Books Fill a Special Need on ME Shelves

The titles aren't bestsellers and their publishers aren't household names, yet a new collection of children's books has a special place on the shelves of the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, ME.

They include My Friend Isabelle (Woodbine House, 2003) by Eliza Woloson, a story about two friends, one of whom has Down syndrome, and Looking After Louis (Albert Whitman, 2004) by Lesley Ely, which follows an autistic boy as his classmates find ways to join his world and include him in theirs.

These are among a collection of 10 children's books recently donated to 55 Maine libraries by the Jeremiah Cromwell Disabilities Center, a Portland–based nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding of those with developmental disabilities.

The collection, which has drawn immediate interest from patrons, is already circulating quickly, reports Linda Oliver, a reference librarian at Curtis. "The more information you have, the more inclusive an environment you can promote for these families [with impairments]," she says, adding that the books "speak to our core mission—providing materials for everyone."

Each library also received a 15-volume collection for parents and educators, including Special Children, Challenged Parents (Paul H. Brookes, 2001) by Robert A. Naseef and Children with Fragile X Syndrome: A Parent's Guide (Woodbine House, 2000) edited by Jayne Dixon Weber. Disabilities experts and Cromwell staff selected all titles, which were purchased at discounted rates from special needs publishers. Jamie Kaplan, Cromwell's executive director, says the books generally "don't get a lot of play," particularly in public libraries, where the lack of funding and expertise preclude the acquisition of such titles.

Launched in 2003, the book program is funded by community and private grants. Kaplan recently secured more funds to donate the children's book collection to 430 libraries across Massachusetts. Cromwell has also supplied special needs books to teachers through another program, which promotes more tolerance among elementary school students toward those with disabilities. For more information, visit Cromwell's Web site at www.cromwellcenter.org.