Bullying books

Books about Growing up, Fitting in, and Bullying

Age group

Themes

About

Out of Place

Middle School

Bullying

Twelve-year-old Cove Bernstein’s year has gone from bad to worse. First, her best friend, Nina, moved from Martha’s Vineyard to New York City. Then, without Nina around, Cove became the target of a bullying campaign at school. Escape seems impossible.

But opportunities can appear when you least expect them. Cove’s visit to a secondhand clothing store leads her to a surprising chance to visit Nina, but only if she can win a coveted place in a kids-only design competition. Cove doesn’t know how to sew, but her friend at the retirement home, Anna, has promised to teach her. And things start really looking up when a new kid at school, Jack, begins appearing everywhere Cove goes.

Then Cove makes a big mistake. One that could ruin every good thing that has happened to her this year. One that she doesn’t know how to undo.

Stick with Me

Middle School

Fitting In, Family, Disability (sibling)

Izzy’s best friend seems to be ditching her for the Queen of Mean, Daphne Toll. Izzy wants to fit in and have some real friends, but all she really has are her drawings. And then her family rents out their house during winter break for some extra cash—and that family’s daughter is sleeping in Izzy’s room and attending the same camp!

Wren is focused on perfecting her ice-skating routine after tanking at sectionals last year. But when her sister qualifies for a life-changing treatment for her epilepsy, Wren is carted off to stay in a rented home near Boston. It doesn’t help that she’s forced to attend the local theater camp, where it seems like the mean girls have it out for her.

Will Izzy and Wren’s shared status as targets of Phoebe and Daphne bring them closer? Or will middle school drama prevent them from ever becoming friends?

Real Friends

Middle School

Fitting In

Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were little. But one day, Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the most popular girl in class and the leader of a circle of friends called The Group. Everyone in The Group wants to be Jen’s #1, and some girls would do anything to stay on top . . . even if it means bullying others.

Now every day is like a roller coaster for Shannon. Will she and Adrienne stay friends? Can she stand up for herself? And is she in The Group—or out?

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu

Middle School

Bullying, Handling Unexpected Changes

Lucy Wu, aspiring basketball star and interior designer, is on the verge of having the best year of her life. She’s ready to rule the school as a sixth grader, go out for captain of the school basketball team, and take over the bedroom she has always shared with her sister. In an instant, though, her plans are shattered when she finds out that Yi Po, her beloved grandmother’s sister, is coming to visit for several months — and is staying in Lucy’s room.

Lucy’s vision of a perfect year begins to crumble, and in its place come an unwelcome roommate, foiled birthday plans, a bully who tries to scare Lucy off the basketball team, and Chinese school with the annoying know-it-all Talent Chang. Lucy’s year is ruined — or is it?

A wonderfully funny, warm, and heartfelt tale about the ways life often reveals silver linings in the most unexpected of clouds.

The Truth As Told by Mason Buttle

Middle School

Bullying, Learning Differences

Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard.

An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day.

Both Mason and his new friend, tiny Calvin Chumsky, are relentlessly bullied by the other boys in their neighborhood, so they create an underground haven for themselves. When Calvin goes missing, Mason finds himself in trouble again. He’s desperate to figure out what happened to Calvin and, eventually, Benny.

But will anyone believe him?

We Dream of Space

Middle School

Anxiety

Cash, Fitch, and Bird Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties.

Cash, who loves basketball but has a newly broken wrist, is in danger of failing seventh grade for the second time. Fitch spends every afternoon playing Major Havoc at the arcade on Main and wrestles with an explosive temper that he doesn’t understand. And Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of being NASA’s first female shuttle commander, but feels like she’s disappearing.

The Thomas children exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project—they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways.

Told in three alternating points of view, We Dream of Space is an unforgettable and thematically rich novel for middle grade readers.

The Queen Bee and Me

Middle School

Friendships

Meg has always found comfort in her best friend Beatrix’s shadow. Self-assured Beatrix is the one who makes decisions, and the girls have been a pair since kindergarten. But middle school has brought some changes in Beatrix, especially when Meg tries to step outside her role as sidekick.

A special science elective is Meg’s first step away, but when she’s paired with quirky new girl Hazel, Beatrix steps in to stake her claim on Meg. Meg is taken aback at how mean Beatrix can be–and how difficult it is to stand up to her friend. But as Meg gets to know Hazel while working on their backyard beehive project, she starts to wonder: Is being Beatrix’s friend worth turning down the possibility of finding her own voice?

This pitch-perfect exploration of middle-school friendship dynamics brims with heart and hope, and will resonate with readers of all ages.

Wolf Hollow

Middle School

Bullying (older protagonists)

Despite growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and though her bullying seems isolated at first, it quickly escalates. Toby, a reclusive World War I veteran, soon becomes the target of Betty’s attacks. While others see Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. And as tensions mount in their small community, Annabelle must find the courage to stand as a lone voice for justice.

Posted

Middle School

How words are important

In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever.

When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes—though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well.

In the middle of this, a new girl named Rose arrives at school and sits at Frost’s lunch table. Rose is not like anyone else at Branton Middle School, and it’s clear that the close circle of friends Frost has made for himself won’t easily hold another. As the sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure to choose sides mounts, Frost soon realizes that after this year, nothing will ever be the same.

The Prettiest

Middle School

Body-image, Girls

It’s the last thing Eve Hoffmann expected to be, the only thing Sophie Kane wants to be, and something Nessa Flores-Brady knows she’ll never be . . . until a list appears online, ranking the top fifty prettiest girls in the eighth grade.

Eve is disgusted by the way her body is suddenly being objectified by everyone around her.
Sophie is sick of the bullying she’s endured after being relegated to number two.
And Nessa is tired of everyone else trying to tell her who she is.

It’s time for a takedown. As the three girls band together, they begin to stand up not just for themselves, but for one another, too.

Caterpillar Summer

Middle School

Sibling relationships, Caretaker role

Cat and her brother Chicken have always had a very special bond–Cat is one of the few people who can keep Chicken happy. When he has a “meltdown” she’s the one who scratches his back and reads his favorite story. She’s the one who knows what Chicken needs. Since their mom has had to work double-hard to keep their family afloat after their father passed away, Cat has been the glue holding her family together.

