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Recommended reading

Here's a collection of books that celebrate visible differences, body image, and self-acceptance.

This collection spans genres and age groups, offering accessible titles for everyone – whether you’re a child discovering uniqueness or an adult navigating complex feelings about appearance. Each section includes stories that foster empathy, resilience, and understanding.

 

In a world often focused on conformity, these books highlight the strength of individuality and the importance of kindness. We hope this list sparks conversations about acceptance and the richness of our differences.

YOUNG CHILDREN (AGES 3-8)

OLDER CHILDREN (AGES 8-14)

TEENS (AGES 13+)

ADULTS

Young children

YOUNG CHILDREN (AGES 3-8)

  • Smile with Simon Series by Patricia Ann Simon

  • The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson

  • Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor

  • When Teddy Lost His Smile by Karen Johnson

  • Hi, I’m Me by Kelly Vurinaris

  • Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor

  • The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

  • We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio

  • Adventures of Norah: Let’s Talk About Cleft by Sasha A. Cooper

  • These Lips by Julie Cwir

  • The Day Bert Smiled by Christine Maier

  • Why Me, Mama? by Katherine Lockwood

  • Jack’s New Smile: Having a Baby with Cleft Lip and Palate by Ruth M. Trivelpiece MEd, Suzanne N. West MSN, and Jennifer L. Rhodes MD

  • Amber’s Adventures with Goldenhar by Breanna Mendoza

  • Peter’s Rockin’ Ear by Dede Dankelson

  • Hi, I’m Me in Kindergarten by Kelly Vurinaris

  • I See a Smile: Preparing Families for a Baby with Cleft Lip by LaTasha Reinhardt

Older children

OLDER CHILDREN (AGES 8-14)

  • Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders

  • Break the Mould by Sinead Burke

  • Wonder by R.J. Palacio

  • Roll with It by Jamie Summer

  • Walk in My Shoes by Kate Chandulal

  • Turtle Boy by Evan Wolkenstein

  • Ride High Pineapple by Jenny Woolsey

  • Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories by R.J. Palacio

  • 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts by R.J. Palacio

Teens

TEENS (AGES 13+)

  • In This Body by Ruby Jones

Adults

ADULTS

For parents

  • Children with Facial Difference: A Parents’ Guide by Hope Charkins

  • I’ve Just Seen a Face: A Practical and Emotional Guide for Parents of Children Born with Cleft Lip and Palate (Year One and Beyond) by Amy Mendillo

  • Children with Cleft Lip and Palate: A Parents’ Guide to Early Speech-Language Development and Treatment by Mary A. Hardin-Jones, Kathy L. Chapman, and Nancy J. Scherer

  • Choosing Ourselves: Love and Advocacy in Overcoming the American Medical System by Barbara R. Walker, PhD, and Jim H. Walker

Memoirs

  • A Face for Picasso by Ariel Henley

  • Ugly by Robert Hoge

  • Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy

  • Running from the Mirror by Howard Shulman

  • Full of Heart by J.R. Martinez

  • Say Hello by Carly Findlay

  • Diary of a Beautiful Disaster by Kristin Bartzokis

  • Not All Heroes Wear Capes by Jono Lancaster

  • Shelley: The Uplifting Story of a Battle to Overcome Disfigurement by Shelley Hull

  • Normal: One Kid’s Extraordinary Journey by Magdalena and Nathaniel Newman

  • Heroes with a Thousand Faces by Laura Greenwald

  • REARRANGED: An Opera Singer’s Facial Cancer and Life Transposed by Kathlee Watt 

Non-fiction

  • Face It by James Partridge

  • CBT for Appearance Anxiety: Psychosocial Interventions for Anxiety Due to Visible Difference by Alex Clarke, Andrew Thompson, Elizabeth Jenkinson, Nichola Rumsey, Rob Newell

  • The Courage to Be Kind by Jenny Levin and Rena Rosen

  • The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon’s Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I by Lindsey Fitzharris

  • Babyface: A Story of Heart and Bones by Jeanne McDermott

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