I’m an adult fiction writer, because that’s how I think and what I prefer to read, but I recently stumbled across a blog that specializes in reviewing middle-age and YA literature that features characters with disabilities. It’s a fantastic site, and one I felt I should give a shout-out to here on the blog for those of you interested in YA or children’s books.
http://disabilityinkidlit.com/
Part of their mission statement reads:
Disability in Kidlit is dedicated to discussing the portrayal of disability in middle grade and young adult literature. We publish articles, reviews, interviews, and discussions, examining this topic from various angles–but always from the disabled perspective.
We believe that a thoughtful portrayal of disability requires more than memorizing a list of symptoms; we hope that sharing people’s thoughts on their day-to-day experiences, pet peeves, and existing characters, will help our readers learn about the realities of disability, which are often different from what we see in popular media.
I heartily agree with their mission and am glad such a site exists. If only there were an equivalent for adult books! (Maybe someday…)
In addition to book reviews, they also have articles, including this lengthy, but interesting one about the lack of diversity of depression in most fiction, which you can read here.
If you’re at all interested in children’s literature, or simply agree that promoting realistic portrayals of characters with disabilities is a worthwhile goal, check them out!
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