#where the star athlete older brother is paralyzed in a car accident

[heavencasteel420]

Honestly the implications for the Byers family dynamics if Jonathan gets taken to the UD instead of Will are staggering.

[sportsintersections]

12 Exciting and Moving Sports Books with Disability, Chronic Illness, & Neurodiversity Representation

These sports books, from memoirs to romances, all contain some sort of disability, chronic illness, and/or neurodiversity representation. There are definitely some limitations and gaps in this list – YA fiction books tend to focus on romance when it comes to teens with chronic illness, and there are definitely more books out there about teens who have recently acquired physical disabilities and/or are using mobility aids only temporarily. That said, every year there is more representation out there! And please let me know if there’s anything great that I’m missing.

All books are YA fiction unless otherwise noted.

The Running Dream, by Wendelin Van Draanen

When Jessica loses a leg in a car accident, she thinks her life is over, and she’s certain she’ll never run again. As she deals with crutches and a new prosthetic, she comes to see her past judgment of a classmate with cerebral palsy in a new light; especially when that classmate is now tutoring her to help catch up on the schoolwork she missed. Jessica’s emotional journey as she deals with a huge change in her physical abilities and navigating a world that isn’t designed for people with disabilities, the trauma of the accident, and her resulting survivor’s guilt are realistic and moving.

Rules for 50/50 Chances, by Kate McGovern

Seventeen-year-old Rose Levenson is faced with an impossible decision: does she want to know how she’s going to die? When she turns 18, she can take the test that will tell her if she carries the genetic mutation for Huntington’s disease, the degenerative condition that she has watched destroy her mother’s body from the inside out. If she knows the future, will she still want to pursue her passions, like going to ballet school, or falling in love? But then she meets a boy who has been dealt a similar genetic lottery. Is it worth hoping for the future, if it could include him?

The Year We Fell Down, by Sarina Bowen (new adult)

Corey Callahan was expecting to start her freshman year in college as a varsity hockey player, but instead she arrives in a wheelchair, after an accident on the ice leaves her partly paralyzed from the waist down. She has to live in a special accessible room away from all the other freshmen, but she gets to know the hockey player across the hall, who is extremely hot…but also has a girlfriend. Should she just forget him? Would he even like her anyway, when she feels broken? (Note: although there isn’t much hockey actually played in this book, it forms an integral part of both protagonists’ identities). TW for the use of ableist slurs (by characters with disabilities).

How We Roll, by Natasha Friend

Quinn loves her family, friends, skateboarding, and basketball, but when she’s diagnosed with the auto-immune disorder alopecia and loses all her hair, her friends suddenly disappear. Then she meets Nick, a former football player who is now in a wheelchair after a freak accident. Together, they figure out how to regain confidence and self-esteem, even though their lives look different than they expected, and maybe find love along the way. Note: Quinn also has a brother with autism.

Just Don’t Fall, by Josh Sundquist (memoir)

Josh was only nine years old when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, the cancer that would lead to the loss of his left leg. This story is just as much about his coming-of-age in a small Southern town as it is about his passion for skiing. But the exciting, moving, and often funny story takes the reader along on the bumpy road to the Paralympics in Turin.

Pinned, by Sharon Flake

At first glance, Autumn and Adonis seem to have nothing in common: Autumn is popular and outgoing, whereas Adonis keeps to himself. Autumn is a star wrestler, but she has a learning disability that makes reading a struggle; Adonis is in a wheelchair, but he’s a strong reader who loves books. Told in alternating points-of-view with two very distinct voices, this book is a testament to unlikely friendships, identity, and difference. It’s especially rare to see characters of color who have physical and/or intellectual disabilities in YA. TW: some non- or dubious- consensual kissing/romantic advances.

The Beginning of Everything, by Robyn Schneider

Ezra was the varsity tennis captain with a whole blessed life ahead of him, but then he shattered his leg in a car accident. This book has funny, witty dialogue and romance reminiscent of John Green, but also has more serious and moving moments. Ezra is unlikable, especially at first, when he’s very spoiled and kind of a jerk, but he becomes a sympathetic and relatable protagonist by the end. TW: animal death.

Pop, by Gordon Korman

After his parents split up, Marcus moves to a new town where he doesn’t know anyone, and strikes up a friendship with an older man named Charlie, who turns out to be the infamous football star Charlie Popovich, “the King of Pop.” But what damage exactly can all the “pops” in football cause? Full of pranks and suspense, this is a funny sports story with a goofy older character that makes the serious issues it deals with (dementia caused by repeated head injury) more accessible and approachable. It’s also full of entertaining football scenes.

A Matter of Heart, by Amy Dominy

Sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman seems destined for great things – a state swimming championship, and maybe even the Olympics. But then she faints at a swim meet and gets a sobering diagnosis of HCM, a heart condition that has led to the sudden death of young athletes. How is she going to figure out who she is and what this means for her life, without the one thing she’s always known? TW: suicidal ideation.

My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall, by Elena Dell Doyne (adult memoir)

Elena Delle Donne, 2015 WNBA MVP and Olympic medalist, shares her story of passion, hard work, loyalty, and family. She was a basketball prodigy who gave up a scholarship and chance to play for the legendary Geno Aurriema at UConn to stay close to her sister Lizzie, who has multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy. Elena talks about the emotional and psychological challenges of competing at the highest level of a sport, as well as the long-term health challenges she has from recurrent Lyme disease, in this inspiring and interesting memoir.

Hit Count, by Chris Lynch

How do we reconcile Americans’ love of football with our knowledge of its long-term effects? That’s the question that Chris Lynch asks in this engaging story of a teen football star who loves being in the center of the action, even (especially) if it means getting hit and hitting back even harder. Everything is fine -- even though he might have a little pounding in his head, a little dizziness, a little confusion from the chronic head trauma, it’s worth it for the exhilaration of the tackle! But eventually the people he loves him tell him he has to stop. What will he choose? TW: the descriptions of violence and injuries can be quite graphic.

Kicking Up Dirt: A True Story of Determination, Deafness, and Daring, by Ashley Fiolek (adult memoir)

Ashley Fiolek, a deaf motorcross champion at only 19, tells of her rise to the top of a male-dominated sport in her memoir. Although many of the blurbs for the book talk about Fiolek “overcoming” her disability, the actual book is frank and straightforward about her experiences, how it’s felt to accomplish all that she has, and her frustrations about the inequality faced by women in motorcross.

[All cover images belong to the publishers].

For more YA books with portrayals of disability (not necessarily about sports), check out Disability in Kidlit (although it hasn’t been updated in a couple of years). Also, find a list of “7 Documentaries by Deaf and Disabled People” (a list inspired by Netflix’s generally well-liked new documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution”), here.