May 2007
Recommended Books About Down Syndrome
Biographical
Compiled by Dr. Len Leshin
Note: Clicking on either the book cover or title will take you to Amazon.com where you can order the book.
 
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Choosing Naia: A Family's Journey by Mitchell Zuckoff. Beacon Press, 2002. Expanded from a series of articles written by the author for the Boston Globe, this book details the story of a couple who discover that their unborn child has Down syndrome. With only a short time to decide whether or not to keep the baby, the parents must struggle with technology, attitudes in our society toward children with Down syndrome and their own family tensions as a result of a biracial marriage. |
 
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Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic by Martha Beck. Berkley Publishing Group, 2000 A mother's story of the events that unfolded after a Harvard couple found they were expecting a child with Down syndrome. "Expecting Adam is a poignant, challenging, and achingly funny chronicle of the extraordinary nine months of Martha's pregnancy. By the time Adam was born, Martha and John were propelled into a world in which they were forced to redefine everything of value to them, put all their faith in miracles, and trust that they could fly without a net. And it worked." |
 
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Another Season: A Coach's Story of Raising an Exceptional Son by Gene Stallings, Sally Cook. Little Brown & Company, 1997 "In 1962, doctors handed coach Gene Stallings of the University of Alabama the toughest challenge he would ever face. His newborn son, Johnny, was a Down's Syndrome child, who also had a serious heart condition. Another Season tells the courageous and heartwarming story of the Stallings' decision not to put Johnny in an institution and the remarkable fortitude the family exhibited in making Johnny's life as normal and productive as they could." |
 
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Count Us In: Growing Up with Down Syndrome (A Harvest Book) by Jason Kingsley and Mitchell Levitz. Harcourt Brace and Co. "This unique and powerful account of life by two young men with Down Syndrome draws from more than 50 conversations between Jason and Mitchell over the course of three years, that touch on such topics as careers, friendships, school, sex, marriage, politics, finances, and independence." |
 
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Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child by Michael Berube. Pantheon Books, 1996. "A moving, intensely personal chronicle of a father's struggle to realize the full potential of his Down syndrome son discusses his child's first four years of life, the stages of his development, and disability law, health care, education, and other key issues." |
 
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A Special Kind of Hero by Chris Burke and Jo Beth McDaniel. Paperback: iUniverse, Inc., 2001 The story of Chris Burke, the TV actor seen in "Life Goes On" and "Touched by an Angel." |