Banner image from The Snail by Henri Matisse, part of Tate's Disability and Art Online Exhibit

BUSD recognizes the valuable contributions that individuals with disabilities make to our community, and celebrates the contributions they make to our learning experiences. These reading lists, organized by grade level, are devoted to uplifting and affirming these voices and stories. 

We are proud of the full spectrum of BUSD’s diversity and recognize that ableism is a core barrier to equity and inclusion. All members of our community have a role to play in creating an inclusive society. 

While we realize that "disability" is an imperfect term, we use it here to recognize both the visible and invisible differences that many students and members of our communities live with, including physical differences, learning differences, chronic illness and mental health challenges, and neurodivergence. (For books that specifically highlight neurodiversity, please click here.)

Sharing this list is one part of our effort to educate our students as they develop an anti-ableist consciousness. Furthermore, this list affirms our support and advocacy for our students with disabilities - we want them to know that they are not alone and that they can speak out to help stop the spread of prejudice.  

How do I read these books?

Many of these books are available through Berkeley school libraries as a physical and/or ebook. For more information about any of these books, or to check one of them out, ask your school librarian.

• 3-12 graders can find hundreds of great options on Sora. For Sora ebooks, you will be prompted to log in through Clever. More information on how to access Sora is available here.

• TK-2 graders can find great ebooks and read-alouds through Tumblebooks or the Berkeley Public Library.

• You will need a Berkeley Public Library card to order books through the Berkeley Public Library catalog. If you need a Berkeley Public Library card, click here. 

For more information and instructions on accessing ebooks and audiobooks, visit our Digital Books page.

At a time when so many small businesses are struggling to keep their doors open, we also encourage folks to support our local bookstores: 

Ashay by the Bay, Bandung Books, Eastwind Books, Marcus Books, Mrs. Dalloways, Moe’s Books, Mr. Mopps, Books Inc., and Pegasus Books.