UK Entries in disability literature for children: Press Release

This list comprises forty titles selected from 200 submissions from IBBY sections around the world. This year’s final selection came from 24 countries and includes 18 languages.

Shit Bag is the story of Freya who is seventeen and who needs a colostomy bag. It explores in heartfelt and often dark detail – there is a lot of swearing – Freya’s process of accepting the bag and what it means for her. It also discusses other people’s often negative attitudes towards bowel disease and those who have it. This will be a very affirming book for any teen who has felt different and ostracised because of their medical needs.
This is an ‘own voice’ novel, and Knox’s willingness to take the reader as far into Freya’s journey, emotionally and physically, as she does, may shock some readers but it is this quality which makes the book so relatable to those who need it most, it’s from Knox’s life experience.

I Am, You Are is a non-fiction picture and is also an ‘own voice’ book. The author and illustrator are both disabled and activists. It is both comprehensive and matter of fact, written in plain language. They do a superb job in reminding us that disabled kids do not have special needs – they have human needs. The style is colourful, joyful, funny and informal. They explain that ablesism is all around us, in unkind words, inaccessible buildings and in unfair assumptions made by others. The book encourages children to feel empowered, embrace individuality, to look out for one another and to celebrate disability as diversity.

Someone Just like you by Helen Docherty (text) and David Roberts (illustration) (Simon & Schuster, 2023) was selected in the Spanish edition, nominated by IBBY Chile and used as the catalogue cover.

The full list of UK nominations can be found here: https://www.ibby.org.uk/awards/outstanding-books-young-people-disabilities/

The full catalogue can be found here: https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/ibby-collection-for-young-people-with-disabilities/2025-ibby-selection-of-outstanding-books-for-young-people-with-disabilities

The complete IBBY Disability collection is housed at the Toronto Public Library and is available to be visited in person and online.

IBBY (International Board of Books for Young People) is a membership organisation of more than 90 countries, established to promote international understanding through children’s books. Further information is available on the international and UK websites
www.ibby.org.uk
www.ibby.org

Further information from ibbyuksecretary@gmail.com