A review by bardicbramley
I Am Not a Label: 34 disabled artists, thinkers, athletes and activists from past and present by Cerrie Burnell, Lauren Mark Baldo
4.0
An amazing collection of short stories, detailing the lives and achievements of 34 incredible and disabled humans.
I love so much about this book.
It is written by a disabled author - so the language that is used, the community it portrays and the values it highlights are own voice and accurate. Cerrie uses identity first language ('disabled person' not 'person with a disability') and talks about the personal, everyday achievements of individuals alongside the inspirational.
The book has a good balance of historical vs current figures, a massive range of specialist areas, and spans across the world.
It also takes time to talk about hidden disabilities, mental health, and highlights complex prejudices such as race and gender alongside disability.
All of this is done in a child friendly way that both disabled and non-disabled children will be able to relate to, find incredibly inspiring at the right times, but also gain a clear understanding that inspiration is not the only worth a disabled person can have.
I only scored 4 stars as the copy I read was released in 2020 and contains a section where the life of Demi Lovato is discussed, with considerable (understandable) migendering. I would be interested to see if future editions are edited (which from the tone of the rest of the book, I imagine is highly likely) .
I love so much about this book.
It is written by a disabled author - so the language that is used, the community it portrays and the values it highlights are own voice and accurate. Cerrie uses identity first language ('disabled person' not 'person with a disability') and talks about the personal, everyday achievements of individuals alongside the inspirational.
The book has a good balance of historical vs current figures, a massive range of specialist areas, and spans across the world.
It also takes time to talk about hidden disabilities, mental health, and highlights complex prejudices such as race and gender alongside disability.
All of this is done in a child friendly way that both disabled and non-disabled children will be able to relate to, find incredibly inspiring at the right times, but also gain a clear understanding that inspiration is not the only worth a disabled person can have.
I only scored 4 stars as the copy I read was released in 2020 and contains a section where the life of Demi Lovato is discussed, with considerable (understandable) migendering. I would be interested to see if future editions are edited (which from the tone of the rest of the book, I imagine is highly likely) .