But even the strongest glue sometimes struggles to hold. When a summer trip doesn’t go according to plan, Cat and Chicken end up spending three weeks with grandparents they never knew. For the first time in years, Cat has the opportunity to be a kid again, and the journey she takes shows that even the most broken or strained relationships can be healed if people take the time to walk in one another’s shoes.

Sidetracked

Middle School

Anxiety, Bullying

If middle school were a race, Joseph Friedman wouldn’t even be in last place—he’d be on the sidelines. With an overactive mind and phobias of everything from hard-boiled eggs to gargoyles, he struggles to understand his classes, let alone his fellow classmates. So he spends most of his time avoiding school bully Charlie Kastner and hiding out in the Resource Room, a safe place for misfit kids like him.

But then, on the first day of seventh grade, two important things happen. First, his Resource Room teacher encourages (i.e., practically forces) him to join the school track team, and second, he meets Heather, a crazy-fast runner who isn’t going to be pushed around by Charlie Kastner or anybody else.
With a new friend and a new team, Joseph finds himself off the sidelines and in the race (quite literally) for the first time. Is he a good runner? Well, no, he’s terrible. But the funny thing about running is, once you’re in the race, anything can happen.

Save Me a Seat

Middle School

Bullying

Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they’re both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL.

Joe’s lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own.

Ravi’s family just moved to America from India, and he’s finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in.

Joe and Ravi don’t think they have anything in common — but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.

The Liberation of Gabriel King

Middle School

Confronting fears

Gabriel King was a born chicken. He’s afraid of spiders, corpses, loose cows, and just about everything related to the fifth grade. Gabe’s best friend, Frita Wilson, thinks Gabe needs some liberating from his fears. Frita knows something about being brave— she’s the only black kid in school in a town with an active Ku Klux Klan. Together Gabe and Frita are going to spend the summer of 1976 facing down the fears on Gabe’s list. But it turns out that Frita has her own list, and while she’s helping Gabe confront his fears, she’s avoiding the thing that scares her the most.

Farah Rocks Fifth Grade

Middle School

Bullying, Protecting a sibling

Farah and her best friend, Allie Liu, are getting excited to turn in their applications to the Magnet Academy, where they both hope to attend sixth grade. But when new girl Dana Denver shows up, Farah’s world is turned upside down. As Dana starts bullying Farah’s little brother, Samir, Farah begins to second-guess her choice to leave him behind at Harbortown Elementary/Middle School. Determined to handle it on her own, Farah comes up with a plan–a plan that involves lying to those closest to her. Will her lies catch up with her, or can Farah find a way to defeat the bully and rock fifth grade?

Freak the Mighty

Middle School

Friendship between individuals with differences

It has been over twenty years — and more than two million copies, eight foreign editions, and a popular Miramax feature film — since the world was introduced to this powerful story of a unique friendship between a troubled, oversized boy and the tiny, physically challenged genius who proves that courage comes in all sizes.

Genesis Begins Again

Middle School

Learning to love yourself

There are ninety-six reasons why thirteen-year-old Genesis dislikes herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list:
-Because her family is always being put out of their house.
-Because her dad has a gambling problem. And maybe a drinking problem too.
-Because Genesis knows this is all her fault.
-Because she wasn’t born looking like Mama.
-Because she is too black.

Genesis is determined to fix her family, and she’s willing to try anything to do so…even if it means harming herself in the process. But when Genesis starts to find a thing or two she actually likes about herself, she discovers that changing her own attitude is the first step in helping change others.

American as Paneer Pie

Middle School

Bullying, Racism

As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian.

When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha.

To Lekha’s surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika doesn’t take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture no matter where she is: at home or at school.

When a racist incident rocks Lekha’s community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it’s too late.

Hello, Universe

Middle School

Being different, Bravery, Acceptance of self

Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different, and finding your inner bayani (hero). “Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast of misfits.”—Booklist

In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball.

They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.

Front Desk

Middle School

Secrets, Immigrant

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.

Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.

Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they’ve been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.

Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?

It will take all of Mia’s courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

All’s Faire in Middle School

Middle School

Fitting in

Eleven-year-old Imogene (Impy) has grown up with two parents working at the Renaissance Faire, and she’s eager to begin her own training as a squire. First, though, she’ll need to prove her bravery. Luckily Impy has just the quest in mind—she’ll go to public school after a life of being homeschooled! But it’s not easy to act like a noble knight-in-training in middle school. Impy falls in with a group of girls who seem really nice (until they don’t) and starts to be embarrassed of her thrift shop apparel, her family’s unusual lifestyle, and their small, messy apartment. Impy has always thought of herself as a heroic knight, but when she does something really mean in order to fit in, she begins to wonder whether she might be more of a dragon after all.

As she did in Roller Girl, Victoria Jamieson perfectly—and authentically—captures the bittersweetness of middle school life with humor, warmth, and understanding.

Fish in a Tree

Middle School

Learning disabilities (dyslexia)

“Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.”

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

Smile

Middle School

Looking different (braces, headgear)

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

Itch

Middle School

Fitting in with a medical condition

Isaac’s sixth grade year gets off to a rough start.

For one thing, a tornado tears the roof off the school cafeteria. His mother leaves on a two month business trip to China. And as always. . . . there’s the itch. It comes out of nowhere. Idiopathic, which means no one knows what causes it. It starts small, but it spreads, and soon–it’s everywhere. It’s everything. It’s why everyone calls him Itch–everyone except his best friend Sydney, the only one in all of Ohio who’s always on his side, ever since he moved here.

He’s doing the best he can to get along–until everything goes wrong in the middle of a lunch swap. When Sydney collapses and an ambulance is called, Itch blames himself. And he’s not the only one. When you have no friends at all, wouldn’t you do anything–even something you know you shouldn’t–to get them back?

Drawing on her own experiences with idiopathic angioedema and food allergies, Polly Farquhar spins a tale of kids trying to balance the desire to be ordinary with the need to be authentic–allergies, itches, confusion and all.

The Tornado

Middle School

Bullying

Bell Kirby is an expert at systems, whether he’s designing the world’s most elaborate habitat for his pet chinchilla, re-creating Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest inventions in his garage, or avoiding Parker Hellickson, the most diabolical bully Village Green Elementary has ever seen.

Since third grade, Parker has tormented Bell, who’s spent two long years devising a finely tuned system that keeps him out of Parker’s way. Sure, it means that Bell can’t get a drink when he wants to, can’t play with his best friend on the playground, and can’t tell his parents about his day, but at least he’s safe.

