, who has Gaucher Disease, and their romance as they each tackle their chronic pain.

Do you have any other recommendations for books featuring disabled protagonists that should be added to our Christmas lists? Make sure to let us know by getting in touch on Facebook or Twitter.

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