Written and Illustrated by Mikayla’s Third-Grade Class
Lower Nazareth Elementary School, Nazareth, PA
Years ago, a young child asked about Mikayla’s feeding tube and Lauren (Mikayla’s then three-year old her sister) simply explained, “Mommy feeds Mikayla special milk with a special tube.” Being the same age as the child who posed the question, Lauren was able to give just the right answer for his developmental level and understanding. When Mikayla’s family purchased books on diversity and disability to donate to their school library, they could not find any written by kids. Based on their personal experience, and belief that kids often offer the best explanations for other children, Kim suggested Mikayla’s class write and illustrate a book about having a friend with a disability. Having met her just two years earlier, Mikayla’s third-grade classmates knew what it was like to meet and become friends with someone with multiple disabilities. Through their book, Mikayla’s friends let other children know it’s okay to be afraid when you first meet someone with a disability, but “there is nothing to be scared of.”
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