Winners
Disabled Communities
2025 FINALISTS - DISABLED COMMUNITIES
See below for the list of 2025 finalists in the DISABLED COMMUNITIES category, for books with a copyright date of 2024.
In This Altered Body: A Survivor's Story of Resilience and Love
2025 Finalist
Author: Charlene Pell
Publisher: Facing Forward Books
ISBN: 9798990034006
After a devastating plane crash that burned 64 percent of her body and caused her fiancé’s death, Charlene's memoir, In This Altered Body reveals her harrowing odyssey of survival, challenging societal beauty standards and learning to find hope and love after a profound life-changing event.
My Body Beeps! Growing Up with Diabetes
2025 Finalist
Author: Katherine Lockwood
Illustrator: Olga Sall
Publisher: Acorn Cottage Press
ISBN: 9781964836126
My Body Beeps is a joyful and empowering picture book that opens the door for children to talk about balancing their medical needs with fun, everyday life. Written by award-winning author and disability advocate Katherine Lockwood, this book helps young readers explore the sounds and sensations of their medical devices—like insulin pumps and glucose monitors—while learning how to manage their health with confidence and ease.
Seen
2025 Finalist
Author: C.M. Harris
Illustrator: Ratu Megawangi
Publisher: Purple Diamond Press Inc.
ISBN: 9781639189861
Seen is a tender story about a girl named Ariana who wants what every child deserves—to be understood without having to explain herself. This moving book gently opens young hearts to empathy and reminds us all that being different doesn’t mean being invisible. Every child deserves to feel seen.
About the
Independent Book Publishers Association
Founded to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,200 members, IBPA is the largest independent publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry.
For more information, visit www.ibpa-online.org.
