Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins was born with cerebral palsy, and faced barriers her entire life. Even crossing the street in her wheelchair was a challenge. When she started kindergarten, she was only allowed to attend in the afternoon, due to her disability. These sort of experiences led Jennifer and her parents to attend meetings with other people with disabilities and at age six, she began participating in protests for disability rights. When Congress was debating the Americans with Disabilities Act, she joined activists in Washington, D.C., and participated in the Capitol Crawl, in which some of the activists crawled up the steps of the Capitol Building to demonstrate how difficult access was there, and by extension in many places. Jennifer wasn't the only one to make the arduous crawl up the Capitol steps, but because she was just eight years old, her insistence on participating in the climb drew intense attention. This account of her early life provides an excellent introduction to activism, which builds to the dramatic event at the Capitol Building and demonstrates how the Americans with Disabilities Act came about and what it means to us all today. (Ages 6-9)

2021 Schneider Family Book Award Young Children's Honor Book (American Library Association)

Experience the true story of lifelong activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and her participation in the Capitol Crawl in this inspiring autobiographical picture book. This beautifully illustrated story includes a foreword from Jennifer and backmatter detailing her life and the history of the disability rights movement.

This is the story of a little girl who just wanted to go, even when others tried to stop her.

Jennifer Keelan was determined to make a change—even if she was just a kid. She never thought her wheelchair could slow her down, but the way the world around her was built made it hard to do even simple things. Like going to school, or eating lunch in the cafeteria.

Jennifer knew that everyone deserves a voice! Then the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law that would make public spaces much more accessible to people with disabilities, was proposed to Congress. And to make sure it passed, Jennifer went to the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC to convince them.

And, without her wheelchair, she climbed.

ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP!

A Rise: A Feminist Book Project Nominee

A Junior Library Guild Selection

All the Way to the Top is perfect for:

• Elementary school teachers looking for books to supplement disability rights curriculum and the history of the ADA (find a free Common-Core Aligned Educator Guide at www.sourcebooks.com)
• Parents looking for social justice picture books, books on activism and for young activists, and inspiring books for girls
• Parents, teachers, librarians, and guardians looking for beautifully illustrated, inspirational and educational books for young readers in their life