Until Daelynn Gower touches down in his classroom like a tornado.

Bell’s not sure why the new girl, with her rainbow hair, wild clothes, and strange habits, is drawn to him, but he knows one thing–she means trouble. It’s bad enough that she disrupts Bell’s secret system, but when Daelynn becomes the bully’s new target, Bell is forced to make an impossible decision: Finally stand up to Parker. . .

On Thin Ice

Middle School

Bullying, Medical condition (spinal condition)

Ked Eakins is about to lose everything.

He’s just discovered that his dad has gambled away their rent money. They’re going to get kicked out of their home.

But Ked is determined to fight back. He hatches a plan to save their apartment by rebuilding a vintage minibike in his school’s maker space, which he’ll sell for a profit.

Still, the plan is a gamble of his own: Going to maker space forces Ked into the path of a school bully, who torments him about his progressive spinal condition.

Can Ked — with the help of some unlikely new friends — find a way to fix the bike and save his family from going under before it’s too late?

Me and Sam Handle the Apocalypse

Middle School

Bullying, Autism

I could see the big inside of my Sam-Sam. I had been training him for 252 days with mini tennis balls and pieces of bacon, just to prove to Dad and Mom and Aunt Gus and the whole world that a tiny, fluffy dog could do big things if he wanted to. I think my little dog always knew he could be a hero.

I just wonder if he knew about me.

When the cops show up at Jesse’s house and arrest her dad, she figures out in a hurry that he’s the #1 suspect in the missing library fund money case. With the help of her (first and only) friend Springer, she rounds up suspects (leading to a nasty confrontation with three notorious school bullies) and asks a lot of questions. But she can’t shake the feeling that she isn’t exactly cut out for being a crime-solving hero. Jesse has a neuro-processing disorder, which means that she’s “on the spectrum or whatever.” As she explains it, “I get stuck on lots of stuff, like words and phrases and numbers and smells and pictures and song lines and what time stuff is supposed to happen.” But when a tornado strikes her small town, Jesse is given the opportunity to show what she’s really made of—and help her dad.

Told with the true-as-life voice Susan Vaught is known for, this mystery will have you rooting for Jesse and her trusty Pomeranian, Sam-Sam.

Booked

Middle School

Bullying, The Power of Words

Like lightning/you strike/fast and free/legs zoom/down field/eyes fixed/on the checkered ball/on the goal/ten yards to go/can’t nobody stop you/can’t nobody cop you…

In this follow-up to the Newbery-winning novel THE CROSSOVER, soccer, family, love, and friendship, take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read.

This electric and heartfelt novel-in-verse by poet Kwame Alexander bends and breaks as it captures all the thrills and setbacks, action and emotion of a World Cup match!

Black Brother, Black Brother

Middle School

Bullying, Race, Finding one's place in the world

Sometimes, 12-year-old Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at Middlefield Prep, most of the students don’t look like him. They don’t like him either. Dubbing him “Black Brother,” Donte’s teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter-skinned brother, Trey.

When he’s bullied and framed by the captain of the fencing team, “King” Alan, he’s suspended from school and arrested.

Terrified, searching for a place where he belongs, Donte joins a local youth center and meets former Olympic fencer Arden Jones. With Arden’s help, he begins training as a competitive fencer, setting his sights on taking down the fencing team captain, no matter what.

As Donte hones his fencing skills and grows closer to achieving his goal, he learns the fight for justice is far from over. Now Donte must confront his bullies, racism, and the corrupt systems of power that led to his arrest.

Powerful and emotionally gripping, Black Brother, Black Brother is a careful examination of the school-to-prison pipeline and follows one boy’s fight against racism and his empowering path to finding his voice.

Quintessence

Middle School

Anxiety (panic attacks)

Three months ago, twelve-year-old Alma moved to the town of Four Points. Her panic attacks started a week later, and they haven’t stopped―even though she’s told her parents that they have. She’s homesick and friendless and every day she feels less and less like herself.

But one day she finds a telescope in the town’s junk shop, and through its lens, she watches a star―a star that looks like a child―fall from the sky and into her backyard. Alma knows what it’s like to be lost and afraid, to long for home, and she knows that it’s up to her to save the star. And so, with the help of some unlikely new friends from Astronomy Club, she sets out on a quest that will take a little bit of science, a little bit of magic, and her whole self.

Courage for Beginners

Middle School

Courage to change

Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she’d magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a “hipster.” She’d be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she’d certainly be able to change her family’s secret.

Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-hair balloon, her new friend Rama Khan–and maybe even the heroes of the Texas Revolution–can she find the courage to change?

Clues to the Universe

Middle School

Bullying, Grief/Loss

The only thing Rosalind Ling Geraghty loves more than watching NASA launches with her dad is building rockets with him. When he dies unexpectedly, all Ro has left of him is an unfinished model rocket they had been working on together.

Benjamin Burns doesn’t like science, but he can’t get enough of Spacebound, a popular comic book series. When he finds a sketch that suggests that his dad created the comics, he’s thrilled. Too bad his dad walked out years ago, and Benji has no way to contact him.

Though Ro and Benji were only supposed to be science class partners, the pair become unlikely friends: Benji helps Ro finish her rocket, and Ro figures out a way to reunite Benji and his dad. But Benji hesitates, which infuriates Ro. Doesn’t he realize how much Ro wishes she could be in his place?

As the two face bullying, grief, and their own differences, Benji and Ro must try to piece together clues to some of the biggest questions in the universe.

The Humiliations of Pipi McGee

Middle School

Bullying, Revenge/Redemption

The first eight years of Penelope McGee’s education have been a curriculum in humiliation. Now she is on a quest for redemption, and a little bit of revenge.

From her kindergarten self-portrait as a bacon with boobs, to fourth grade when she peed her pants in the library thanks to a stuck zipper to seventh grade where…well, she doesn’t talk about seventh grade. Ever.

After hearing the guidance counselor lecturing them on how high school will be a clean slate for everyone, Pipi–fearing that her eight humiliations will follow her into the halls of Northbrook High School–decides to use her last year in middle school to right the wrongs of her early education and save other innocents from the same picked-on, laughed-at fate. Pipi McGee is seeking redemption, but she’ll take revenge, too.

