Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award

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Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award

Recognizing children, intermediate, & young adult books that appropriately portray individuals with developmental disabilities. www.dollygrayaward.com

The Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award was initiated in 2000 to recognize authors, illustrators, and publishers of high-quality fictional and biographical children, intermediate, and young adult books that appropriately portray individuals with developmental disabilities. The award is a collaborative work by members of the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) of the Council

for Exceptional Children (CEC), Brigham Young University's McKay School of Education, and The Foundation for Enriching Families with Disabilities. Every even year, an award is presented to an author and illustrator (if appropriate) of a children's picture book, an intermediate, and/or a young adult book that includes appropriate portrayals of individuals with developmental disabilities.

08/28/2026

📚 BOOKSHELF FAVORITES! 📚

Looking for your next great read? Here are 6 of our favorite middle-grade books that have been reviewed for the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award!

📘 Planet Earth Is Blue — Nicole Panteleakos
📕 Scarlet Ibis — Gill Lewis
📙 The London Eye Mystery — Siobhan Dowd
📗 Mockingbird — Kathryn Erskine
📒 The Someday Birds — Sally J. Pla
📓 Rain Reign — Ann M. Martin

Each of these books offers a unique story while highlighting different perspectives, experiences, and ways of seeing the world.

Which one would you add to your reading list first?

08/21/2026

It’s that time to head back to school! Start the school year with a little reading adventure and follow Henry through his adventures at school. ✨📖

Check out Henry and the Something New by Jenn Bailey and see what happens when Henry faces something new! 💛

08/12/2026

Don’t let summer pass you by without checking out Samira’s Best-Worst Summer by Nina Hamza—the perfect summer read for a fun adventure! ☀️⛺

Check out this book and more like it at dollygrayaward.com

08/05/2026

Let’s celebrate all our differences!

Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming by Steve Asbell is a joyful reminder that stimming can be a beautiful way to express happiness, excitement, comfort, and individuality. 💕

07/22/2026

Every story has the power to inspire understanding. 💙📚

These children's books help introduce autism in a way that encourages kindness, empathy, and acceptance. Through engaging stories, young readers can learn that our differences make the world a better place.

✨ Featured books:
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder by Amy Nielsen
• Diego the Alien: A Day on Planet Earth by Sonia Kyriacou
• Russell's World: A Story for Kids About Autism by Charles A. Amenta III

05/29/2026

These are some of our favorite young adult books that we have reviewed at the Dolly Gray Award for their excellence in demonstrating representation of individuals with autism! ⭐📖

Give them a read and check out more at dollygrayaward.org!

05/15/2026

The Dolly Gray Award 🏅 honor authors, illustrators, and publishers of books for children and youth that authentically portray individuals with autism and developmental disabilities!

Are you wanting your children to learn more about these life experiences? Let us know if there's a particular subject or disability you are interested in exploring!

05/06/2026

Reading with our kids is so important! 📚🧒👧👶
Find an extensive database of inclusive children's books that can be filtered by type of disability, gender, age, and more at dollygrayaward.org!

04/29/2026

Today we are celebrating International Guide Dog Day! 🐾🐕 Though specific to blind individuals, we want to share a story about the amazing things our furry friends can do for the Autistic community!

"The Dog That Gave My Brother Words is the story of a nonverbal boy with autism and the service dog that helps him find his voice. Their first meeting is a magical moment leading to a break in the silence. The Dog That Gave My Brother Words promotes autism awareness and leaves the reader with the satisfying sense that boy and dog are destined to do great things together."

Wendy Hinote Lanier is a former elementary teacher, award-winning author, and certified speaker who has written over 50 books for children and young people with a variety of publishers. Her most recent release is Paws-itive Inspirations: 90 Devotions for Kids and Dog Lovers (Iron Stream Media, 2024), co-authored with Michelle Medlock Adams.

Let us know how you have seen the power of animal companionship in your lives! 🐶💕

04/23/2026

Happy World Book Day! 📖 At Dolly Gray we believe that every child should be able to see themselves represented in children's literature because books are for everyone !

Check out our website to find the perfect book for your story!

Address

333 East Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach, CA
90802

Website

https://www.dollygrayaward.org/

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