"This is a wonderful story, complimented with beautiful photographs. Children will relate to the joy in learning to do something that is important to them, especially when it's something they can participate in with their family!"- Becky Drews, MS. Ed Special Education
In MyaGrace Wants to Make Music, a young girl with disabilities shares her favorite activity. She loves to go to her weekly piano lesson! Everyone in her family plays a musical instrument and she wants to learn how to play so she can join them for family music time.
MyaGrace is fun and sweet as she shares her thoughts and hopes. Her emotions distract her at times, but her wonderful piano teacher builds on her love for certain notes and helps her discover that she is capable of doing much more than make noise
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This beautifully photographed story captures the joy of realizing what it means to make music and to be included. It demonstrates that inclusion can always be possible when everyone is open to possibilities.
By sharing MyaGrace's story we celebrate her many strengths and abilities. MyaGrace has intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy.
- Midwest Book Review
"What a wonderful book! Love that they used real people, real stories and photos vs drawings. This book would be great to use with classrooms working on including children with special needs or just to help students learn and understand that all children are more alike than different. The whole series of books that goes along with this one should be in all elementary school libraries!"
- Lori A. Eigenman, Ed.S.
MyaGrace Wants to Make Music is the first title in the Growing With Grace series that follows MyaGrace as she grows up.
Birdsell, Mary: - Mary Birdsell is a professional photographer and a former Speech and Theatre teacher. She strives to create images that reflect the strengths of each child. Mary's background in education, theatre, and photography intersect as she visually creates our books. She uses colors and shapes to tell a story. For her, each book is like its own theatre production.
Mach, Jo Meserve: - Jo Meserve Mach (author) spent 36 years as an Occupational Therapist. She is very passionate about sharing the stories of children with special needs. Jo embraces the joy that individuals with disabilities bring to our communities through their unique gifts.
Jo is the cofounder of Finding My Way Books, which offers tools to help children without disabilities realize that children with disabilities are kids just like them.
Readers and teachers love her books, which they describe as great, fabulous, which showcase how a person with a disability can be a mentor to others, and make the teachable moments and situations perfect for young students.
They are recommended for parents, teachers, elementary school libraries, homeschoolers, and anyone who wants a more just and inclusive world.
Stroup-Rentier, Vera Lynne: - Vera Lynne Stroup-Rentier worked professionally in Early Childhood and Special Education programming for 25 years. She has a PhD in Special Education from the University of Kansas and is currently working at Westat. Vera is passionate about the inclusion of each and every child in settings where they would be if they did not have a disability. Parenting two children with special needs enrich her life.
