I used to work in a special needs classroom and this story felt so true. We had kids with different abilities including one nonverbal girl in a wheelchair. The other kids spent the days talking to her, telling her they loved her, and making sure she had everything she needed. And she made it so clear she knew she was loved.
In this story, the classmates realize their friend Samara can't get on the swing with her wheelchair, so they make a plan to build a swing she can use. At the end, we meet the real life people who inspired this beautiful story.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A swing for Samara is inspired by the true story of an elementary school
in Minnesota. The story follows two friends, Samara and Marcus while they attend school and participate in many of their favorite activities together. However while playing at the park one day, they the duo realize that they are unable to swing together, since Samara’s wheelchair will not fit on the swings. This upsets Marcus and Samara, and the two work together along side the school to fundraise for more inclusive and accessible playground equipment.

In addition to adding this book to your list of spring reads, be sure to check out The Compass Program!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Swing for Samara comes out April 1st!

This is a very short book which shows how Samara, a child who is nonverbal and in a wheelchair, is understood by her friends and classmates. They strive to get her a wheelchair so she can participate in the same activities as her friends.

Oh my god, this is sooooo precious story that i ever read
I love the idea of universal design for All about. A love samara and their friends. All kids should read this to gain awareness about disability and acceptance

With a minimal use of words, Carlson provides an informative and easy to read experience to help children and adults alike understand the need for inclusion.

What a great book that teaches young children the importance of inclusivity and kindness. Such a sweet story that children can understand and even show them how they can help others. Kudos to those children for raising the money for the playground equipment and to the author for sharing this story for others!

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I love this story partially because it's true and in part because it's a wonderful look at what friendship can accomplish. The pictures really bring the story to life, all the hard work that was put into this endeavor and the long time it took to happen. Also they give a good idea of what these swing look like.

This book beautifully illustrates that children who use wheelchairs share the same dreams and desires as all other kids. Through its engaging story, it opens our eyes to the universal childhood experience of wanting to play, explore, and join in the fun. The informative section at the back introduces readers to remarkable innovations in accessible playground equipment - including wheelchair-adaptive swings, which were a delightful discovery for me. Not only does this book entertain, it educates and advocates for inclusive play spaces where every child can experience the simple joy of being a kid. A short meaningful read that celebrates accessibility while gently raising awareness about the importance of inclusive design!

Thank you North Star Editions, Flux & NetGalley for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Samara and Marco are the very best of friends and they do everything together -- everything, that is, except swing. Samara uses a wheelchair, which means that she can't fit on the swings that everyone else uses. Marco is mad at how unfair this is, so he and their other friends plan to raise enough money to make sure that *everyone* can swing and have fun on their playground!

Based on a true story, A Swing for Samara is a heartfelt story of accessibility, disability justice, and the power of a compassionate community. Paired with adorably sweet illustrations, this story will instill in children early on that just because someone is different doesn't mean they should be excluded. What ultimately brings us together as a community is often what makes us unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay. To start off, I loved the art style. It was cute and bright the way I appreciate. Secondly, the plot was great and the emphasis on how important inclusion for disabled people mattered even in recreation made me happy. More people need to understand that advocating for others is just the right thing to do, and it shouldn’t be prompted by morality but instead compassion and love. Disabled people deserve to be loved and have that love reflected in their world though attention and accommodations. This book just hit the nail on the head, and in a digestible way for children.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and North Star Editions for an advanced read copy of this wonderful book by Nancy Carlson!

A Swing for Samara is a sweet story about the power of inclusive practices in school communities. Rabbit friends Marco and Samara do many things together at school. One thing that they can't do together is swing at their school's playground. The school community comes together to make sure that their playground is accessible for all students and Samara can finally fully join her friends at recess!

As a special education teacher working with students that have multiple disabilities, this book made my heart so happy! At the start of each school year I spend time with my special education students' grade level inclusion classrooms to help educate their peers on how they can include my students and answer any of their questions to help them be more comfortable and confident in their interactions with all of their peers. I think this would be a great resource to share with the classrooms at that time. I love how the book focuses on everything Samara can do instead of what she can't. I also love how it educates children on accessibility and also mentions how Samara is non-verbal but can still develop meaningful friendships at school.

