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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