Books For Kids
We believe in the transformative power of storytelling for all children, including those with additional needs or diagnoses. These specially selected books not only foster a love for reading from a young age but also play a crucial role in promoting understanding, empathy, and inclusivity. Having these books available in the classroom is essential, as they provide a gateway to discussions about diversity, uniqueness, and acceptance. It's our commitment to ensure that every child, regardless of their individual circumstances, has access to the enriching world of literature.
Below is a list of books for you to explore that can provide these opportunities for your classrooms.
We will continue to update over time.
Max and Abby
Max and Abby is the story of Abby and her little brother Max who lives with Batten disease. Through Abby's eyes, we see how his diagnosis influences her relationship with her brother and parents as Max requires increasing care.
We'll Paint the Octopus Red
Emma and her father discuss what they will do when the new baby arrives, but they adjust their expectations when he is born with Down syndrome
My Friend Isabelle
A young boy named Charlie describes the activities he shares with his friend Isabelle, a girl with Down Syndrome.
Different--A Great Thing to Be!
Macy is a girl who’s a lot like you and me, but she's also quite different, which is a great thing to be. With kindness, grace, and bravery, Macy finds her place in the world, bringing beauty and laughter wherever she goes and leading others to find delight in the unique design of every person.
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.
ALL ARE WELCOME
A bright and uplifting celebration of cultural diversity and belonging, where all children are welcome in the classroom
Different--A Great Thing to Be!
Macy is a girl who’s a lot like you and me, but she's also quite different, which is a great thing to be. With kindness, grace, and bravery, Macy finds her place in the world, bringing beauty and laughter wherever she goes and leading others to find delight in the unique design of every person.
I'm like you, you're like me
It’s fun to find ways I’m like you and you’re like me. It’s fun to find ways we’re different.” In this colourful, inviting early childhood book, kids from pre-school to lower elementary learn about diversity in terms they can understand: hair that’s straight or curly, families with many people or few, bodies that are big or small.
The Invisible String
The Invisible String the perfect tool for coping with all kinds of separation anxiety, loss, and grief. In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings
Meet a boy with feelings so big that they glow from his cheeks, spill out of his eyes, and jump up and down on his chest. When a loud truck drives by, he cries. When he hears a joke, he bursts with joy. When his loved ones are having a hard day, he feels their emotions as if they were his own. The boy tries to cope by stuffing down his feelings, but with a little help and artistic inspiration, the boy realizes his feelings are something to be celebrated.
Nowhere Hair
A vibrantly and poignantly illustrated book that focuses on explaining the loss of hair due to chemotherapy. Explains hats, scarves, wigs, going bald in public, and the idea that what is inside of us is far more important than how we look on the outside.
Incredible You
A heartwarming rhyming text with humorous, bold illustrations to inspire confidence!
My Brain is a Race Car
What this book is:
An explanation of common traits in a neurodivergent brain
Giving SELF regulation tools to the child to use themselves to assist with the plan and treatment around them
A book to open conversation between you and the child about their individual selves and why you both do what you do to manage and assist and uplift.
Different--A Great Thing to Be!
Macy is a girl who’s a lot like you and me, but she's also quite different, which is a great thing to be. With kindness, grace, and bravery, Macy finds her place in the world, bringing beauty and laughter wherever she goes and leading others to find delight in the unique design of every person.
When things get to loud
When the world gets too much Bo feels his Feel-O-Meter go from 1-10. Noises, smells, sounds, the world can be an overwhelming place. One day, Bo’s numbers climb too quickly and all he wants to do is hide. But then he makes a remarkable little friend….When things get too loud is a story about sensory overload, how it feels, what can trigger it and what may help.
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
Zulay and her three best friends are all in the same first grade class and study the same things, even though Zulay is blind. When their teacher asks her students what activity they want to do on Field Day, Zulay surprises everyone when she says she wants to run a race. With the help of a special aide and the support of her friends, Zulay does just that.
Remarkable Remy
Remarkable Remy is a warm and optimistic story that introduces an Autistic character to a young audience. The story helps explain the Autistic brain – how it works a little differently and how unique it is – and how our neurodivergent friends make the world remarkable!
Harley's Sensory Processing Disorder
The BEST sensory processing disorder books for kids: Teaches children what to do when they are experiencing sensory issues.
Perfect book for autism, ADHD, ADD, executive function skills for kids, resource for executive function skills workbook for children, kids in elementary school, preschool, kindergarten, teachers, educators, counselors, therapists, and parents.
Unmasking Millie
Millie suspects she is different than others. On the outside she appears to be fine but what’s really going on in her head is a completely different story.
Unmasking Millie is a much needed story about visibility for girls and women with ADHD. It is a call to action to stop masking (something many girls/women with ADHD do) and embrace your differences.
When My Brain Is Messy
What this book is:
An explanation of common traits in a neurodivergent brain
Giving SELF regulation tools to the child to use themselves to assist with the plan and treatment around them
A book to open conversation between you and the child about their individual selves and why you both do what you do to manage and assist and uplift.
Different--A Great Thing to Be!
Macy is a girl who’s a lot like you and me, but she's also quite different, which is a great thing to be. With kindness, grace, and bravery, Macy finds her place in the world, bringing beauty and laughter wherever she goes and leading others to find delight in the unique design of every person.
