“Casting April:” The Children’s Book Disabled Kids Have Been Waiting For
“Casting April“ is a children’s book by Wendy Lu. It is about a young girl who wants to be an actor. April has had a tracheostomy tube since birth. In most other books, the story would either end here or, by magic, find a way to heal April. But instead, author Wendy Lu tells a story that resonates with many disabled children. These children have long been excluded from literature. The book gives them a voice by making their ordinary lives, hopes, and dreams visible.
A lack of representation
Children’s books rarely feature disabled protagonists. Authors often avoid the subject, believing it is either too challenging for young readers or confronting for themselves. When disability is included, characters are often stereotyped as passive or defined only by their limitations. Instead, disabled characters should actively shape the story through their own personalities.
“Casting April” doesn’t need any of these stereotypes. In fact, it stands out as one of the funniest, most emotional, and exciting children’s books this year.
A rising star is born, and April’s journey in the book demonstrates how representation can be both meaningful and entertaining.
The book revolves around 11-year-old April, who has had a tracheostomy tube since birth. Her parents own a Chinese restaurant, and she helps out there. She is a lively young girl who loves acting. When her new teacher wants to put on a school theatre performance, April immediately applies. Her audition goes exceptionally well. However, her teacher denies her the role and any other part, assigning her to be a backstage assistant instead. When April finds out why she was denied the role, she wants to prove her teacher, Ms. Rooney, wrong.
We follow April and her friends as they argue, make up, and learn from each other. Her disability is part of the book, but it doesn’t overshadow other teenage problems at school. This makes the book realistic and beautiful. Her disability is mentioned in everyday activities, like needing to change the filter of her Trach tube. But this is as important as finishing her maths homework or getting a good grade in literature. In fact, her disability only becomes an issue when others create barriers because of it. For example, when her mother finds out that she applied for a role in the school play, she says no at first. She fears April won’t be able to handle the stress. She only agrees after April goes out of her way to convince her. Disability is also mentioned in the context of parental pressure because she is of Asian origin. The need to succeed without being allowed to make mistakes gives the disability issue a different tone. It is more a part of her identity than a curse she must overcome. Plus, it highlights the importance of identity as an intersectional matter.
Disability is intersectional
We have heard it all before, even as adults. When we discuss disability rights and equality, a question always comes up: Who needs more attention? Are the problems of disabled people more important than those of People of Color? What about people within the LGBTQAI+ community? The answer is simple: There is not just one or the other. Many people belong to several marginalized groups. That is human nature. Within those groups, we also share challenges such as discrimination.
April is an Asian-American young girl who is also disabled. She faces bullying, just like many children do. But because she belongs to more than one minority group, she has more to deal with: racism and ableism at the same time. This is very well demonstrated by one of her classmates, Graham, who at first calls her “soy sauce“ and intentionally mispronounces her name, and also makes fun of her breathing tube. The book shows all of this without being patronizing or giving a teacher’s speech to “please be kind to disabled children.” Author Wendy Lu shows everyone has good and bad sides, and sometimes explains the reasons behind discrimination.
How young people can question their assumptions
“Casting April” is one of the few children’s books that explains ableism in a way young people can understand, without using the word itself. It shows positive discrimination by Ms. Rooney, who thinks April was so “extremely brave” to audition, and by April’s parents, who are sometimes overprotective, denying her the opportunity to make her own mistakes and, like everyone else, inevitably fail. The book talks about internalized ableism in one character who has an invisible disability and hasn’t learned to cope with her own assumptions. In that respect, “Casting April“ is unique because it addresses ableism through the characters’ emotions and actions.
To create fictive disabled protagonists, you need them in real life first—a point that comes into focus when you understand Wendy Lu’s perspective as an author.
The reason “Casting April” is so different is that the book was written by someone with lived experience. Wendy Lu is a New York Times journalist. Like April, she has had a breathing tube since birth. She is also Asian-American. Most of the experiences described are personal. This is crucial to writing a book like this. It is important to have someone like Lu challenging these stereotypes!
It doesn’t matter whether someone has epilepsy, uses a wheelchair, has a breathing tube, or is blind. At the end of the day, they all face discrimination, although at different levels and intensities. Today, social media creates a false sense of perfection. Society rarely questions what’s real. So, it is important to create fictional stories that are closer to real life and reflect how society treats people in general, especially disabled people.
Let’s face it: disability is and will always be part of society. That is why “Casting April“ is a must-read for teachers, parents, and children. They will love it not because it addresses disability, but because it’s an exciting novel about a lively girl, her hopes, dreams, ambitions, and intrigues. The exciting storyline keeps you reading until the end.
If you want to hear more about “Casting April,” watch or listen to our podcast episode with Wendy Lu.