I loved hearing the back story behind this book and the wonderful programs and initiatives this school community in Michigan started!

I would highly recommend this book to my colleagues and I am looking forward to purchasing a copy for my elementary school!

Amazing story about a bond between two children where one happens to be in a wheelchair. They face a problem that they can't do everything together (swing). They come up with a solution to fix this problem! The best part is this is a real life story and in the back of book shows off the dedicated children, along with their Teachers, helped find the solution! This is a great book about inclusion and should be read in all classrooms at an early age!

Thank you to NetGalley, North Star Editions, and Jelly Fish Press for the advanced reader copy. This book is set to be published on Apr 01 2025. Excellent book!

This book was adorable with such cute and fun illustrations. The story was very well done, and the whole thing was just a great read. Would highly recommend to anyone!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Jolly Fish Press for this ARC!

First off, the illustrations are beautiful and eye catching. As a soon-to-be first time parent, I have been on the hunt for inclusive children’s books. A Swing for Samara shows a non-verbal wheelchair user in a normalized way which is so important. Samara’s disability isn’t ignored, but it isn’t the focal point of the entire book which I enjoyed. The book does a great job of showing Samara being active and having fun with friends. It also shows how to be a good friend and an effective ally. Job well done! I will be buying this in print for my child.

Reading challenge category - 2024 Hoffbensen: "I Need a Win" Free Category

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC ebook. Based on the Glen Lake Accessibility Project. https://www.glenlakepto.org/glen-lake-accessibility-project

A nice short picture book for inclusion of children with disabilities on playgrounds. My pedantic review would be that I would like more information about why inclusion is important for young readers. The illustrations reminded me of 80s/90s Berenstain Bears pictures.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc!

There are many things that I like about this book! It has great illustrations! I love the idea of inclusion in this book, that Samara (who uses as wheelchair) is so fully integrated into her friend group that they are mad when she can not swing with them. I love how the kids come up with the idea to have bake sales to raise money to fund a new playground. I love how in the new playground they can all swing together!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read A Swing for Samara.

Inspired by the Glen Lake Accessible Playground Project, A Swing for Samara is a beautifully illustrated picture book that teaches children about the importance of inclusion. Samara uses a wheelchair and does not communicate via words but rather facial expressions and gestures. Marco and Samara are best friends and do everything together…except swing, but Marco is determined to find a way to include his best pal!

Thank you so much to North Star Editions / Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Samara and Marco are best friends, they do everything together but there’s one thing they cannot do together and that’s play in the playground and especially not swing. So they set up a fundraiser so that Samara can play too.

This was adorable it was so full of inclusivity, I loved the friendship between Samara and Marco and everything they were doing together. It was so sad when she was unable to play on the swings with all her other friends, but Marco instantly wanted to do something about it.

I really enjoyed reading at the end of the story about the real life events that inspired this story, I liked getting to learn about the real children that cared so much about the other students not being included in playtime and trying their very best to fundraise to help them play. It was so sweet and I loved that we got a story to represent all their hard work.

A very sweet story, a very wonderful read, full of inclusion, friendship, love and care. I really adored reading this story. It’s a great book for children to read, it will help them learn about other children that are also wheel chair users like Samara, it is also wonderful for children that are wheel chair users to get to see themselves, within this story.

A fun story about being inclusive. About creating opportunities and working together to achieve a goal.
I love that this is based on a true story. I wish more people did stuff like these kids did. Disabled kids are often overlooked, excluded. Everyone deserves to play at a playgound!

I hate the word inspirational, but in this case I want to use it. These kids are truly an inspiration. How they worked together to create opportunities for their disabled peers is amazing! They used their voice and influence to help other people and that is an amazing thing to do.
Also really appreciate the illustrations being of different animals instead of actual people. That way it is easier to connect and children are less likely to alienate the disabled characters!

I would absolutely recommend this story, it's the perfect conversation starter for a talk about accessibility and how you can use your voice to help other people feel included!

I received an electronic ARC from North Star Editions through NetGalley.
Carlson is a master of sharing characters who care for others. Readers see Marco and Samara's friendship and then discover the problem when it comes to playground equipment. Marco and other students raised the funds to make their playground inclusive. My frustration is that adults were not already aware of and solving this problem but the message holds that kids are able to change the world and support each other.