All of Me

Middle School

Bullying, Body-Image/Weight, Acceptance of Self

Ari has body-image issues. After a move across the country, his parents work selling and promoting his mother’s paintings and sculptures. Ari’s bohemian mother needs space to create, and his father is gone for long stretches of time on “sales” trips.

Meanwhile, Ari makes new friends: Pick, the gamer; the artsy Jorge, and the troubled Lisa. He is also relentlessly bullied because he’s overweight, but he can’t tell his parents—they’re simply not around enough to listen.

After an upsetting incident, Ari’s mom suggests he go on a diet, and she gives him a book to help. But the book—and the diet—can’t fix everything. As Ari faces the demise of his parents’ marriage, he also feels himself changing, both emotionally and physically. Here is a much-needed story about accepting the imperfect in oneself and in life.

The Magical Imperfect

Middle School

Bullying, Differences, Fitting In, Loss

Etan has stopped speaking since his mother left. His father and grandfather don’t know how to help him. His friends have given up on him.

When Etan is asked to deliver a grocery order to the outskirts of town, he realizes he’s at the home of Malia Agbayani, also known as the Creature. Malia stopped going to school when her acute eczema spread to her face, and the bullying became too much.

As the two become friends, other kids tease Etan for knowing the Creature. But he believes he might have a cure for Malia’s condition, if only he can convince his family and hers to believe it too. Even if it works, will these two outcasts find where they fit in?

https://ccakids.org/suggested-book-list-2/

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Age 8-16

Treacher Collins Syndrome

Wonder is the story of August (Auggie) Pullman, born with a facial difference that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to enter 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?
You can order a special edition copy of Wonder from the CCA webstore or apply for a discount rate for bulk purchase by contacting the office. Complimentary curriculum also available through CCA upon request.

Why Me, Mama by Katherine Lockwood

Ages 3-10

Various Disabilities and Differences Represented

This children’s book about differences is set in the Public Garden in Boston, MA. Each animal in the park has a difference and as the mama and baby owl visit their friends in the park, they will learn about these differences – helping the baby owl to understand the different disabilities represented by the other animals, normalizing disability as a part of everyday life, and provide a foundation for acceptance and empathy for others and within themselves.

Various disabilities are individually highlighted in this book including facial paralysis/weakness, inability to abduct the eyes (Duane syndrome), club feet, cleft palate, mild, moderate & severe hypotonia, limb differences, strabismus, autism, Pierre Robin sequence, Poland syndrome, developmental delay, speech, hearing, vision, feeding and respiratory difficulty.

Jack’s New Smile By Ruth M Trivelpiece MEd (Author), Brooke Nunez (Illustrator), Suzanne N West MSN (Contributor), Jennifer L Rhodes MD(Contributor)

Cleft Lip & Palate

Jack’s New Smile was written for brothers and sisters of a new baby with cleft lip/palate. Baby Jack’s experience with cleft lip and palate is recounted through the eyes of his loving older sister. The book is also intended for children born with a cleft to help them learn about themselves. It is meant to provide some answers to questions children may not know how to ask. We hope that by reading this story, your child will know that having a cleft is not scary or bad. The book can also be used as a starting point for a more detailed talk with older children. All proceeds support patient families.

Fearless, a Book of Poems

Fearless is an inspiring collection of poems and illustrations created for children with craniofacial challenges. Originally published in 2001 by Children’s Craniofacial Association, the small regional release was immediately embraced by children and families affected by facial difference.

The Adventures of Prickly Pear and Happy Hoglet and Pit Bully By Edward Buchanan, MD

These two children’s books are written by Dr. Buchanan, part of the Texas Children’s Hospital Craniofacial Team and help children and parents prepare and empower themselves to cope with bullying or teasing and how to deal with emotions of all kinds.

The Courage to Be Kind By Jenny Levin and Rena Rosen

In The Courage to Be Kind, authors Jenny Levin and Rena Rosen teach children and parents how to act and respond when they see someone who looks different. Learn with Sam and Ellie as they encounter and interact with several kids in different ways. Ellie is blunt and often offensive. Sam tries to find common ground with each person and provides an example of how to behave. The dramatization of each difference includes photographs and a list of frequently asked questions so kids and parents can learn about various syndromes together. Through a series of scenarios, The Courage to Be Kind offers a tool to facilitate conversations about kindness and to teach with the art of compassion.

Elmer By David McKeeI Like Me By Nancy Carlson

David McKee has woven a story about an elephant named Elmer who is the only elephant in the jungle who is patchwork instead of gray. We are invited to share what happens when Elmer gets tired of being different. This is a story about laughing with, instead of at, something different.

I Like Me By Nancy Carlson

“Meet Nancy Carlson’s peppy pig—a character who is full of good feelings about herself. Her story will leave little ones feeling good about themselves, too!”

“Wonderful in its simplicity, here’s a story that will help kids feel good about themselves.” — Boston Globe

It’s Okay to be Different By Todd Parr

“The book has vibrant illustrations and very simple words that can be used effectively to generate discussion about all sorts of differences. My 4 and 6 year olds love it.”

Smile with Simon By Patricia Simon

Cleft Lip

Simon, a bright, red cardinal, hatched from his shell with a big gap in his beak. The gap made it hard for him to eat. Simon was not strong enough to fly. One day, he accidentally fell out of the nest and couldn't get back to his family. Patty discovered the little bird and realized he suffered from the same thing as she, a cleft lip. A story of friendship, love, acceptance, and kindness, this playful picture book for children shares the importance a smile has on others. It teaches a powerful lesson-despite people's differences, we are alike and beautiful.

Tales of Grace | A Different Me By Judy Ryan

Facial cancer

Friendships, self-esteem and fitting-in – all standard desires of young girls. However, when kindhearted 11-year-old Grace Archer was diagnosed 2 years earlier with a not-so-common facial cancer, her life changed forever, and her early adolescent worries elevated by her changed face. Her struggle for confidence and happiness is tested every day.

We Can Get Along By Lauren Murphy Payne, M.S.W & Illustrated by Melissa Iwai

Ages 3-8

In simple affirming words and enchanting illustrations, this book teaches young children to think before they speak or act and to treat others the way they want to be treated. The focus is on kindness, respect, tolerance, and responsibility. What a book! We think the whole world could use a little of this one.

