Schneider Family Book Award
The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
2016 Winners:
Middle School - Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally moves through multiple elementary schools without learning to read by using her strengths in math and art along with some behavior distractions. When a new teacher discovers Ally has dyslexia, he uses patience and sensitivity to build up Ally’s confidence as well as her ability to read.
Middle School - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley
Set during World War II, Ada is a resourceful character who slowly and believably makes accommodations for her untreated club foot. Her growth as a character, her acceptance by the villagers, and the home she and her brother make with Susan, their sponsor, are both heartfelt and powerful.
Teen - The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten
Enter 13B, where the support group for young adults with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder meets each week. Here an unlikely band of “superheroes” led by their own “Batman,” Adam, works together to confront their personal struggles and discover the inner strength to keep moving forward.
Middle School - Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally moves through multiple elementary schools without learning to read by using her strengths in math and art along with some behavior distractions. When a new teacher discovers Ally has dyslexia, he uses patience and sensitivity to build up Ally’s confidence as well as her ability to read.
Middle School - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley
Set during World War II, Ada is a resourceful character who slowly and believably makes accommodations for her untreated club foot. Her growth as a character, her acceptance by the villagers, and the home she and her brother make with Susan, their sponsor, are both heartfelt and powerful.
Teen - The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten
Enter 13B, where the support group for young adults with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder meets each week. Here an unlikely band of “superheroes” led by their own “Batman,” Adam, works together to confront their personal struggles and discover the inner strength to keep moving forward.
2015 Winners:
Middle School - Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Rose’s (Rows) life is regulated by rules, her love for her dog Rain (Rein, Reign), prime numbers, and homonyms, in almost equal measure. When a superstorm causes a tumult to Rose’s life and that of her community, she is faced with needing to make a courageous choice.
Teen - Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
After completing their high school’s special education program, Biddy and Quincy are placed as roommates – to Biddy’s delight and Quincy’s horror. Through unflinching dual points of view, these young women discover that they have much to gain and learn about life from each other including a sense of family.
Middle School - Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Rose’s (Rows) life is regulated by rules, her love for her dog Rain (Rein, Reign), prime numbers, and homonyms, in almost equal measure. When a superstorm causes a tumult to Rose’s life and that of her community, she is faced with needing to make a courageous choice.
Teen - Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
After completing their high school’s special education program, Biddy and Quincy are placed as roommates – to Biddy’s delight and Quincy’s horror. Through unflinching dual points of view, these young women discover that they have much to gain and learn about life from each other including a sense of family.
2014 Winners:
Middle School - Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
“Reluctant Princess Tilda, sheltered due to her deformed foot, longs to escape her destiny. A thwarted kidnapping sends Tilda, Lord Parzifal and her handmaiden Judith on a dragon-hunting quest. Supported by friends and dragons, Tilda realizes her physical limitations do not define her.”
Teen - Rose under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
After a daring flight maneuver, young pilot Rose Justice is captured by Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women’s concentration camp. Assigned to a high security unit, Rose survives under the wing of the “Rabbits,” Polish political prisoners, subjected to medical experimentation by Nazi doctors.
Middle School - Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
“Reluctant Princess Tilda, sheltered due to her deformed foot, longs to escape her destiny. A thwarted kidnapping sends Tilda, Lord Parzifal and her handmaiden Judith on a dragon-hunting quest. Supported by friends and dragons, Tilda realizes her physical limitations do not define her.”
Teen - Rose under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
After a daring flight maneuver, young pilot Rose Justice is captured by Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women’s concentration camp. Assigned to a high security unit, Rose survives under the wing of the “Rabbits,” Polish political prisoners, subjected to medical experimentation by Nazi doctors.
2013 Winners:
Middle School - A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean
A year after her mother’s death, Cally, a fifth grader, has stopped speaking when no one seems to care about what she has to say. When her family moves to a new apartment, Cally meets 11--year-old, Sam who is deaf and blind. Through her friendship with Sam and the mysterious appearance of a dog, Cally finds her voice.
Teen - Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis
Ben surprises everyone by enlisting in the army after his high school graduation. When his convoy is caught in an IED explosion, Ben suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in memory loss and other disabilities. His 15-year-old brother Chris, who has autism, becomes a critical catalyst to Ben’s recovery.
Middle School - A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean
A year after her mother’s death, Cally, a fifth grader, has stopped speaking when no one seems to care about what she has to say. When her family moves to a new apartment, Cally meets 11--year-old, Sam who is deaf and blind. Through her friendship with Sam and the mysterious appearance of a dog, Cally finds her voice.
Teen - Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis
Ben surprises everyone by enlisting in the army after his high school graduation. When his convoy is caught in an IED explosion, Ben suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in memory loss and other disabilities. His 15-year-old brother Chris, who has autism, becomes a critical catalyst to Ben’s recovery.
2012 Winners:
Middle School - Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick
Rose and Ben are children who are deaf living 50 years and worlds apart, yet both marvel and connect with the world around them. The American Museum of Natural History links their separate stories – one narrated in text, the other through cinematic illustrations.
Middle School - Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
Twelve-year-old Foster dreams of growing up to become a famous celebrity chef despite her reading disability. Can the quirky townsfolk of tiny Culpepper help Foster succeed?
Teen - The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
When sixteen-year-old track star Jessica loses her leg in an accident, she is devastated believing she will never run again. Rehabilitation forces Jessica to confront disabilities and rethink her physical limitations.
Middle School - Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick
Rose and Ben are children who are deaf living 50 years and worlds apart, yet both marvel and connect with the world around them. The American Museum of Natural History links their separate stories – one narrated in text, the other through cinematic illustrations.
Middle School - Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
Twelve-year-old Foster dreams of growing up to become a famous celebrity chef despite her reading disability. Can the quirky townsfolk of tiny Culpepper help Foster succeed?
Teen - The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
When sixteen-year-old track star Jessica loses her leg in an accident, she is devastated believing she will never run again. Rehabilitation forces Jessica to confront disabilities and rethink her physical limitations.