“Fans of John Green or teen rom-coms will enjoy Hayden’s reminder that we are all trying to get others to look beyond our surfaces.” — BookPage

Chaz Hayden is a YA author and disability awareness advocate. His works include the 2024 release of Diet Soda Club and his 2022 debut novel The First Thing About You. He focuses on contemporary themes, highlighting the experiences of disabled characters. The First Thing About You tells the story of Harris, a high school student with spinal muscular atrophy, who is determined to reinvent himself after moving from California to New Jersey. Armed with his favorite getting-to-know-you question, “What’s your favorite color?”, Harris navigates new friendships and challenges, offering readers a candid and humorous look into the life of a teenager with a disability. Chaz’s storytelling is deeply rooted in his passion for authentic portrayals, aiming to provide a voice for underrepresented communities in media. The First Thing About You was named a Bank Street College Best Young Adult Book of the Year, 2023 Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Titles, 2023-2024 North Star YA Award nominee, 2024 Oklahoma Library Association High School Sequoyah Award nominee, and a PEOPLE Magazine’s Must-Reads for Fall 2022.

Beyond his writing, Chaz is a dedicated content creator, using platforms like Instagram and YouTube to share insights on wheelchair accessibility and advocate for inclusivity through his series Front Row with Chaz. His videos not only raise awareness but also offer practical advice for navigating various environments. His multifaceted approach to advocacy and storytelling enables Chaz to do what he loves, connect with readers and their communities.

Chaz's Featured Titles

Diet Soda Club

Candlewick |
Young Adult

When their mom leaves, Reed must care for his sister who has a life-threatening condition—even if that means breaking the law. A tender and sparkling story about family, trust, and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love.

Have you ever made all the wrong choices for all the right reasons?

Reed Beckett’s little sister, Beatrice, has never been awakened by the smell of breakfast or a school-day alarm clock. Instead, she wakes to hospital beeps and poking doctors. Seventeen-year-old Reed has been there for Bea all along, especially since their dad died. But when their burned-out mom goes on an extended vacation with her new boyfriend, the siblings are left with only an empty pantry and each other. With no job prospects on the horizon, Reed begins making and selling fake IDs so he and Bea can survive. But the problems keep piling up, from an angry landlord demanding rent to looming medical bills. As Reed expands his business, taking increasingly bigger risks, the potential consequences for Reed’s future, Bea’s health, and Reed’s budding friendship with his classmate Helena become graver. But what choice does he have? The joy and complexity of both caregiving and sibling relationships are at the heart of this authentic and moving novel.

The First Thing About You

Candlewick |
Young Adult

A high school student with spinal muscular atrophy is determined to reinvent himself in a hilarious and poignant debut from an exciting new voice.

When fifteen-year-old Harris moves with his family from California (home of beautiful-but-inaccessible beaches) to New Jersey (home of some much-hyped pizza and bagels), he’s determined to be known as more than just the kid in the powered wheelchair. Armed with his favorite getting-to-know-you question (“What’s your favorite color?”), he’ll weed out the incompatible people—the greens and the purples, people who are too close to his own blue to make for good friends—and surround himself with outgoing yellows, adventurous oranges, and even thrilling reds. But first things first: he needs to find a new nurse, stat, so that his mom doesn’t have to keep accompanying him to school.

Enter Miranda, a young nursing student who graduated from Harris’s new high school. Beautiful, confident, and the perfect blend of orange and red, Miranda sees Harris for who he really is—funny, smart, and totally worthy of the affections of Nory Fischer, the cute girl who’s in most of his classes. With Miranda at his side, Harris soon befriends geeky Zander (yellow) and even makes headway with Nory (who stubbornly refuses to reveal her favorite color). But Miranda is fighting her own demons, and Harris starts to wonder if she truly has his best interests at heart.

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Accessibility Advocacy and Universal Design

Introduce students to the concept of “universal design,” creating products, spaces, and experiences that are accessible to all people of diverse abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics. Students will need access to a laptop or tablet as this is an interactive presentation.

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Be different. Leave a trail.

A motivational TED style talk about overcoming obstacles, following dreams, and carving your own path in life. Perfect for larger assemblies.

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Crafting Dialogue: The Heartbeat of a Story

An engaging session where we delve into my favorite part of storytelling, crafting dialogue that breathes life into stories. In this presentation, students will learn how to create authentic and compelling conversations between characters, explore techniques to enhance narrative flow, and understand the pivotal role dialogue plays in character development and plot progression.

The First Thing About You (Reading Playlist)

Chaz’s Videos & Blog Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

2023 Bank Street College Best Young Adult Book of the Year – The First Thing About You
2024-2025 Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award nominee – The First Thing About You
2023 Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Titles – The First Thing About You
2023-2024 North Star YA Award nominee – The First Thing About You
2024 Oklahoma Library Association High School Sequoyah Award nominee – The First Thing About You
PEOPLE Magazine’s Must-Reads for Fall 2022 – The First Thing About You

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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