Two Speckled Eggs By Jennier K. Mann

Ages 4-8

“This is a charming story for an elementary child beginning to notice her classmates are not all alike. At first being different seems undesirable, but the child learns that sometimes we find similarities even in people who are different, and that being different can be a good thing. You can’t judge a book by its cover is the lesson learned.”

Not Your Typical Dragon By Dan Bar-el & Illustrated by Tim Bowers

Ages 4-8

“As the mother of a “Not-Your-Typical-Child”, I love the message that little Crispin’s “defect” could ultimately be celebrated and appreciated by his family and community, especially his dad. This story is simple and heartwarming, and a really love reading it out loud–it really lends itself to doing fun voices! Excellent!”

Charlie the Caterpiller: Dragon By DXXXXXX

Ages 4-8

“A wonderful book to discuss what counts in life and it is not beauty. I have read this book countless times to my classes. It is part of my personal library. Illustrations are heart warming as well as the meaning of friendship.”

You are Special By Max Lucado

Every day the small wooden people called Wemmicks do the same thing: stick either gold stars or gray dots on one another. The pretty ones with smooth wood and fine paint, as well as the talented ones, always get stars. But the ones like Punchinello who aren’t as talented, or have chipped paint, get ugly gray dots. In this heartwarming children’s tale from bestselling author Max Lucado, Eli the woodcarver helps Punchinello understand how special he is–no matter what other Wemmicks may think. It’s a vital message for children everywhere: Regardless of how the world evaluates them, God cherishes each of them, just as they are.

https://www.myface.org/readinglist/#childrens-books

Children’s Books

Adventures of Norah: Let’s Talk About Cleft
By Sasha A. Cooper;
Illustrated by Wafiq Sehat

This book focus on children with cleft lip and palate. The book explains – with love – what a cleft lip and palate is. It also illustrates a bit about the journey of a cleft child.

These Lips
By Julie Cwir;
Illustrated by Olga Egorova

This children’s book describes the ups and downs of the cleft journey. The illustrations of baby animals represent clefts of all types.This book is a resource for describing and illustrating the cleft journey in a simplistic manner that is easy for young children to understand.



The Day Bert Smiled
By Christine Maier
Illustrated by Aviva Brueckner
Ages 6 to 9 years

Bert is nervous. Born with an opening in his mouth that he feels makes him sound funny, he doesn’t like to speak up in first grade. But he’s worried his friends won’t even notice when he’s out of school for surgery to fix it.

And when his mom comes to class to teach the students about his condition, will he find comfort in having supportive playmates?

In a gentle and educational story centered on a boy and his dog who both have a cleft lip and palate, youngsters will learn to appreciate and support their peers and each other. And with compassionate ideas of the various ways youth can help those with medical challenges, your little ones will develop minds and hearts that genuinely care.

Why Me, Mama?
By Katherine Lockwood
Illustrated by Evgeniya Erokhina
Ages 3 and up

This children’s book about differences is set in the Public Garden in Boston, MA. Each animal in the park has a difference and as the mama and baby owl visit their friends in the park, they will learn about these differences – helping the baby owl to understand the different disabilities represented by the other animals, normalizing disability as a part of everyday life, and provide a foundation for acceptance and empathy for others and within themselves.

Various disabilities are individually highlighted in this book including facial paralysis/weakness, inability to abduct the eyes (Duane Syndrome), club feet, cleft palate, hypotonia, limb differences, strabismus, autism, Pierre Robin sequence, Poland Syndrome, developmental delay, congenital heart defect, speech, hearing and vision differences, and feeding and respiratory difficulties.



Jack’s New Smile: Having a Baby with Cleft Lip and Palate
By Ruth M Trivelpiece MEd, Suzanne N West MSN, and Jennifer L Rhodes MD
Illustrated by Brooke Nunez
Ages 4 and up

Jack’s New Smile was written for brothers and sisters of a new baby with cleft lip/palate. Baby Jack’s experience with cleft lip and palate is recounted through the eyes of his loving older sister. The book is also intended for children born with a cleft to help them learn about themselves. It is meant to provide some answers to questions children may not know how to ask. We hope that by reading this story, your child will know that having a cleft is not scary or bad. The book can also be used as a starting point for a more detailed talk with older children. Also available in SPANISH under the title LA NUEVA SONRISA DE JACK.

Smile with Simon
By Patricia Ann Simon, RN
Illustrated by Valerie McCord
Ages 4 and up

Simon, a bright, red cardinal, hatched from his shell with a big gap in his beak. The gap made it hard for him to eat. Simon was not strong enough to fly. One day, he accidentally fell out of the nest and couldn’t get back to his family. Patty discovered the little bird and realized he suffered from the same thing as she, a cleft lip. A story of friendship, love, acceptance, and kindness, this playful picture book for children shares the importance a smile has on others. It teaches a powerful lesson-despite people’s differences, we are alike and beautiful.



Amber’s Adventures with Goldenhar
By Breanna Mendoza
Edited and Illustrated by Miel Rodriguez

Amber is a cheery, optimistic, fun-loving girl who is a bit different from all of her friends — she has something called Goldenhar Syndrome, which makes her super unique! Amber makes a trip to the hospital. Going to the hospital can be scary, but Amber draws her strength from something special: the Goldenhar Galaxy! Follow Amber, her dad, Nurse Hope and friends along her hospital journey through the cosmos.

Peter’s Rockin’ Ear
By Dede Dankelson
BiblioKid Publishing, 2022
Ages 4 and up

Peter wishes he looked like everyone else, but he was born with only one ear (a condition called Microtia). He tries to make one, but nothing works until his parents take him to an ear store. Peter wears his new ear to Shredapalooza. But will it stick long enough for him to feel like a real rock star? Inspired by the true story of Peter Dankelson and the Pete’s Diary mission to amplify self-acceptance. This picture book encourages everyone to embrace their own differences.

peters rockin ear book
The Courage to Be Kind
The Courage to be Kind
By Jenny Levin and Rena Rosen
Archway Publishing, 2017

Have you been at the grocery store and your child points at someone who looks different and asks loudly, “What’s wrong with that person?” or “Why does he need a wheelchair?” Your first reaction is usually to hush your child and apologize to the person or hope he or she didn’t notice. Telling a child to be quiet and not look can be shameful for both the child and the person with the difference. Instead of silencing our children and ignoring their curiosity, we should embrace uniqueness in a positive way.

