Neurodivergent Friendly: Children's Books

Dustin, the popular hero of Big Brother Dustin, is in second grade now. Today, Dave and Skippy are coming to his school for a big assembly! Lucky Dustin has the scoop on Dave and Skippy because his dad went to school with Dave.The excitement builds as Dustin, who happens to have Down syndrome, and his classmates follow their regular school day. Teachers wisely use Dave and Skippy as examples in math problems and language arts activities. Just who are Dave and Skippy? Readers will find out when Dustin finally gets called out of class to help greet the special visitors!

Isabelle and Charlie are friends. They both like to draw, dance, read, and play at the park. They both like to eat Cheerios. They both cry if their feelings are hurt. And like most friends, they are also different from each other. Isabelle has Down syndrome. Charlie doesn't. Written by Isabelle's mother, this charming tale encourages readers to think about what makes a friendship special. My Friend Isabelle also opens the door for young children to ask about differences and the world around them. It's a wonderful story to read at bedtime or to share at school. Lively full colour illustrations dovetail beautifully with the text to bring the simple story to life.

Book Features: * Ages 4-8, Grades PreK-2, Guided Reading Level E, Lexile * 24 pages, 8 inches x 8 inches * Simple, easy-to-read pages with full-color illustrations * Includes words to know and comprehension questions * Reading/teaching tips included Fun With Katie: In Katie Helps Out, preschoolers--second graders learn the importance of taking care of the environment and spreading kindness--all while having fun at the beach! Celebrating Uniqueness: Katie has Down syndrome, but that's not what makes her so special--she loves to help others! Follow along as Katie helps her parents clean up the beach and helps take care of plants, animals, and the planet! Build Reading Skills: This engaging 24-page children's book will help your child improve comprehension and build confidence with guided reading tips and comprehension questions. Leveled Books: Part of the Katie Can series, the early reading level text and full-color illustrations make this children's book an engaging story that teaches kids about helping others, diversity, and taking care of the environment. Why Rourke Educational Media: Since 1980, Rourke Publishing Company has specialized in publishing engaging and diverse non-fiction and fiction books for children in a wide range of subjects that support reading success on a level that has no limits.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . This joyful rhyming book encourages children to value the "different" in all people, leading the way to a kinder world in which the differences in all of us are celebrated and embraced. 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. Children are naturally aware of the differences they encounterat school, in their neighborhood, and in other everyday relationships.They just need to be given tools to understand and appreciate what makes us "different," permission to ask questions about it, and eyes to see and celebrate it in themselves as well as in those around them.

Russ is having a great day - his mum makes his favourite breakfast; he catches his favourite TV show; and he finds five dollars in the street. At school, things get better and better until he and his friend find a girl crying because she has lost five dollars What should the friends do?

As six-year-old Emma anticipates the birth of her new baby brother or sister, she vividly imagines all of the things they can do together. They'll go to Grandpa's farm to feed the calves, ride in the back of the mini-van making faces at the cars that go by, fly on airplanes, and someday, they'll even go to Africa on a safari to see elephants and rhinos. And she can't wait to go to the art festival and show the baby how to paint a picture with a rubber octopus. Emma feels ready to be a big sister! Then when the baby is born, her dad tells her that it's a boy named Isaac, and he has something called Down syndrome. As her dad shares this news, Emma senses his concern and wonders if Isaac will be able to go on all those adventures after all. While they talk, they come to the conclusion that he will certainly be able to do everything she's imagined. Finally she asks, "If Isaac has this Down thing, then what can't he do?" Her dad thinks about it, then tells her that as long as they are patient with him, and help him when he needs it, there probably isn't anything Isaac can't do. In this touching story, Emma helps her father as much as he helps her to realize that Isaac is the baby they dreamed of. The book concludes with a set of commonly asked questions about Down syndrome with answers for children and how it might affect their sibling and family. The wonderful colour illustrations help make We'll Paint the Octopus Red a beautiful, reassuring book for siblings of children with Down syndrome that's sure to become a family favourite.

