Christmas competition: your chance to win one of 13 books!

We’re getting very excited for Christmas! Over the past year we’ve been squirrelling away a great collection of books with disability at their heart. They either feature disabled characters, or are written and produced by disabled authors. 

As a big thank you for your support of Scope this year, we’ll be giving away a copy of each book in the run up to Christmas.

(Terms and conditions at the bottom of this page)

Toast: Autism in the Early Years

“Imagine the moment when your six year old child says his first word: “Toast”. Every parent remembers the joy of a child’s first word. Yet this key skill is so challenging for a person living with autism.”

Alice Boardman’s book attempts to answer all the questions that she had, when she first found out her two sons had autism. Win Toast. 

Good Kings Bad Kings

Told in alternating perspectives by a varied cast of characters, Good Kings, Bad Kings is a powerful and inspiring debut that invites us into the lives of a group of teenagers and staff who live at the ILLC.

From Yessenia, who dreams of her next boyfriend, to Teddy, a resident who dresses up daily in a full suit and tie, and Mia, who guards a terrifying secret, Nussbaum has crafted a multifaceted portrait of a way of life that challenges our definitions of what it means to be disabled. Win Good Kings Bad Kings. 

Paperweights

“Sixteen years ago, I wished for a child. I prayed to the universe, and spirit answered me. Not with what I thought I wanted, but with exactly what I need. My daughter is my angel.” Susanne Crosby

This anthology of poems was created by parents and carers of disabled children from our Brighton parent befriending service. Win Paperweights.

My Brother is an Astronaut

“I know that there are lots of children – and adults! – in the world whose sensory experience and understanding of the world is a little “different”. It isn’t the exclusive domain of people with autism, so autism isn’t mentioned in the story. People with ADHD, ADD can have difficulties in this area too, as well as some children who are a bit “quirky” and don’t fit into any particular category. This book is written for them and for those they spend their days with, to try and help give an insight into their experience of the world.” Michelle Rundle. Win My Brother is an Astronaut.

Little Miss Jessica Goes to School

Jessica Smith is a former Paralympic swimmer who was born missing her left hand. She grew up with low self esteem and negative body image because she didn’t feel accepted within society due to her physical appearance.

Now, Jessica is sharing her journey through a series of children’s books to encourage young kids to realise that being different is okay! Little Miss Jessica Goes to School is the first in this series. Win Little Miss Jessica.

I Love You Natty

“When my eldest daughter Mia was around six or seven years old, she was a very prolific note-writer. She would leave drawings and notes for us all around the house. One day I found a beautiful note for her sister Natty (who has Down’s syndrome), saying just how precious she was to Mia, and how her life wouldn’t be the same without her in it. It brought a lump to my throat and was a lightbulb moment for me. I realised here was the basis for the book. Mia’s words would form it’s core.” Hayley Goleniowska. Win I Love You Natty.

Jess the Goth Fairy

“Jess the Goth Fairy has learning and physical disabilities, just like the real Jess. Wings that don’t work very well, so flying is scary and landing is a nightmare! She looks different, doesn’t do pink or wear dresses. Having a normal life as a fairy is very challenging for her.

Jess just wants to be treated the same as everybody else. She wanted to put across her feelings about what happens to her, such as being stared at or not being able to do things that most people can. We hope people who will read the book will realise that it’s ok to be disabled and it’s ok to be different.” Jo, Jess’ mum

Heads up, Tim-Tron

“With Heads Up, Tim-Tron, we’ve tried to help parents of younger children broach this complex issue (of brain injury) in a colourful and interesting way. It’s a picture book about a little robot who bangs his head, an idea that came about after one of our clinicians compared the human brain to a cluster of tiny working circuits.

We know boys are disproportionately affected by traumatic brain injury, and a comparison with the circuits in a little robot’s brain seemed like a funny way to appeal to them (hopefully without excluding little girls!).” Ian Ray

My Big Brother Bobby

This is a story about a little girl with a big imagination and an even bigger heart. She loves to play with her brother Bobby but sometimes when he gets angry, something larger than life appears.

My Big Brother Bobby is a fun, imaginative story that educates children on the importance of understanding and coping with anger in others in a warm and easy to understand way.

The Story of Beautiful Girl

It’s a stormy night in small-town America. A couple, Lynnie and Homan, have escaped from a brutal institution where disabled people are left to languish, ostracised from society. Desperate and soaked to the skin, they knock on a stranger’s door. When Martha, a retired schoolteacher, answers the door, their lives change completely.

Synthesis: Weave

“Synthesis:Weave is science fiction. One of the things I dislike about the representation of disability in science fiction is the tendency to ‘gloss over’ it or ‘fix’ it.

My character was going to use his wheelchair. I know that many wheelchair users are more capable than others give them credit for and I wanted to portray that, but I didn’t want to make disability the focus of the book, so it’s just a fact – Aryx is a hero that happens to use a wheelchair.” Deane Saunders-Stowe

The Cookbook for Children with Special Needs

Deborah French is a cookery teacher and activity coordinator for disabled children and their families. She has a son on the autistic spectrum, a daughter with Down’s syndrome and young twins, and is the author of a new cookery book for disabled children.

“I wrote The Cookbook for Children with Special Needs to help children understand the origins of the food we eat, how the ingredients we use create our diet and how this affects our health and the way we feel. The opening story introduces the primary theme which is that we are all responsible for the choices we make about the foods that we eat.” Deborah French

Oliver Hellowell, Wildlife & Landscape Photographer

Oliver is a young nature photographer, who happens to have Down’s syndrome.

“He takes pictures of things other people walk past because he notices the detail the rest of us miss. He sees beauty where we do not, and to a certain extent his having Down’s syndrome ‘releases’ him from the ‘rules’ and expectations of what is perceived to be worthy of a picture, which the rest of us adhere to without even realising. Oliver makes weeds look brilliant!” Oliver’s mum

This is his first coffee table book showcasing some of his most exquisite photography.

Feeling inspired? Check out our Pinterest list of books featuring disabled characters. We’d also love to hear about any other books you’d like to recommend.

Terms and conditions

Look out for the book you’d like to win on our Twitter and Facebook throughout December. To enter this prize draw, comment/reply on the post for the book you’d like to win and tell us why you’d like to win it! Only one entry per person, per book will be counted. The prize draw closes on 18 December at 10am. The winners will be chosen at random after this date and notified via social media. Books can only be posted to addresses in the UK and no cash equivalent or alternative prizes will be offered. This prize draw is not associated with Facebook or Twitter.