In The Courage to Be Kind, authors Jenny Levin and Rena Rosen teach children and parents how to act and respond when they see someone who looks different. Learn with Sam and Ellie as they encounter and interact with several kids in different ways. Ellie is blunt and often offensive. Sam tries to find common ground with each person and provides an example of how to behave. The dramatization of each difference includes photographs and a list of frequently asked questions so kids and parents can learn about various syndromes together. Through a series of scenarios, The Courage to Be Kind offers a tool to facilitate conversations about kindness and to teach with the art of compassion.

Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Alfred A. Knopf, 2012
Ages 8 and up
Also available in an Illustrated Edition

August Pullman was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a craniofacial condition that up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting fifth grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER by R. J. Palacio begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include that of his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R. J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness”—indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.

wonder-book
R.J. Palacio WE'RE ALL WONDER
We’re All Wonders
Written and Illustrated by R.J. Palacio
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2017
Ages 3 and up

Over 15 million people have fallen in love with Wonder and have joined the movement to Choose Kind. Now younger readers can meet Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, and his beloved dog, Daisy. We’re All Wonders may be Auggie’s story, but it taps into every child’s longing to belong, and to be seen for who they truly are. It’s the perfect way for families and educators to talk about empathy and kindness with young children.

RELATED: Watch a Recorded Read Aloud and Q&A with R. J. Palacio of We’re All Wonders.

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
By R.J. Palacio
Corgi Children’s Paperback, 2015
Ages 8 and up

WONDER tells the story of Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, whose first year at school changed the lives and the perspectives of everyone around him. Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish WONDER.

auggie and me book
365 Days of Wonder
365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts
By R.J. Palacio
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2014
Ages 8 and up

In WONDER, readers were introduced to memorable English teacher Mr. Browne and his love of precepts. This companion book features conversations between Mr. Browne and Auggie, Julian, Summer, Jack Will, and others, giving readers a special peek at their lives after WONDER ends. Mr. Browne’s essays and correspondence are rounded out by a precept for each day of the year—drawn from popular songs to children’s books to inscriptions on Egyptian tombstones to fortune cookies. His selections celebrate the goodness of human beings, the strength of people’s hearts, and the power of people’s wills. There’s something for everyone here, with words of wisdom from such noteworthy people as Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., Confucius, Goethe, Sappho—and over 100 readers of WONDER who sent R. J. Palacio their own precepts.

Hi, I’m Me
By Kelly Vurinaris
Hasmark Publishing International, 2020
Suitable for all ages

In this heart-warming tale about a mother and daughter, first-time author Kelly Vurinaris captures the beauty in human differences.She takes the reader through everyday experiences in the life of Chloe, a little girl with facial differences. Since she’s been going out into the world, Chloe notices people staring at her. To connect with others and break down initial barriers, she quickly discovers that she just needs to introduce herself. With one simple phrase, she is creating inclusivity and changing the world, one face at a time. With her mom’s guidance, Chloe learns that although she may look different, all differences are beautiful.This is a book that builds confidence in our children without them understanding what confidence is. It helps kids identify that being different is okay, and that we are all people. It is the perfect story for parents or teachers who want to teach children about inclusivity, and how everyone has equal value no matter how they look.


Hi, I’m Me in Kindergarten
By Kelly Vurinaris
Hasmark Publishing International, 2021
Suitable for all ages
In this next book of the “Hi, I’m Me” series, Chloe is off to Kindergarten! At first she is a little scared, but once she realizes she can be herself, she quickly discovers how much fun school can be. The lessons she learns lead to new friends and an understanding of why kindness and positivity are so important. Readers of Vurinaris’ heart-warming series will see that you can build confidence by using your voice, which can take you on many adventures!
I See a Smile: Preparing Families for a Baby with Cleft Lip
By LaTasha Reinhardt
Illustrated by Emily Hercock
Ages 4 and up

This book is intended to help prepare siblings, family members, and family friends, for the challenges facing a new baby with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. The book can be used as a starting point for conversations and questions about your child’s cleft lip/palate. However, it is also intended to reassure parents that children are so pure, and there is a good chance they won’t even see a difference in their sibling. They may in fact, just see a smile.

Fictional Books for Young Adults
Turtle Boy
by Evan Wolkenstein
Delacorte Press, 2020
Ages 10 and up

Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he’s forced to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. At first, the boys don’t get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster, go to a school dance, swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with the turtles he collects. But as RJ’s disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend’s behalf before it’s too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will’s comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ’s guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell.

turtle boy book cover

Ride High Pineapple
By Jenny Woolsey
Pearls of Wisdom Press, 2016
Ages 10 and up

Issy Burgess is in Year Nine at Pinnaroo High. She hoped this year would be different, but it’s turning out to be just as bad as Year Eight was. Follow Issy through her journal, as she tries to deal with The Beast who calls her ‘Froggy eyes’, ‘Fish Face’ and other cruel names, bouts of paralysing anxiety, feeling ugly, friendship ups and downs, and a crush on Tim – the cutest boy in her class. Can Issy’s passion for skateboarding help her?

Memoirs

Babyface: A Story of Heart and Bones.
By Jeanne McDermott

When Jeanne McDermott’s second child, Nathaniel, was born with Apert syndrome—a condition that results in a towering skull, a sunken face, and fingers webbed so tightly that hands look like mittens—she was completely unprepared for it. In this extraordinary memoir, McDermott calls on her dual roles as science journalist and mother to share her family’s traumatic yet enriching experience. Though McDermott and her family had to endure Nathaniel’s harrowing surgeries and the stares and comments of strangers and well-meaning friends, they were also transformed by the boy’s amazing strength and exuberant personality. With grace, courage, and humor, McDermott shows readers how a child with a rare syndrome can illuminate “a whole new way of seeing, not simply him and others, but ourselves.”

At Face Value: My Triumph Over a Disfiguring Cancer
Terry Healy

Caveat Press, 2006

Terry Healey was a junior at the University of California at Berkeley. At the age of twenty, his life had been smooth sailing, seldom interrupted with adversity or difficulty. Terry was confident and not concerned much with his appearance. But out of nowhere, a lump formed behind his right nostril. Cancer. He fought it and survived. But after multiple surgeries and radiation treatment, Terry would discover that he hadn’t even begun to deal with what would become his greatest struggle for years to come — the disfigurement that resulted from it.



