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Books and Resources
Rachel is a
sibling and the author of bestselling book Riding the Bus with My Sister
which was also made into a movie.
Check out her blog and the entry
It Takes a Village
to Help a Sister.
Walk with Me by Kristin Lanari
Walk With Me
is a a 72-page collection of uplifting stories written by children and adults
who have brothers and sisters with Down syndrome. This brand new, self-published
book was developed and edited by Kristin Lanari of
Appleton, WI
in honor of her relationship with her sister Lauren.
The book includes thirty-one
(31) stories that describe the joys and challenges of having a sibling with a
disability. It is intended to:
- Acknowledge and
recognize the importance of the sibling relationship through the lifetime of
persons with Down syndrome and other disabilities.
- Help parents of
children with disabilities understand and value the sibling relationship.
- Help newly
diagnosed families understand what to expect.
- Help educate
medical and human services professionals about life with a sibling with Down
syndrome.
- Help educate
public officials about the importance of funding programs and services that
enhance the quality of life.
- Enable the authors
to help others by sharing their experiences.
You can purchase
Walk With Me
online starting April 4 at
stores.lulu.com/lanarinet for $18.90, plus shipping and handling.
A grant from the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities is being used
to distribute 200 books to a limited number of hospital nurseries, doctor’s
offices, and agencies serving families with children who have special needs.
(See more information below.)
If you would like to
help extend this free distribution of books
click here to
make a donation online (via firstgiving fundraising page).
Donated copies are
distributed through the Fox Valley Sibling Support Network (FVSSN). A
$25 donation will purchase one book. Books are distributed to new parents and
siblings through hospitals, genetic counselors, and other agencies supporting
families early in learning of diagnosis of Down syndrome or other disabilitiy.
If you prefer to pay by check, send donation to FVSSN, 506 E Parkway, Appleton,
WI 54911.
This book is made
possible by a grant from the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental
Disabilities (WBPDD), which was formerly known as the Wisconsin Council on
Developmental Disabilities (WCDD). More information about the WBPDD is
available at
http://www.wi-bpdd.org/.
All photography
donated by
Lanari Photography.
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BE MY BROTHER - Award winning movie
Only 7 minutes long, but you'll remember it forever.
Click HERE to see BE MY BROTHER
Newcastle filmmaker Genevieve Clay won Tropfest 2009 with her short film Be
My Brother. The 20-year-old took out the top prize at the 17th annual awards
in Sydney for her story about a young man with Down Syndrome.
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Fox Valley Sibling
Support Network Resource Library
(made possible by a grant from the Ameritech Pioneers)
Annotated Bibliography
If you would like
to borrow an item from our library for 2 weeks, email
FVSSN
Books
Title:
Andy and His Yellow Frisbee
Author: Mary Thompson
Publisher: Woodbine House, c.1996
Notes: The new girl at school tries to befriend Andy, a boy
with autism who spends every recess by himself, spinning a yellow frisbee under
the watchful eye of his older sister.
Title: Ben, King of the River
Author: David Gifaldi
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, c.2001
Notes: Chad experiences a range of emotions when he goes
camping with his parents and his five-year-old mentally disabled brother Ben,
who has many developmental problems.
Title: Ian’s Walk: A Story About Autism
Author: Laurie Lears
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, c.1998
Notes: A young girl realizes how much she cares about her
brother who has autism when he gets lost at the park.
Title: It Isn’t Fair! Siblings of Children with
Disabilities
Author: Edited by Stanley D. Klein & Maxwell J. Schleifer
Publisher: Bergin and Garvey, c.1993
Notes: This book is divided into five parts. In Part I, an
interview with college students is followed by an article by Meyer Schreiber,
one of the first professionals to write and speak about the needs of siblings.
In Part II, there are eight articles by parents and on a team of professionals.
In Part III, there are seven articles written by siblings reflecting on their
experiences. A series of case studies highlighting sibling relationships
follows Part IV. The book concludes with Part V and a series of brief articles
written by children.
