Validating Students Through Books

We never know what students are struggling with outside of the classroom, but having books to help support and empathy in the classroom goes a long way. Here are books that help students feel validated in their experiences or some they might even resonate with.

ADHD

• My Wandering Dreaming Mind by Merriam Sarcia Saunders or JellyPie Firefly by Theresa Graham

• Mrs. Groski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets by Barbara Esham 

• This Morning Sam Went to Mars by Nancy Carlson

Anxiety

• Anxious? By Luciana De Luca 

• The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright 

• Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival  

Autism

• The Abilities in Me by Gemma Keir 

• Bitsy Bat School Star by Kaz Windness

• A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond 

Big Feelings

• What Are You Feeling? By The School of Life 

• In My Heart by Jo Witek 

• Little Mei’s Big Box of Feelings by Aimee Murata 

Birth Injury

• Differently Daphne by Adrianne Free 

• My Friend Suhana by Shaila Abdullah 

• My Belly Has Two Buttons by Meikele Lee 

Bullying

• Lola and the Troll by Connie Schultz 

• The Juice Box Bully by Jacqueline Woodson

• Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Palacco 

Children with Incarcerated Parents: 

• Milo Imagines The World by Matt de la Peñabo

• Mama’s Nightingale by Edwidge Danticat 

• Hazelnut Days by Emmanuel Bourdier 

Divorce

• Once Upon My Dads’ Divorce Seamus Kist 

• My Dad Is A DJ by Keith Henry Brown 

• Mabel’s Topsy-Turvy Homes by Candy Wellins 

Double Vision

• The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon 

• Naughty Mabel Sees It All by Nathan Lane and Devlin Elliott 

• Patricia’s Story by Rosalyn Adekunle

Dysgraphia

• Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow 

• Writing Right by Cassandra Baker 

• Alli Can’t Write by Maria Chivers 

Dyslexia

• Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty 

• Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester 

• It’s Called Dyslexia by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

Food Insecurity

• Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O’Neill 

• Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt 

• LuLu and the Hunger Monster by Erik Talkin 

Gender Diversity 

• My Shadow Is Purple by Scott Stuart

• It Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa Thorn

• Made by Raffi by Craig Pomranz

Grief and Trauma

• Grief is an Elephant by Tamara Ellis Smith 

• Healing Days by Susan Farber Straus 

• Death of Cupcake by Susan Nicholas 

Gossip / Rumors

• The Iheards by Emily Kilgore 

• The Drama Llama by Susan Bowman 

• Did You Hear? By Frank J. Sileo

Hard of Hearing

• Can Bears Ski?by Raymond Antrobus

• El Deafo by Cece Bell

• Bessie Needs Hearing Aids by Jenna Harmke

Housing Insecurity

• Home by Tonya K. Lippert 

• A Place to Stay by Erin Gunti and Esteli Meza

• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena 

Income Insecurity

• Patchwork Prince by Baptiste Paul 

• I Don’t Have Enough by Pat Thomas

• A Bike Like Sergio’s by Maribeth Boelts 

Language Barrier

• Isabel and her Colores go to School by Alexandra Alessandri 

• Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome by Kat Zhang

• Gib-ber-ish by Young Vo

Long Term Illness

• Cloud Babies by Eoin Colfer 

• The Hug Who Got Stuck by Alexis Aronson

• Taking Arthritis to School by Katie Bailey

Selective Mutism

• Bravery Grows by Daisy Geddes and Giglio 

• Charli’s Choices by Marian B. Moldan

• My name is Ben and I don’t talk sometimes by Lucy Nathanson

Sensory-Seeking

• My Brain is Magic by Prasha Sooful 

• Emily’s Sister by Michele Gianetti 

• I’m Not Weird, I have Sensory Processing Disorder by Chynna T. Laird  

OCD

• The Compulsion Cloud by Averi Ridge Castaneda 

• Anxious Charlie to the Rescue by Terry Miline

• When I See Blue by Lily Bailey 

Unhealthy Friendships

• The Not-so-Friendly Friend by Christina Furnival 

• Willow Finds A Way by Lana Button 

• The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill

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