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The Books

DeCamville Arts Stories

The first of their kind, these stories are thoughtfully written especially for teens and adults with varying intellectual abilities such as Down syndrome, autism, CP, Fragile X, learning disabilities, reading processing issues, or Traumatic Brain Injuries. Younger readers, siblings and classmates can enjoy the stories, too! Great care is taken with every aspect of the reader's experience.

Scroll down to see what makes each of these books so special!

A bookshelf displays 7 books by Cristin DeCamville. Paintbrush, 18th Birthday, Bloom Dogs, A Bloom Wedding, Valentine's Dance, Blue Pumpkin Party and Down For Some Poetry: 50+ Poems for those with varying intellectual disabilities to enjoy! Click the image to go to the Amazon page.
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NEW!

Snowed In

Zander has Down syndrome and loves his family's annual reunion. This year, an unexpected blizzard turns fall into winter overnight! How long will they be stuck at the cabin? How will they pass the time? Join the fall and winter fun with Snowed In!

*Going with the flow when plans change.

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A book entitled Down For Some Poetry is displayed near a brown leather couch. It has a brown leather-looking cover with scaps of paper with poetry seeming to lie on the front, one of which has the title with a creative ink drawing of a whale with a flower design on it. A white pillow with black text displays a poem from the book called Paris with the eiffel tower. 6 loose pages from the book are shown with a variety of poems and simple illustrations. One example is called Date Night and shows a simple rose drawing. Date night, single rose, full moon, stars. Slow dance, romance, kisses, ours.

Down For Some Poetry

50+ Poems for those with varying intellectual abilities to enjoy!

Down For Some Poetry is a collection of over 50 easy-to-read poems written in several styles for those with varying intellectual abilities. Further text quotes the Amazon description. Click to read it on Amazon.
The book entitled Bloom Dogs is displayed with 7 photos from the story. The cover is a gentle, abstract design of green on the lower third of the cover, and a sky blue on the upper part, giving the impression of grass and sky. One photo is of a large field of white and yellow daisies against a lovely blue afternoon sky. The other photos are of the dogs featured in the story. A brown cocker spaniel sits on a white rocking chair on a porch. A small brown and white Jack Russel Terrier sits on a football field wearing a blue and yellow shirt that says "Bloom" and "Hot Dog" on it. An old brown, black and white basset hound rests on a large dog bed in the sunilght of an antique shop. A greyhound wearing a tag that says Dash is on a beautiful farm with a barn in the background. A white poodle wearing a pink bow sits in a salon chair. A dalmation poses with firefighters.

Bloom Dogs

Molly has Down syndrome and loves her life in the town of Bloom, especially her job at Bloom Dog Rescue. When a fire breaks out, will all the escaped dogs be found? With help from neighbors, a rescue mission begins. At the end of the day, a small gesture of kindness makes a big difference.

*The ripple effect of kindness

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18th Birthday

When Ella learns that turning 18 means becoming an adult, she is worried that she'll no longer be able to enjoy the things she has loved her whole life. Will she have to start drinking coffee and drive the car? Can she still watch her favorite movies? You're invited to follow Ella through her 18th birthday!​

*What it does and doesn't mean to become an adult

The book entitled 18th Birthday is displayed with 6 photos from the story. The cover is black with a white abstract cupcake with a cherry on top and white text that says 18th Birthday with the name DeCamville at the bottom of the cover. In the photos, we see a white, dining room with yellow and blue decorations for a a birthday dinner. Blue and yellow candles, gits, place settings and baloons surround a cream cake on the table with two candles shaped like the number 18. Large yellow 18 ballons in the background. We see vegetable lasagne and salad. Other photos are of a gold turtle keychain, a fish puzzle, movie tickets, hot chocolate, and two wallet cards: a bank card and a Bloom Public Library card.
The book entitled A Bloom Wedding is displayed with 6 photos from the story. The cover is cream colored with formal text for the title, like that of a wedding invitation. Subtle impressionist flowers of creams, light green and soft blue lie across the front. One photo is of a wedding cake with flowers and people dancing with white twinkle lights. One is of a grehound dog wearing a black bow tie. One is of a guitar and flowers in a barn. One is a rustic chic table set for a wedding with tall white candles, antique wood table and chairs, and summer flowers in light greens, pinks and cream colors. We see a sprawling farm through a window. One photo is a couple caught in the rain. One is a daytime image of a beautiful dark brown horse in front of a large beautiful white farm house on a lush green property with flowers and trees.

A Bloom Wedding

Max has autism, and his fianceé Joy has Down syndrome. When a storm washes out the bridge to their wedding, Max and Joy's plans are ruined! How can their wedding day be saved? When you live in the town of Bloom, there is always hope.

*Navigating change

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Valentine's Dance

Eric's Work Program Center is having a Valentine's Dance, and everyone is going. With only two days left, time is running out to get tickets! Will Eric be brave enough to ask someone to go with him to the Valentine's Dance?