Choosing Ourselves: Love and Advocacy in Overcoming the American Medical System
By Barbara R. Walker, PhD and Jim H. Walker
River Grove Books

Barbara Walker’s world was turned upside down by her son Jim’s birth defect.

Left to her own devices in the early years, Barbara struggles with grief from the loss of the expected “normal child” and battles self-defeating thoughts. Demoralizing encounters with medical professionals and insensitive remarks about Jim’s face leave mother and child feeling vulnerable. They struggle with self-blame and fight against dark thoughts.

Over time they encounter and endure new doctors, multiple surgeries with disappointing results, and peers who taunt and bully. Gradually, Jim and Barbara empower themselves in their own ways, protest dismissive treatment, and become strong advocates for themselves. Jim proves to himself he can handle the world on his own after a successful 400-mile solo bike trip. As he ages into a young adult, Barbara frees herself from her own worries and drawing on her experiences, shapes a career as a counseling psychologist so that she can address the needs of parents of children with birth defects and disabilities. Jim also develops a successful career, a loving partnership, and a settled relationship with his cleft palate.

Then, prompted by an invitation from her 45-year-old son to “share our story,” mother and son embark on an unflinching account of their personal and shared experiences, their often-differing memories, and how they dealt with and learned from his cleft lip and palate birth defect.

Entwined with Barbara’s narrative of her mothering experience, Jim’s poems shine a light on a teenager’s struggle, and both discover that this candid sharing of private challenges has taken them to a deeper parent–child relationship.

For children with birth defects, the message of this powerful, tender, and truthful book is “You are not alone; hardship is not ruinous; a full life is yours even if your hopes are not completely realized.”

A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome
By Ariel Henley
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2021
Ages 13 and up

A memoir about coming of age with Crouzon Syndrome. At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome – a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it. Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous appearance-altering procedures. Surgeons would break the bones in their heads and faces to make room for their growing organs. While the physical aspect of their condition was painful, it was nothing compared to the emotional toll of navigating life with a facial disfigurement. Ariel explores beauty and identity in her young-adult memoir about resilience, sisterhood, and the strength it takes to put your life, and yourself, back together time and time again.



Ugly
By Robert Hoge
Hachette Australia, 2015; Viking, 2016.
Ages 8 and up

When Robert Hoge was born, he had a tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face and short, twisted legs. Surgeons removed the tumor and made him a new nose from one of his toes. Amazingly, he survived—with a face that would never be the same. Strangers stared at him. Kids called him names, and adults could be cruel, too. Everybody seemed to agree that he was “ugly.” But Robert refused to let his face define him. He played pranks, got into trouble, had adventures with his big family, and finally found a sport that was perfect for him to play. As Robert came face to face with the biggest decision of his life, he followed his heart. This poignant memoir about overcoming bullying and thriving with disabilities shows that what makes us “ugly” also makes us who we are.

Shelley: The Uplifting Story of a Battle to Overcome Disfigurement
By Shelley Hull
Hornet Books, 2019

Shelley Hull’s inspirational memoir is a story about growing up as a young girl with facial disfigurement, daring to wish that someday she’d live a normal life and fit in. It records the journey of a timid, shy child with no self-confidence or worth, experiencing the world of modern medicine, maxillofacial surgery, and setbacks around every corner. The eventually successful surgery included more than 20 operations, the most challenging endured during Shelley s teenage years. The extremely rare condition led to almost unbearable facial disfigurement and hearing loss which became the subject of one of the case studies in Derek Henderson’s A Colour Atlas and Textbook of Orthognathic Surgery: The Surgery of Facial Skeletal Deformity. These days Shelley is a confident survivor who seeks to inspire others with her story of hardship, hope and perspective. As she says towards the end of her book, “scars are on my face and body, but not in my heart.”



Normal: One Kid’s Extraordinary Journey
By Magdalena and Nathaniel Newman
Clarion Books, 2021
Ages 10 and up

In this uplifting and humorous memoir brimming with black-and-white comic illustrations, Nathaniel and his mother, Magda, tell the story of his growing up with the same craniofacial syndrome as the boy from WONDER — from facing sixty-seven surgeries before the age of fifteen, to making friends, moving across the country, and persevering through hardships. How they tackle extraordinary circumstances with love and resilience is a true testament to Nathaniel and Magda’s extraordinary family, and to families everywhere who quietly but courageously persist.

Diary of a Beautiful Disaster
By Kristin Bartzokis
KiCam Projects, LLC, 2017
She had just scored a perfect ten on her floor exercise routine, but Kristin Bartzokis stood stoically before the screaming crowd. For Kristin, this moment of perfection was something she always knew she could achieve. She’d been raised to live without limitations, and she’d adopted a determination to stay strong and unemotional, no matter what.

Born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a facial abnormality, Kristin learned at an early age the importance of strength–strength when confronted with multiple surgeries, strength when confronted with stares and questions, and strength when confronted with the constant knowledge that you will never look, or be, like everyone else.

Kristin Bartzokis’s life story is one of achievement and inspiration, an example of an unbreakable spirit and unwavering fortitude. No matter what life has thrown at Kristin, she has turned challenges into triumphs and used obstacles as stepping stones.

Diary of a Beautiful Disaster empowers readers to embrace their own uniqueness and boldly go forth into the world being exactly who they are. Kristin reminds us that although life can be complicated and messy, it is always, above all, beautiful.



REARRANGED: An Opera Singer’s Facial Cancer and Life Transposed
By Kathleen Watt
Heliotrope Books
“REARRANGED tells of leaving the operatic stage for a starring role opposite the Big C. A rare bone cancer [osteosarcoma] in my cheek ended my career as a New York City opera singer, and brought me face to face with mortality, disfigurement, the meaning and uses of beauty—and a lot of left-over pieces. A small corps of medical elites convened to excoriate my diseased bones with surgical wizardry and lethal toxins, and stayed on to restore me to myself through a brutal alchemy of kindness and titanium screws. REARRANGED is a tale of letting go to hold on, of putting old pieces to new uses—and of the unlikely arrangements that make it all work out.”