Two-time Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall spins a winning tale about Max, a feline whose behavior doesn't win any raves, except from the boy who believes in him and finds a way to turn a negative into a positive. When a boy is FINALLY allowed to get a cat, he has no doubts about which one to bring home from the shelter. But Max the cat isn't quite what the family expected. He shuns the toy mouse, couldn't care less about the hand-knitted sweater, and spends most of his time facing the wall. One by one, the family gives up on Max, but the boy loves his negative cat so much, he'll do anything to keep him. Even the thing he dreads most- practicing his reading. Which, as it turns out, makes everything positive!

It's the principal Mr. Slipper's birthday, and while the rest of the class gets busy writing cards for the occasion, Stan becomes frustrated when his letters come out all in a muddle. Stan is afraid to ask for help, until a friend assures him that nobody's good at everything. And after lots and lots of practice, Stan's letters come out the right way round and the right way up. This delightful book deals with a common childhood frustration and will remind readers that practice pays off and that everyone has to ask for help sometimes.

Winner of a Schneider Family Honor! "A beautifully rendered and deeply inspiring book for everyone who has ever read slowly-myself included! Hudson shows us the beauty and magic that can come from taking our time. Brilliant."-Jacqueline Woodson Hudson Talbott's inspiring story vividly reveals the challenges--and ultimately the rewards--of being a non-mainstream kind of learner. When Hudson Talbott was a little boy, he loved drawing, and it came naturally to him. But reading? No way! One at a time, words weren't a problem, but long sentences were a struggle. As his friends moved on to thicker books, he kept his slow reading a secret. But that got harder every year. He felt alone, lost, and afraid in a world of too many words. Fortunately, his love of stories wouldn't let him give up. He started giving himself permission to read at his own pace, using the words he knew as stepping-stones to help draw him into a story. And he found he wasn't so alone--in fact, lots of brilliant people were slow readers, too. Learning to accept the fact that everyone does things in their own unique way, and that was okay, freed him up and ultimately helped Hudson thrive and become the fabulous storyteller he is today.

The real-life, classic story of a dyslexic girl and the teacher who would not let her fail. A perfect gift for teachers and for reading students of any age. Patricia Polacco is now one of America's most loved children's book creators, but once upon a time, she was a little girl named Trisha starting school. Trisha could paint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at words on a page, all she could see was jumble. It took a very special teacher to recognize little Trisha's dyslexia- Mr. Falker, who encouraged her to overcome her reading disability. Patricia Polacco will never forget him, and neither will we. This inspiring story will make a beautiful gift for the special child who needs encouragement, or any special teacher who has made a difference in the child's life.

Dogs bark, children scramble out of the way, and adults hurry to clear the streets of Dinkerwink for Mr. McCurry Brogan Howlweister, the crotchety old man who comes into town every Thursday to buy his weekly supplies. His constant scowl and legendary ill-temper have earned him the nickname “the Grump.” Dinkerwinkians big and small, young and old, and four-legged and feathered all try to avoid him as much as possible. That is, all Dinkerwinkians except little Lydia. Although Lydia cannot hear or speak, her powers of observation and the compassion she has for others are obvious. She has never heard anyone call Mr. McCurry Brogan Howlweister “the Grump” and simply sees him as the man with the upside-down smile, a man who needs a friend to help turn it right-side up. This story of compassion and love in action will delight children and families with its richly detailed illustrations and eccentric characters.

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner What if words got stuck in the back of your mouth whenever you tried to speak? What if they never came out the way you wanted them to? Sometimes it takes a change of perspective to get the words flowing. A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me. And I can't say them all . . . When a boy who stutters feels isolated, alone, and incapable of communicating in the way he'd like, it takes a kindly father and a walk by the river to help him find his voice. Compassionate parents everywhere will instantly recognize a father's ability to reconnect a child with the world around him. Poet Jordan Scott writes movingly in this powerful and ultimately uplifting book, based on his own experience, and masterfully illustrated by Sydney Smith, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to author and illustrators of children's books. A book for any child who feels lost, lonely, or unable to fit in. Finalist for the BC and Yukon Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book An American Library Association Notable Children's Book ILA Primary Fiction Honoree Named a Best Book of the Year by The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Shelf Awareness, Bookpage, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Lunch, and more! A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection A Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year! A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year A CBC Best Picture Book of the Year A Kids' Book Choice Award Finalist