*Being brave, taking a chance​

The book Valentine's Dance is displayed with photos from the story. The cover shows red heart-shaped balloons against a blurry background of white twinkle party lights. In the photos, we see people with various disabilites enjoying a party decorated with red heart balloons, twinkle lights and a disco ball. Everyone is dressed up in suits, ties and dresses. One man with Cerebral Palsy smiles in a wheelchair. A happy couple with Down syndrome smile. The young man is wearing a black tux. The young woman is red hair in braids, is wearing a pink dress and holding a red rose. Other photos show a red and white balloon arch a the entrance to a brick building that says "Bloom County Center", another shows a cupcake with a chocolate-covered strawberry and the last shows a brown hamster eating a rose petal.

Blue Pumpkin Party
Luna's family has an autism-friendly party every Halloween. The costumes, pumpkin carving and games are all so much fun and not too scary. This year, she faces a spooky challenge. Is the house on the hill really haunted? Come along to the Blue Pumpkin Party and find out! 
*Facing your fears
 

The book entitled Blue Pumpkin Party is diaplayed. The cover shows a dark cloudy night sky with a full moon and a real black cat sitting in a patch of blue pumpkins. Several photos from the story are shown. A blue trick or treat pumpkin bucket is filled with small toys. A black cat with the name tag "Mr. Pepper" sits next to two blue pumpkins with a large creepy house in the background with fall trees under a full moon. Another shows a plate of halloween cookies and apple pie and cider near a lovely fireplace. Another photo shows a front door decorated for halloween with a blue pumpkin on the porch. The last photo shows a neighborhood halloween party and we see the backs of the two main characters: a teen male dressed as a pirate and a teen girl dressed as a mermaid. Covered by costumes, their ethnicity is left to the readers imagination.
The book entitled Paintbrush is shown. The cover is smeared white paint on a canvas with one teal streak of paint across the front with the word Paintbrush in black. A kitchen counter is set up with an art easle with an abstract painting, a paintbrush and a jar of water. Photos are propped up of a dog with a tennis ball, a grandfather riding a 3-wheeled bike and a hand holding a small brown frog.

Paintbrush

When Charlie loses his grandfather, grief has him feeling stuck. With the help of a friendly, art therapist, Charlie learns he can hang on to his memories and help the sadness move on through the paintbrush. 

*Processing grief & holding on to good memories

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Whats so special?

DeCamville Arts Stories have:

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RELATABLE CHARACTERS

 

* Main characters with intellectual disabilities such as autism or Down syndrome

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* Relatable characters and settings (ex. work program center)

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* Our characters are not being bullied, but rather living their best lives. 

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* Names on each page (not just pronouns) to keep clear who is talking.

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* Many characters' specific disabilities or ethnicity are left ambiguous for peak relatability. Anyone can easily place themselves in the story.

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READER-FRIENDLY PAGES

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* Simple sentences

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* Reading levels from Level 2 (just 1-2 sentences per page) to Level 4 (more on the reading levels below)

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* Wholesome stories that children and adults will enjoy

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* Extra large print

(story text is well above the required 16 pt. font "large print")

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* Dyslexia-friendly fonts and layouts

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* Some fonts are paired with a straight left edge but jagged right edge to the paragraph for ease in keeping your place

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* Each page has just a few easy-to-read sentences

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* No awkward page turns mid-sentence

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* Each page holds a complete thought

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* Plenty of good stopping places (every single page, actually)

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* Discussion pages at the end with trivia, fun facts and thought-provoking questions. These offer clarity, whether for a classroom or someone reading individually.

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* Definitions where needed.

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DIGNITY

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* Minimal, dignified illustrations

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* Front covers that mature teens and adults are proud to carry

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* Back covers with photos that aid in picturing the story (2024 revised)

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QUALITY

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*  5 star reviews on Amazon from happy parents 

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*  Free shipping with Amazon Prime

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* Opportunities to have a 1:1 online meeting with the

author for a customized book club experience

(subject to availability)

Reading Levels

Reading Levels
DeCamville Arts Stories Reading Levels explained. Level 2 is great when one can recognize familiar words on sight and sound out new words with help. Pages have 1-4 sencences. Concepts are repeatedly reinforced. 18th Birthday is a Level 2 book. Level 3 is for those comfortable reading simple sentences on their own and willing to sound out new words. Sentences are longer while concepts are kept simple. Level 3 books include Valentin'es Dance, Bloom Dogs, A Bloom Wedding and Blue Pumpkin Party. Level 4 is comparale to level 3 while introducing bigger concepts. Number of characters is therefore kept low for simplicity. For example, Paintbrush has only 3 characters, takes place in one day and addresses grief.

Thank you for giving your time to learn about these special books.
Please reach out to me with any questions!
-Cristin

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