Innovate 8

Strange noises coming from the back of the media center, some chatter among friends, and confusion about who that girl is and where she came from. When a few friends begin asking questions, they discover a part of their school they never knew existed. Their new friends have certain superpowers, but the community needs them. The race is on, and by using their unique skills and relying on their friendship, they fight to keep the community together and save their new friendships.

Based on a true story from a small elementary school in Carlsbad California, a group of friends open their hearts to a new friend who is different from anyone they have ever met before. Most kids never learn how to interact with people with disabilities, especially with intellectual disabilities. With the help of a few passionate teachers, and through their common goal of robotics competition, these friends were able to discover the true roots of meaningful inclusion. Starting with a unique bond with one special student, Bailey (portrayed in our story by OPAL), this team formed a unique bond with a few students in the special needs program and discovered their superpowers.

This first book, The Innovate 8 and the Original Adventure hopes to start the conversation about how we view people with disabilities. Each book in the series spotlights a different intellectual or physical disability and a new friendship is formed. The team has hopes these books will help kickstart other kids on their own "inclusion journey".

Where does your journey begin? What is your superpower?