DREAM is a disability media project designed to ensure children’s books created by, for, and about people with disabilities are available and easy to find at schools, libraries, and community spaces.
Learn More | Host a Collection
All the Way to the Top
By Annette Bay Pimentel | eBook
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Jennifer Keelan grew up battling-and overcoming-the limitations others set for her. But after discovering the world of disability rights activism, she knew she had to use her voice to change things. At eight years old, she participated in the Capitol Crawl. The deeply affecting image of Jennifer crawling up the steps of Capitol Hill went viral and helped pressure Congress into passing the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Awesomely Emma: A Charley and Emma Story
By Amy Webb | eBook | hoopla eBbook
I love being me, because me is an awesome thing to be! Emma has limb differences, but different isn’t bad, sad, or strange. It’s just different! But when some accessibility problems get in the way at the local art museum, it ruins the fun of a class trip…and then Emma’s friend Charley makes things even worse! In the middle of a really bad day, Emma has to call upon her sense of inner awesome to stand up for herself and teach everyone a lesson about the transformative power of feeling awesome in your own skin.
Bodies Are Cool
By Tyler Feder | eBook
Highlighting the various skin tones, body shapes, abilities, and hair types is just the beginning in this truly inclusive book. With its joyful illustrations and encouraging poetic refrain, it will instill body acceptance and confidence in the youngest of readers.
Ferdinand with the Extra Toes
By Katie Maskey | Book | Instagram
Ferdinand is an extra special cat! He was born with polydactyly which means that he has extra toes on his paws. Ferdinand likes to watch the neighborhood cats play outside his window, but the other cats do not like to include him on their adventures. Will Ferdinand be able to help these cats when disaster strikes? Author Katie Maskey modeled the hero after her own polydactyl cat, Ferdinand. You can follow the real adventures of Ferdinand on Instagram!
I Am Not a Label: 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes, and Activists from Past and Present
By Cerrie Burnell | eBook | hoopla eAudio
Meet 34 trailblazing role models with disabilities from around the world and throughout history, whose incredible lives and careers demonstrate that living with a disability or a chronic illness is not a definition, but just one part of what makes these amazing athletes, activists, thinkers and artists so unique.
I Will Dance
By Nancy Bo Flood | eBook
Eva longs to dance. But unlike many would-be dancers, Eva has cerebral palsy. She doesn’t know what dance looks like for someone who uses a wheelchair. Then Eva learns of a place that has created a class for dancers of all abilities. Her first movements in the studio are tentative, but with the encouragement of her instructor and fellow students, Eva becomes more confident. Eva found a place where everyone truly belongs and at last her dream of dancing has come true. This story is based on the inclusive programs of the Young Dance company in St. Paul, MN. (Young Dance – Transforming Lives Through Movement).
Just Ask: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
By Sonia Sotomayor | eBook | Spanish
Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful. Here, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges and the differences that makes each of us unique.
Looking Out For Sarah
By Glenna Lang | hoopla eBook
In this story of friendship, loyalty, and trust, spend a day in the life of Sarah and her guide dog, Perry. Perry explains how he helps Sarah go shopping, to the post office, and take the train to school. Sarah, a blind musician and teacher, entertains the children she teaches and tells them about the time she and Perry walked from Boston to New York to show the world what a blind person can accomplish with the help of a guide dog.
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
By Cari Best
Zulay is blind. She and her three best friends are all in the same first grade class and study the same things. When their teacher asks her students what activity they want to do on Field Day, Zulay surprises everyone when she says she wants to run a race. With the help of a special aide and the support of her friends, Zulay does just that.
Out Into the Big Wide Lake
By Paul Harbridge | eBook
Kate, who has Down syndrome, visits her grandparents on her own for the first time at their lakeside home. She’s nervous but excited at the adventure ahead. She helps her grandfather with his grocery deliveries by boat, where she meets all the neighbors, including a very grumpy old man named Walter. Her grandmother even teaches her to pilot the boat all by herself! When her grandfather takes ill suddenly, it’s up to Kate — but can she really make all those deliveries, even to grumpy old Walter? She has to try! Based on the author’s sister, Kate is a lovable, brave, smart, and feisty character moving story about facing fears and gaining independence.
Rescue and Jessica
By Paul Harbridge | DVD | eAudiobook | eBook | hoopla eAudio | hoopla ReadAlong eAudio | hoopla movie
Rescue thought he’d grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog, but when he gets the news that he’s better suited to being a service dog, he’s worried that he’s not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl whose life is turning out differently than the way she’d imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. Based on a real-life partnership, the authors share endnote information about service dogs, including their real-life best friend and black lab, Rescue.
Tammy Duckworth (My Itty-Bitty Bio)
By Paul Harbridge | eBook | hoopla eBook
The My Itty-Bitty Bio series is meant for the earliest readers. This is the story of veteran and senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs and some mobility in her right arm in a helicopter crash while serving in Iraq.
