It's Disability Pride Month!

Sarah

July is Disability Pride Month! Now is a time to commemorate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Below we have some new 2025-2026 book recommendations for teens highlighting a variety of genres and representations of different disabilities in fiction! You can find all of these awesome books in our catalog. 

  • Hello sunshine by Keezy Young.
    • Horror graphic novel. Schizoaffective disorder representation. 
    • "Noah is heartbroken. He returns from Bible camp to find that Alex, his secret boyfriend, has had a breakdown and disappeared. He wishes more than anything that he hadn't left that day. Sky is determined. She'll stop at nothing to find her childhood friend, even if it means alienating the people she loves. Izzy is ashamed. She knew something weird was going on with Alex, and she didn't say anything to her boyfriend, Jamie--Alex's twin brother. If she had, would Alex still be here? Jamie is angry. Angry at Alex for being gone, angry at himself for not noticing something was wrong, and angry at his long-dead mother, Desdemona, who had problems of her own. But what if there was something more to Desdemona's demons? Why is Jamie seeing her ghost? And can he get past his hatred of her if it means finding out what happened to his brother?"
  • Hazelthorn by CG Drews. 
    • Horror novel. Autism representation. 
    • "Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow: He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron's charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie. That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him. When Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn’s immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family's vast wealth. But Evander's sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next. Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family’s dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he’s really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more."
  • The golden boy's guide to bipolar by Sonido Reyes. 
    • Contemporary novel. Bipolar disorder representation. 
      "Seventeen-year-old Cesar Flores is finally ready to win back his ex-boyfriend. Since breaking up with Jamal in a last-ditch effort to stay in the closet, he's come out to Mami, his sister, Yami, and their friends, taken his meds faithfully, and gotten his therapist's blessing to reunite with Jamal. Everything would be perfect if it weren't for The Thoughts--the ones that won't let all his Catholic guilt and internalizations stay buried where he wants them. The louder they become, the more Cesar is once again convinced that he doesn't deserve someone like Jamal--or anyone really. Cesar can hide a fair amount of shame behind jokes and his "gifted" reputation, but when a manic episode makes his inner turmoil impossible to hide, he's faced with a stark choice: burn every bridge he has left or, worse--ask for help. But is the mortifying vulnerability of being loved by the people he's hurt the most a risk he's willing to take?"
  • Until the clock strikes midnight by Alechia Dow. 
    • Fantasy novel. Bipolar disorder representation. 
    • "Darling, a talented Guardian, must turn her assignment Lucy's life around in order to succeed, while Calamity, a skilled Misfortune, works hard to prolong Lucy's streak of bad luck; yet as they insert themselves into Lucy's life, the two begin to question their roles, and their initial loathing for each other starts to change."
  • You started it by Jackie Khalilieh. 
    • Contemporary novel. Anxiety disorder and IBS representation. 
    • "Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster has big plans for senior year. She's made a list of things and places in Toronto she and her boyfriend of three years, Ben Cameron, need to check off before graduating. And the biggest plan of all: a very special night for the two of them at the upcoming Winter Formal. But then Ben arrives back home after a summer away with an unthinkable announcement: he wants to break up. And when Jamie discovers him with Olivia Chen the next day, she is determined to get him back. Even if that means fake dating the younger, curly-haired, TikTok dancer Axel Dahini, whose bicycle she accidentally ran over. Though she and Axel have nothing in common aside from their shared Arab heritage -- she's a messy, type A with anxiety; he's carefree but meticulous -- their forced time together brings them to better understand one another. And for Jamie, it just might mean learning that not all experiences or people need to be crossed off a list."
    • Contemporary novel. Endometriosis representation. 
    • "Seventeen-year-old Delia's frustrating journey to find a diagnosis for her excruciating menstrual pain leads to a fateful decision to self-medicate with marijuana, putting her future in jeopardy. High school senior Delia Bridges has a bright future--until her debilitating, undiagnosed endometriosis and a desperate attempt to manage the pain with marijuana lead to her expulsion. With her dreams of becoming a compassionate doctor at risk, Delia must confront the limits of a system that ignores her suffering and redefine her identity beyond her illness.
  • The gravewood by Kelly Andrew. 
    • Dark fantasy novel. D/deaf representation. 
    • "Shea Parker has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Gravewood, an impassable forest that's cut off her town from the rest of the world. With resources limited and supplies scarce, Shea is forced to carefully ration her hearing aid batteries. When her stash runs out, she'll be left in the silence. Desperate, Shea turns to the only person who can help -- Oliver Lysander, the volatile leader of a vampiric gang that rules the Gravewood. The arrangement between Shea and Lysander starts off simply enough. She gives him her blood. He tracks down batteries. They don't cross any lines. They don't make it personal. But when Shea's best friend is lured into the Gravewood, her disappearance brings her older brother home from the frontlines. Asher Thorley is willing to do whatever it takes to find his sister, even if it means holding Shea's ugliest secrets over her head. Ever an opportunist, Lysander renegotiates the terms of their deal. If Asher takes out Lysander's vampire rival, Lysander will help him find his sister. And if Shea agrees to Turn, Lysander will give her a cure for her ailing mother. For the first time ever, Shea finds herself leaving home. Swallowed up in the dreamlike dark of the Gravewood and traveling in the company of killers, it isn't long before she risks becoming one herself."
  • Hollow by Taylor Grothe.
    • Horror novel. Autism representation. 
    • "After a meltdown in her school cafeteria prompts an unwanted autism diagnosis, Cassie Davis moves back to her hometown in upstate New York, where her mom hopes the familiarity will allow Cassie to feel normal again. Cassie's never truly felt normal anywhere, but she does crave the ease she used to have with her old friends. Problem is that her friends aren't so eager to welcome her back into the fold. They extend an olive branch by inviting her on their backpacking trip to Hollow Ridge, in the upper reaches of the Adirondacks. But when a fight breaks out their first night, Cassie wakes to a barren campsite--her friends all gone. With severe weather approaching and nearing sensory overload, Cassie is saved by a boy named Kaleb, who whisks her away to a compound of artists and outcasts he calls the Roost. As Kaleb tends to her injuries, Cassie begins to feel--for the first time in her life--that she can truly be herself. But as the days pass, strange happenings around the Roost make Cassie question her instincts. Noises in the trees grow louder, begging the question: Are the dangers in the forest, on the trail, or in the Roost itself?"
 
