Best Books for Kids About Disabilities (2026): 5 Compared

A parent watching a child notice a classmate’s wheelchair for the first time often needs the right words, and the best books for kids about disabilities give families those words in story form. This list compares five picture books by reading age, grade level, page count and disability representation, for parents, teachers and young readers.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	ABCs of Inclusion by Leipholtz	9.7/10	Buy
2	Everyone Belongs by Avis	9.7/10	Buy
3	Included by Sanders	9.7/10	Buy
4	Curious George Team by Rey	9.6/10	Buy
5	Meeting Mimi by Dolan	9.6/10	Buy

1

ABCs of Inclusion by Leipholtz

Beth Leipholtz·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 40-page introduction to disability inclusion through twenty-six real kids, for preschool through grade 3 readers.

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Pros

• Introduces twenty-six real kids with a wide range of diagnoses
• 40 pages with new artwork and backmatter from a disability advocacy organization
• Reading age 3+ and grade level Preschool to 3 stated

Cons

• Reading age is marked as from customers
• New illustrated edition, so the artwork differs from the original
• No Lexile or guided reading level is stated

2

Everyone Belongs by Avis

Heather Avis·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 40-page rhyming story about making room for all abilities, for ages 3 to 8.

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Pros

• Rhyming text about including all people and all abilities
• 40-page talent-show story that reads well aloud
• Reading age 3 to 8 and grade level Preschool to 2 stated

Cons

• Reading age is marked as from customers
• No discussion questions or backmatter is mentioned
• The description centers the talent show, with little detail on the disability themes

3

Included by Sanders

Jayneen Sanders·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 40-page book about six kids with unique abilities and inclusive play, for ages 5 to 12.

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Pros

• Follows six kids with unique abilities through everyday play
• Open-ended questions and discussion questions are included
• 40 pages with a reading age of 5 to 12 stated

Cons

• No grade level is stated
• Title mentions unsafe touch, though the description focuses on inclusion
• Reading age tops out at 12, older than the other picks

4

Curious George Team by Rey

H. A. Rey·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 24-page Curious George story about a friend who uses a wheelchair joining a basketball team, for ages 4 to 7.

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Pros

• Shows a wheelchair-using character joining a basketball team
• Familiar Curious George characters for young readers
• Reading age 4 to 7 and grade level Preschool to 3 stated

Cons

• 24 pages, shorter than the 40-page picks
• Now in paperback; no hardcover option is mentioned
• Published January 15, 2019, older than the other picks

5

Meeting Mimi by Dolan

Francie Dolan·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 24-page guided-reading story about a new classmate with different abilities, for ages 2 to 6.

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Pros

• Guided reading level F with Lexile 340L stated
• Vocabulary, post-reading activities and reading tips included
• Reading age 2 to 6 and grade level Preschool to 2 stated

Cons

• 24 pages, shorter than the 40-page picks
• Reading age is marked as from customers
• Volume 7 of the Playing and Learning Together series

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More picks to compare

• Katie Can by PalmerDown syndrome story with reading activities, ages 5 to 8, grades K to 2.Check on Amazon
• All of Us by MadisonFirst conversations about disability for ages 2 to 5, 40 pages.Check on Amazon
• More Than What Eyes See by KwakBlindness told first-person by a blind author, ages 5 to 9, 36 pages.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the reader, contents and edition, value, and the listed reading age or level where one is given. All five picks list a reading age and four list a grade level, with two reading ages marked as from customers. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best books for kids about disabilities

Match the reading age and grade level

Reading ages here run from a customer-listed 2 to 6 on Meeting Mimi to 5 to 12 on Included, with grade levels from Preschool to 3 on the ABCs of Inclusion and Curious George Joins the Team. When the listing marks the reading age as from customers, treat it as a shopper note rather than a publisher recommendation. Pick the age band that matches the child, not the one that stretches the farthest. For readers who have outgrown picture books, see our middle grade books list.

Picture book or early reader

The 40-page books, the ABCs of Inclusion, Everyone Belongs and Included, suit read-aloud time and classroom discussion, and Included adds discussion questions for it. Meeting Mimi is built as an early reader, with guided reading level F, Lexile 340L, vocabulary and post-reading activities stated. Choose the format that matches how the child reads now. See our best books for kids about empathy for more read-aloud picks.

Real kids or fictional characters

The ABCs of Inclusion introduces twenty-six real kids with autism, hearing differences, epilepsy, Down syndrome and more than a dozen other diagnoses. The other four use fictional characters: Tina’s wheelchair basketball story in Curious George Joins the Team, Mimi’s new-school story, the talent show in Everyone Belongs and the six kids of Included. Both approaches work; real stories give names and faces, fiction gives a familiar world to return to. Our best children’s books about disabilities list covers more of both.

Before you buy

• Check the reading age and grade level on the listing against the child, and note when the reading age is marked as from customers.
• Confirm the edition and ISBN, since several of these titles exist in newer illustrated editions.
• Look for discussion questions, vocabulary or backmatter if the book is for classroom use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age are these books for?

The listings state reading ages from a customer-listed 2 to 6 up to 5 to 12, with grade levels from Preschool to 3. Match the stated age and grade to the child rather than stretching to the oldest band.

Are these books fiction or nonfiction?

Four are fiction: Everyone Belongs, Included, Meeting Mimi and Curious George Joins the Team. The ABCs of Inclusion introduces twenty-six real kids, per the description.

Do any of these books include discussion questions?

Included states open-ended questions and discussion questions for conversations about diversity. Meeting Mimi states vocabulary, post-reading activities and reading tips, and the ABCs of Inclusion states backmatter from a disability advocacy organization.

Still deciding? Our top pickABCs of Inclusion by Leipholtz

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Related lists

See every picture books list and all kids and teens lists.

More lists: books about empathy, books about kindness, books about feelings and children’s books about disabilities.