If the moral a young reader picks up from a book

[conuly]

is that disabled people are a "burden" until and unless they manage to successfully "overcome" that disability, then no, I don't need to actually find the title of the book to assert that it sounds ableist as hell.

And if that same reader, now an adult, wants to find that book in order to introduce her son to the idea of overcoming disability, I feel like it needs to be said. Read some other book!

Comments

[amaebi]

Amen.

[sabotabby]

Agreed. Though now I'm wondering which book.

[conuly]

Something by this guy: https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2007/05/kenneth-thomasmas-books-casting-call-is.html?m=1

Which, by the way, I also pre-emptively called this book as probably racist and got a whole bunch of blowback for being "so harsh" when we "don't even know what book it is" and - listen, I don't need to know what book it is. There's a reason this dude sets all his pandering, ableist books about Native Americans in the past.

[sabotabby]

Oh gross.

[conuly]

Yes, and comments from fans are... illustrative.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

And here I was granting the possibility of a misread, because people have found morals at unusual angles to the source. But that url is a bit telling, even before the notation of exclusive past setting. You have to be very particular for that not to be warning (Sometimes it can be a foible to avoid particular artifacts, but that's generally not Occam's when Native Americans are in the mix.)

Clearly we need the story of the able-ist protagonist that overcomes burdening the antagonists with poorly conceptualized urban planning.

[conuly]

Clearly we need the story of the able-ist protagonist that overcomes burdening the antagonists with poorly conceptualized urban planning.

I'm there for it. Or the ableist protag that overcomes "helping" people who neither need nor want their help, and if they did, would want them to do something utterly different anyway.

[silveradept]

Yep. Get that book as far away as you can. And possibly make sure it gets withdrawn as inaccurate and discriminatory.

[conuly]

Mmm. It shouldn't necessarily be the case that white people writing about Native Americans produce problematic works, but somehow it always is. At least we'll grant that this guy attempted to do some research.

[silveradept]

Which probably puts that person a little bit above the majority of writers on the subject, but still far below the line of acceptable.

[alexseanchai]

augh augh augh ewww

[mount_oregano]

Back when I was a child, I remember reading a story about a young man who became blind in an accident. As he worked to deal with his new life, he learned ways to cope that made him stronger than his friends. He wasn't a burden, he could fend for himself with a little teaching to gain new skills, and he was sensitive to how the world had changed, and he had changed, too. I have no idea what that book was, but it taught me a lot, for example, being blind wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to me. I'd still be okay. By extension, a lot could happen, and I'd still be okay.

[swingandswirl]

Ugh, fail, no, person.

Disabled people are NOT a burden and disability is NOT something to be overcome, wtf.

(now I really need a children's book where a Deaf sailor saves the crew from sirens or something)

[mme-n-b.livejournal.com]

Speaking of which - have you ever read "I Can Jump Puddles" by Alan Marshall? I've only read it in Russian and remember it as a sweet and awesome book about, well, overcoming one's disabilities. Not because he was a burden, but just because he wanted to jump. Buuut... 1. Russian translations were heavily censored and often outright re-written 2. As a seven-year-old in Russia I may have missed a lot of stuff (like racism, sexism...). I plan on buying and re-reading it before giving to kids, but if you've read it already I'd love to have your opinion.

[conuly]

I have not, nor yet even heard of it before!

[mme-n-b.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a "read and review" for me, then :))))

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

I read "Skallagrig" a long time ago, and was impressed. Could be worth taking a look, though my memories are vague, and best to check before giving to children
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skallagrigg-William-Horwood/dp/0140072063

[conuly]

*makes note*