Title: Joey and Sam
Authors: Illana Katz and Edward Ritvo, M.D.
Publisher: Real Life Storybooks, c.1993
Notes: Although it is sometimes hard to have a younger
brother like Sam who is autistic, Joey is proud when Sam’s special class
performs at a school assembly.
Title: Our Brother Has Down’s Syndrome: An Introduction
for Children
Author: Shelley Cairo
Publisher: Annick Press, c. 1985
Notes: Tara and Jasmine tell about how their little brother,
Jai, who has Down syndrome is “a little different (we all have different things
about us) but mostly is just like the rest of us.” Large color photographs and
a sensitive text describe their special brother and their family life. A clear
explanation of Down syndrome is included.
Title:
Riding the Bus with My Sister
Author:
Rachel Simon
Publisher: First Plume Publishing, c.
2003
Notes: A true
story about a the author and her spirited sister who has cognitive disabilities
and spends nearly every day riding the busses in her Pennsylvania city.
The story tells how riding the bus with her sister for one year changes the
author's life forever.
Title:
Russell is Extra Special: A Book About Autism for Children
Author: Charles A. Amenta III, M.C.
Publisher: Magination Press, c. 1992
Notes: Explaining autism to children can be a difficult
task. This heart-warming portrayal of an autistic boy and his family will help
children and their parents understand this serious developmental disorder. An
introduction for parents and a list of resources supply further information. In
addition, as they enjoy and identify with the family photographs so similar to
their own, children will develop greater sympathy for those who may bedifferent
from themselves.
Title: Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for
Families
Author: Sandra L. Harris, Ph.D.
Publisher: Woodbine House, c.1994
Notes: Siblings of Children with Autism is an invaluable
guide to understanding sibling relationships, how autism affects these
relationships, and what families can do to support their other children as they
cope with the intensive needs of a child with autism. Harris offers
compassionate and authoritative advice and strategies for dealing with specific
issues that are often troublesome for siblings. She also teaches parents how to
improve communication in the family, balance personal and family time, and
foster interaction between children with autism and their brothers and sisters.
Title: Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your
Children Live Together So You Can Live
Too
Authors: Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
Publisher: Avon Books, c.1987
Notes: Siblings Without Rivalry guides the way to
peace and tranquility with humor, compassion and
understanding, and the illustrated, action-oriented, easy-to-understand stories
will make life easier for both siblings and their parents.
Title: Sisters, Brothers, and Disability: A Family
Album
Author: Lydia Gans
Publisher: Fairview Press, c.1997
Notes: The stories of 26 families raising children with
special needs at home. Includes 142 photographs that show compassion, patience,
and matter-of-factness sisters and brothers share as they deal with the
challenges of living with differently-abled siblings.
Title: Special Siblings: Growing Up with Someone with
a Disability
Author: Mary McHugh
Publisher: Hyperion, c.1999
Notes: The real life story of a woman who raised her disabled
brother after their mother’s death. Her insights into the positive impact that
her brother had on her life and development are simply inspirational.
Title: Views From Our Shoes: Growing Up with a Brother
or Sister with Special Needs
Author: Edited by
Donald Meyer, director of
the Sibling Support Project,
Publisher: Woodbine House, c.1997
Notes: A book for children by children who share their
experience as the brother or sister of someone with special needs. The good and
bad aspects, as well as many thoughtful observations. May be useful to
educators to supplement their inclusion programs.
Title;
What About Me? When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick
Author:
Allan Peterkin, M.D.
Publisher:
Magination Press, c.1992
Notes:
Laura experiences conflicting emotions when her brother becomes seriously ill.
Includes suggestions for parents to help their well children cope with a
chronically ill sibling.
Videos
Title: Straight Talk About Autism: Childhood Issues
(41 minutes)
Title: Straight Talk About Autism: Adolescent Issues
(38 minutes)
Producer: Attainment Production, c.1999
Notes: Two video tapes that present a complicated disorder in
a very matter-of-fact manner.They deal with childhood, adolescent, and parenting
issues from schooling to sibling relationships.
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