When Charley Met Emma
By Amy Webb | eBook | hoopla eBook
When Charley goes to the playground and sees Emma, a girl with limb differences who gets around in a wheelchair, he doesn’t know how to react at first. But after he and Emma start talking, he learns that different isn’t bad, sad, or strange–different is just different! This wonderful book will help kids think about disability, kindness, and how to behave when they meet someone who is different from them.
You Are Enough
By Margaret O’Hair and Sofia Sanchez | eBook
It can be hard to be different-whether because of how you look, where you live, or what you can or can’t do. But wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same? Being different is what makes you YOU. This inclusive and empowering picture book, written by Sofia Sanchez, a young model and actress with Down syndrome, reminds readers how important it is to embrace your differences, be confident, and be proud of who you are. This book also includes a brief bio of Sofia and her journey so far, as well as additional information about Down syndrome and how we can all be more accepting, more inclusive, and more kind.
Reading Challenge
Classrooms will participate in a Reading Challenge, using the highly recommended children’s books provided. During the second half of the school year, the participating classrooms will receive disability education and each classroom teacher will receive a teacher toolkit with extension activities and calls to action. The goal of the DREAM school program is to continue fostering inclusion and normalizing disability.
Williams County
- St. Mary Edgerton School
- St. Patrick Catholic School
- Montpelier Elementary School
- Bryan City Schools
- West Unity/Hilltop
- Edon Local Schools
Fulton County
- New Horizons Academy
- Pike Delta York Local Schools
- Fayette Local School
- Archbold Schools
- Swanton Schools
- St. Richard Roman Catholic
- Wauseon School
- Pettisville Local Schools
Defiance County
- Holy Cross Catholic School
- Hicksville Elementary School
- St. John Lutheran School
- Defiance Elementary School
Henry County
- Liberty Center Local Schools
- Holgate School
- St. John Lutheran School
Wood County- New Schools
- Otsego Elementary School
- Bowling Green (Crim, Kenwood, and Conneaut)
Wood County- Current Schools
- Perrysburg
- Union
- Fort Meigs
- Frank
- Toth
- Woodland
Lucas County-New Partners
- Navigating Autism
- East Toledo Family Center
- Promedica Pediatrics Perrysburg
- Arrowhead Pediatrics Maumee (Promedica)
- DR ARRISS Promedica Physician Eyecare
- Wood County Children’s Resource
- Temple Shomer Emunim Jewish
- YWCA
- Nationwide Pediatric Therapy
Lucas Country – New Schools
- ILead Spring Meadows
- Toledo Christian Schools
- Central Trail Sylvania
- Maplewood Elementary Sylvania
- Hill View Elementary
- Highland Elementary School
- Brightside Academy Woodville
- Brightside Academy Garrison
- Springfield- Holland Intermediate
- TPS- Old West End
- Northwest Ohio Classical Academy
- Sylvania After School Program
- TPS Glendale Fielbach
- TPS Glendale Feilbach
- Counselor TPS Robinson
- Brightside Lagrange
- TPS 2nd Grade Riverside
- TPS Whittier Elementary 3rd Grade
- Fairgreen Preschool
- Christ The King
Lucas Country – Current Schools
- Whitehouse Primary
- Springfield- Holloway
- Swanton
- Toledo Public Schools
- Byrnedale
- Glenwood
- Robinson
- Stewart
- Walbridge
- Hawkins
- Escula SMART Academy
- East Broadway
- Oakdale
- Old West End
- Burroughs
- Washington Local Schools
- Greenwood
- Hiawatha
- McGregor
- Meadowvale
- Monac
- Shoreland
- Silver Creek
- Wernert
- Lake Erie West Education Service Center
- Washington Locals Schools (Westwood Learning Center)
- Maumee (Union Preschool)
- Anthony Wayne (Waterville, Monclova)
DREAM Book Project School Partners
“Representation matters. My children need to see themselves in pop culture, but just as importantly, so do their peers. I want my kids to go to school in a place where it is more than just ok to stick out. That our differences are celebrated and that our abilities are nurtured, no matter what they are. I want a world where potential and success are not measured by your test scores, but by a fulfilling life bursting with choices.”
– Heidi Bollin, Parent
“The DREAM books opened dialogue between my students that otherwise may never have taken place. They developed an increased awareness of children with disabilities, as well as how to include them and make them feel like they belong and are welcome. The variety of books helped them understand a wide span of disabilities, develop empathy, and taught them in a way that fostered acceptance. The DREAM books became some of my students’ favorite read aloud this year!”
– Kristi Kalo, 2nd Grade Teacher
“As a mother of a child with a disability, it brings me great joy that not only are schools implementing a truly inclusive educational environment for all children but parents of children with all abilities are demanding it. Diversity without disability is not true diversity. Children need to be in community with individuals of all abilities. We need to provide our children with the opportunity to see differences in a positive light and provide them with the language and understanding of true diversity. I am thankful for the DREAM program for providing beautiful stories featuring individuals with disabilities in leading roles showing our children that we are all more alike than different.”
– Helena Boyer, Parent
“Every kid deserves to see themselves in the books they read. The DREAM project not only makes that possible, but also empowers teachers to help all their students learn more about disability, kindness, and inclusion.”
