Special Adventures With My Big Brother
by Annie Beckett

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What is typical for Thomas and his younger brother might not be typical for other families. Thomas needs special equipment that helps him move, play, and communicate. His younger brother loves spending the day with Thomas. They play outside together. They create art together. They eat together. They sing and play hockey together. All these activities are possible for Thomas because of the adaptive equipment he uses. Each page provides educational notes for parents and caregivers that name and explain the adaptive equipment Thomas needs. This encourages learning and discussion about disabilities and inclusion, and helps children develop awareness and empathy. Told from the point of view of Thomas’s younger brother, this book highlights the unconditional love between siblings and aims to change the narrative of disability from meaning “cannot” to meaning “can in modified ways.” With greater understanding comes greater empathy and inclusion.

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Annie Beckett is the author of Special Adventures with My Little Brother, a book about Thomas and his older brother Harrison. She is a high school teacher with a vested interest in the departments of special education and physical education. She played university level hockey at the University of Toronto, and won a gold medal representing Team Canada at the World University Games in Harbin, China. She enjoys travelling, reading, and finding ways to include her children in all her favourite pastimes given the differences in their abilities. Beckett lives in Dundas, Ontario, with her husband Jay and their three children, Harrison (5), Thomas (3), and Frederick (1).

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Contributors

Author

Annie Beckett

Editor

Nicole McLean

Illustrator

Brandon Koepke