And be sure to check out Brooklyn Public Library's amazing Inclusive Services department, which offers incredible programming for all ages. 
 
About Inclusive Services: "Inclusive Services at BPL provides unique programs for children and teens with and without disabilities. Fostering an inclusive environment, we open our doors to children and teens with and without disabilities their peers, parents, caregivers, and educators."

Upcoming Events

Read and Play

Wed, Jul 22 1:00pm
Greenpoint Library

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

This is a NEW 6 - week series running from July 15 - August 19th. Today's session is Week 2 of 6. 

 

 

Registration is required in advance. Please join the waitlist if the program is full. Group size limited to 12. 

Please visit the Greenpoint library…

Read and Play

Wed, Jul 22 2:00pm
Sunset Park Library

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

Hear stories, make friends and play at our inclusive story time.  For children birth to age 5 with and without disabilities. ASL Interpretation available upon advanced request. A parent or caregiver must accompany children.

For more information email inclusiveservicesevents@…

After School Stories

Wed, Jul 22 4:30pm
Sunset Park Library

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

Come and hear stories, sing songs, make something fun, and work in the garden! For children 6-12 years old with and without disabilities. Group size limited to 12. A parent or caregiver must accompany children. ASL Interpretation available upon advanced request.

For more information,…

Our Garden Club

Wed, Jul 22 4:30pm
Greenpoint, Demonstration Garden

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

Let’s see what we can grow in Brooklyn! Plant seeds and watch them grow. Read stories, sing, dance, take home plants and flowers.  For children with and without disabilities. Kids and tweens welcome - ages 6 to 12.

 

 

Read and Play

Thu, Jul 23 1:00pm
Flatlands Library

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

Hear stories, make friends and play at our inclusive story time.  For children birth to age 5 with and without disabilities. 

ASL Interpretation available upon advanced request.

Read and Play

Thu, Jul 23 2:30pm
Saratoga, Meeting Room

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

Hear stories, make friends and play at our inclusive story time.  For children birth to age 5 with and without disabilities. 

Group size limited to 12.

 

Bilingual in English/Polish. ASL Interpretation available upon advanced request.

Our Garden Club

Thu, Jul 23 4:30pm
Flatlands Library

developmental disabilities gardening Inclusive Services

Let’s see what we can grow in Brooklyn! Plant seeds and watch them grow. Read stories, sing, dance, take home plants and flowers.  For children with and without disabilities. Kids and tweens welcome - ages 6 to 12.

 

 

Our Garden Club

Thu, Jul 23 4:30pm
Saratoga Library

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

Let’s see what we can grow in Brooklyn! Plant seeds and watch them grow. Read stories, sing, dance, take home plants and flowers.  For children with and without disabilities. Kids and tweens welcome - ages 6 to 12.

 

 

ASL at BPL Movies: Double Feature - The LACD Story AND Five Seasons

Fri, Jul 24 3:45pm
Central Library, Info Commons Lab

Inclusive Services movies at the library sign language

A double feature presentation: 

The LACD Story  (1985), a documentary about the legendary Los Angeles Club of the Deaf, a social & performance place central to Deaf history. (30 minutes)

Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf  (2025) explores urban gardens and…

Play and Create Crew presented by Extreme Kids & Crew

Fri, Jul 24 4:00pm
Gerritsen Beach Library

ADHD autism developmental disabilities

Welcome to Play and Create Crew, where fun meets growth though building, art, and sensory play! Our program invites kids ages 5-12 to explore their creativity, develop social skills, and build confidence in a supportive and inclusive environment. Through hands-on activities like building with…

 

This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.

 

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