Special Needs Books

The Black Book of Colors

Menena Cottin

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Groundwood Books Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $10.94

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Editorial Review:

Living with the use of one's eyes can make imagining blindness difficult, but this innovative title invites readers to imagine living without sight through remarkable illustrations done with raised lines and descriptions of colors based on imagery. Braille letters accompany the illustrations and a full Braille alphabet offers sighted readers help reading along with their fingers. This extraordinary title gives young readers the ability to experience the world in a new way.

What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)

Dawn Huebner

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Magination Press Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $9.39

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book's audience is young kids, say 6-11 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I wish I'd had access to this book when my daughter was younger. She's 14, suffers with trichotillimania (pulls hair out), and the habit is now deeply ingrained. This book is too simple for her and is more appropriate for younger children, up to age 11 or possibly even 12.

Great Tool for Psychoeducation 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As a child psychologist, I have found this to be a very useful workbook. The chapters are relatively brief and help children learn about their symptoms of OCD through active engagement with stories, metaphors, pictures and fun activities. The author presents the material in a positive, non-threatening way and the messages about how to manage symptoms of anxiety are very hopeful. I highly recommend it!

Editorial Review:

What To Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck guides children and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Revealing OCD in a whole new light, this interactive self-help book turns kids into super-sleuths who can recognize OCD's tricks. Engaging examples, activities, and step-by-step instructions help children master the skills needed to break free from the sticky thoughts and urges of OCD, and live happier lives. This is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to work toward change. Included in the book is an extensive Introduction to Parents and Caregivers.

The Survival Guide for Kids With ADD or ADHD

John F. Taylor

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Free Spirit Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $7.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Delightful and helpful 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I have an interest in all information and ways of informing people about ADHD and The Survival Guide for kids with ADD or ADHD, is not only informative, it is also practical and fun. I support any author who suggests positive ways for parents to interact with their children with or without ADHD. This is a must have for any parent of a child with ADHD.

I am the author of:

One Boy's Struggle: A Memoir: Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD

Bryan

Editorial Review:

What are ADD and ADHD? What does it mean to have ADD and ADHD? How can kids diagnosed with ADD and ADHD help themselves succeed in school, get along better at home, and form healthy, enjoyable relationships with peers? In kid-friendly language and a format that welcomes reluctant and easily distracted readers, Free Spirit's newest survival guide helps kids know they're not alone and offers practical strategies for taking care of oneself, modifying behavior, enjoying school, having fun, and dealing (when needed) with doctors, counselors, and medication. Includes real-life scenarios, quizzes, and a special message for parents.

Learning To Slow Down & Pay Attention: A Book for Kids About Adhd

Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ellen B. Dixon, Charles Beyl

Amazon Price: $10.36 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Magination Press Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $7.37

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not just for ADHD - for ANY kid with focusing and organizational issues 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

My 10 yo has mild autism, and he has major organizational and focusing issues. This book explains in very clear terms the challenges that face some kids, and steps that can be taken to minimize those challenges.

I love the checklist in part 1, because it highlighted some things even for me that I didn't realize my son needed help with. It helped give my son the language to discuss exactly why he dislikes school so much, rather than just the generic, "I hate school, too much work, too much homework, I hate it!" It was also a revelation to him that OTHER kids have these same issues. Seeing a book targeted so specifically to kids with problems my son has, really hammered home that he is not alone.

The next section of the book is "Things Other People Can Do to Help Me," and this was a pretty weak section of the book, very basic info about the role physicians/medication, counselors, and therapists might have in helping kids with ADHD. I suppose this section's generality makes sense because the book is targeted towards kids.

Part 3 is the meat of the book, with specific strategies kids can use to help themselves get organized and learn to focus. It's all stuff that anyone who reads organizational books already knows (color code, checklists, etc...), but simplified and applied specifically to issues children have. This section also deals with some of the emotional issues some kids have, such as, "Things to Do If I Feel Fidgety", "Learning to Control My Anger", "Learning to Ask for Help", "Problem Solving", etc...

All in all, I highly, highly recommend this book. Parents will probably need to help kids establish some of these routines/procedures, and certainly parents can be helpful in reminding kids of the strategies they are supposed to try to use when they get frustrated/angry.

Editorial Review:

- An APA Bestseller-over 25,000 copies sold!

This book is designed as the perfect learning tool to help parents guide their child as he or she confronts the challenges of ADHD. Learning to Slow Down is unique because it is kid-centered, written from the child's point of view.

This updated edition includes easy-to-read text, fun cartoons, and activities, as well as loads of self-help tips for coping with friends, family, and schoolwork, getting organized, getting disciplined, and getting things done. Appropriate for ages 6-11. Full-color illustrations.

Freak The Mighty (Scholastic Signature)

Rodman Philbrick

Amazon Price: $5.99 List Price: $5.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Paperbacks Amazon Marketplace: 90 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 525 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

"Freak The Mighty "by Rodman Philbrick 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

My son who is fifteen came home in the beginning of the school year 07 and was wild about a book, but couldn't remember to tell me its proper title. It has been a struggle to get him to read anything other than the covers to the next PS3 gangster/ mafia blue ray game.
I purchased this book on a lark that maybe he might read something about an odd friendship, seeing as he is forever dragging home misfit types to befriend. When the book arrived he saw it and his face lit up,while yelping "this is the book I told you about", my heart sank thinking I had wasted my money, he had already read it.Promptly he took the book upstairs to his room and didn't put it down until it was finished. It has got to be interesting and well written. Best of all it actually proved to be more powerful and captivating to a fifteen year old than a PS3 game.
Now my son has asked me if there are anymore books by the same author, smiling I answered "of course my boy of course"

Editorial Review:

A stunning young adult novel by Rodman Philbrick that tells the heartwrenching story of two ³special ed² boys who pair up to form a unique and empowering friendship. Two boys‹a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces‹forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. Made into the film, The Mighty.

Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry

Amazon Price: $8.95 List Price: $8.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $2.99

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 277 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Lois Lowry's magnificent novel of the distant future, The Giver, is set in a highly technical and emotionally repressed society. This eagerly awaited companion volume, by contrast, takes place in a village with only the most rudimentary technology, where anger, greed, envy, and casual cruelty make ordinary people's lives short and brutish. This society, like the one portrayed in The Giver, is controlled by merciless authorities with their own complex agendas and secrets. And at the center of both stories there is a young person who is given the responsibility of preserving the memory of the culture--and who finds the vision to transform it.

Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world's past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer's staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song.

With the help of a cheerful waif called Matt and his little dog, Kira at last finds the way to the plant that will allow her to create the missing color--blue--and, symbolically, to find the courage to shape the future by following her art wherever it may lead. With astonishing originality, Lowry has again created a vivid and unforgettable setting for this thrilling story that raises profound questions about the mystery of art, the importance of memory, and the centrality of love. (Ages 10 and older) --Patty Campbell

Tangerine

Edward Bloor

Amazon Price: $6.95 List Price: $6.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harcourt Paperbacks Amazon Marketplace: 84 new & used starting at $1.47

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 461 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent book - especially for middle school boys 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I'm a 46 year-old Mom and I bought this book because of the great reviews, but I didn't know which son to give it to. My 4th grader falls into the age-range mentioned here at amazon, but based on the plot synopses here I felt it was more a book my 7th grader would like.

So I read it myself first. I LOVED it. What a great, moving, inspiring, different book. As stay-with-you as Hoot, or Terabithia, or Stargirl, or... to date myself ... as The Outsiders.

It's well-written, it's gripping, it's multi-layered, and it manages to keep track of multiple story arcs within itself without dropping any or using any sort of deux ex machina to get out of any. It presents it's villains without caricature, and it's heroes without pandering. It surprises you at nearly every turn - but not in a forced we-need-a-plot-twist way.

I won't describe the plot as it as been so well-described here. I'll just reiterate that this is an amazing young adult novel that I thoroughly enjoyed for myself as well.

And I personally would not give this to my 4th grader. Not that the reading level is too difficult, but I think the content is too dark and the layers perhaps too subtle for a 10 year-old. I'm giving this book to my 7th grader tomorrow (I just finished it tonight!) and I know he'll devour it.

Editorial Review:

So what if he's legally blind? Even with his bottle-thick, bug-eyed glasses, Paul Fisher can see better than most people. He can see the lies his parents and brother live out, day after day. No one ever listens to Paul, though--until the family moves to Tangerine. In Tangerine, even a blind, geeky, alien freak can become cool. Who knows? Paul might even become a hero! Edward Bloor's debut novel sparkles with wit, authenticity, unexpected plot twists, and heart. The writing is so fine, the story so triumphant, that you just might stand up and shout when you get to the end. Hooray!

The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone With Autism

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Watering Can Press Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $11.19

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great for group and individual 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I really like this book. I appreciate that it encourages the reader to find commonalities with a friend who has autism. It shows that people can be friends with those who have autism. I am an educator in my church and I plan to use this is children's small groups.

The Autism Acceptance Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I think this is a great resource for any child to use who might interact with a child with autism. Its meant to be an individual book, where the child writes their name in, and personalizes it. I thought it was more of a resource/story book- but it was a pleasant surprise!

Editorial Review:

The Autism Acceptance Book is an interactive, educational, and character-building book that introduces children to the challenges faced by people with autism while also supporting their personal journey toward appreciating and respecting people's differences.
This book offers educational information, conversation-starters, and engaging exercises that invite children to "walk in someone else's shoes" as they learn to treat others the same ways they would like to be treated themselves.

Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book

Celeste Shally

Amazon Price: $8.99 List Price: $8.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Awaken Specialty Press Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $4.60

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Children with autism struggle to make friends and navigate social situations. However, one child can make a significant difference in the life of a child with autism by offering compassion, understanding and friendship.

Since We re Friends is about two boys. One has autism, the other does not. The story of their relationship provides practical examples of how to make such a friendship work. It will help children see that their peers with autism can make a fun, genuine contribution to friendship.

From the publisher:
The prevalence of autism has skyrocketed in recent years. One in every 150 children is now living with this pervasive developmental disorder. The handful of autism children s books on the market represents the most severe cases of autism. However, most children with autism are much less severe. These misunderstood children struggle in social situations and have difficulty making friends. Since We re Friends will appeal to family members, friends, teachers, therapists, doctors, neighbors, and anyone who seeks to know and understand more about children with autism.

The Door in the Wall (Books for Young Readers)

Marguerite De Angeli

Amazon Price: $5.50 List Price: $5.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Laurel Leaf Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $1.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 79 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

WARNING: ONLY READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY FORCED TO! 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I'm sorry for having such a negative comment but after reading this book, I thought, "WHY WOULD ANYONE WANNA READ THIS?" My mind began wandering off after reading just the 2nd page. I certainly do not believe that this book is for children younger than 12, especially if you have no historical knowledge of the background of this story. I think that adults would enjoy this book much more than a child or a student. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

I think that the main reason I did not enjoy this book was the way that Marguerite de Angeli worded or wrote this book, such as the way that she used the terms, 'twill and thee. Who uses those words anymore?

-THIS WAS WRITTEN FROM A 12 YEAR OLDS PERSPECTIVE OF THE BOOK.

Don't remember 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

unfortunately i don't remember much of this book...I think the style of writing was dry. Or perhaps it was the subject matter.

audio books 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

Editorial Review:

Set in the fourteenth century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroism when he loses the use of his legs.