Not All Heroes Wear Capes
By Jono Lancaster

“Finding self-acceptance hasn’t always been easy. I was abandoned at birth with a facial difference, and as I got older, I began to hate my face and the world I lived in. Gradually, through trial and error, random moments with strangers, and some tragic haircuts, I’ve found self-love and happiness. This book is the story of how I found my way out of difficult times, and how you can do the same.”

Jono Lancaster was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome – a condition that affects facial appearance – and at only two weeks old, he found himself in foster care. In his remarkable story, Jono shares the highs and lows of his journey and how he turned his differences into his greatest strengths. Inspirational, empowering and moving – this is an extraordinary memoir with a powerful message: you are strong enough to become your own hero.

Nonfiction
Heroes with a Thousand Faces
Heroes with a Thousand Faces
By Laura Greenwald
Cleveland Clinic Press, 2007

Real stories of people with facial differences – people whose faces are disfigured as a result of cancer, trauma, or a birth defect. Unlike other disabilities, a facial difference not only affects how one is viewed by others but also how one views themself, since so much of our “immediate” identity is wrapped up in appearance. This book explores what it’s like to try and live an ordinary life behind an extraordinary face. Although there are commonalities in every story, such as stares, and ridicule, each person faces unique challenges and realizes different outcomes. Each journey is an adventure and each person’s story leaves the reader with nothing less than a sense of wonder. The stories in this book include viewpoints of not only the people affected by a facial deformity, but also their family members. Peppered among these dramatic stories are chapters on medical and scientific advances, the history of facial plastic surgery, and face transplant.

Children with Facial Difference: A Parents’ Guide
By Hope Charkins
Woodbine House, 1996

Each year, thousands of children are born with facial difference-abnormalities of the bones and tissues of the head and face that are present at birth or appear a few years later. Some conditions occur more commonly, such as cleft lip and palate, while others, such as hemifacial microsomia, Treacher Collins Syndrome, Apert Syndrome, and Crouzon Syndrome, are rarer. In addition to the emotional hardship of a different appearance and the attached stigma, some of these conditions pose special health concerns.
A resource that parents can turn to for help is Children with Facial Difference, the first comprehensive book to provide parents with up-to-date information and support.

Each chapter of Children with Facial Difference includes parent statements, reassuring and useful bits of information and insights from parents of children with facial difference. These statements help alleviate feelings of isolation and provide comfort and support. With a foreword by Joseph E. Murray, M.D., a Nobel Prize winner in medicine and a pioneer in craniofacial surgery, this book also includes a glossary of terms, a reading list, a resource list of organizations, and an index.

children born with craniofacial conditions a parents' guide

The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon’s Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I
By Lindsey Fitzharris
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2022

From the moment the first machine gun rang out over the Western Front, one thing was clear: humankind’s military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities. Bodies were battered, gouged, hacked, and gassed. The First World War claimed millions of lives and left millions more wounded and disfigured. In the midst of this brutality, however, there were also those who strove to alleviate suffering. The Facemaker tells the extraordinary story of such an individual: the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, who dedicated himself to reconstructing the burned and broken faces of the injured soldiers under his care.

Gillies, a Cambridge-educated New Zealander, became interested in the nascent field of plastic surgery after encountering the human wreckage on the front. Returning to Britain, he established one of the world’s first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction. There, Gillies assembled a unique group of practitioners whose task was to rebuild what had been torn apart, to re-create what had been destroyed. At a time when losing a limb made a soldier a hero, but losing a face made him a monster to a society largely intolerant of disfigurement, Gillies restored not just the faces of the wounded but also their spirits. The Facemaker places Gillies’s ingenious surgical innovations alongside the dramatic stories of soldiers whose lives were wrecked and repaired. The result is a vivid account of how medicine can be an art, and of what courage and imagination can accomplish in the presence of relentless horror.

I’ve Just Seen a Face: A Practical and Emotional Guide for Parents of Children Born with Cleft Lip and Palate (Year One and Beyond)
By Amy Mendillo
Luminare Press, 2023

Hearing the news of a baby’s cleft lip and palate can feel overwhelming for a parent. Amy Mendillo, health writer and cleft parent, has been there. Now, she has produced the most comprehensive guide ever written for parents of children born with clefts.
Based on extensive interviews with fellow parents and cleft-team pros—plus exhaustive research from medical literature—I’ve Just Seen a Face (named after the Beatles song) contains essential medical information, emotional insights, and insiders’ tips to help parents with countless decisions, big and small, during the intense first year of treatment and beyond. It is also full of personable stories that will help parents feel more supported and less alone. This book contains:
• Basics on the condition and its treatment, explained in everyday language
• Guidance on preparing for surgery and recovery—and handling feelings along the way
• Honest discussions of issues like bonding with a baby, taking photos, and responding to strangers in public
• Step-by-step instructions on how to feed a cleft-affected baby, plus loads of inside tips and tricks
• Key lessons on speaking up for a baby in the delivery room, exam room, recovery room, and beyond
A warm and lively read, I’ve Just Seen a Face addresses the practical and emotional needs of families during a challenging time—and offers information, insights, and reassurance.



Children with Cleft Lip and Palate: A Parents’ Guide to Early Speech-Language Development and Treatment
By Mary A. Hardin-Jones, Kathy L. Chapman, and Nancy J. Scherer
Woodbine House, 2015

Turn to this book for family-friendly guidance and support for young children with clefts–cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft lip/palate–one of the most commonly occurring birth defects. Learn about:
– what clefts are
– how they are repaired and when
– feeding problems before and after surgery
– dental issues
– hearing & middle ear problems
– your child’s treatment team
– your child’s perspective
– velopharyngeal inadequacy
– speech-language skill building activities

A team of speech-language pathologists focuses especially on mitigating the speech and language problems experienced by infants and toddlers (ages birth to three) with cleft palate. Parents can use the book’s dozens of practical, hands-on activities to improve their child’s speech. For example, Bug Race! uses a cotton ball or pom-pom–add eyes and voilà, you have a bug!–that the child moves by releasing pressure from behind the lips to stimulate oral airflow to produce the consonant /p/. Build valuable speech skills while you both have fun!

Helpful strategies, illustrations of cleft repair procedures, photos of equipment, and recommended resources empower parents to get started on addressing speech problems for very young children and other issues for school-aged children. Speech-language pathologists, early intervention specialists, and medical professionals will also want this book to recommend to the families they serve.