10 Great Books For Children With ADHD

Posted on Oct 13 2015 - 5:59pm by My Little Villagers

book-heartTo say children with ADHD have a lot going on is an understatement. Anxiety, low self-esteem, and problematic social skills are just a few of the challenges many children with ADHD have to deal with on a daily basis. They struggle with these challenges and more and quite understandably, it is very frustrating and aggravating for them. There are so many books that claim to help children with ADHD, but it is hard to pick the right ones. I know one of the moms in my support group got so fed up with the limited choice of books for her son that she learned How to write a children’s book and ended up getting a deal for them! Thankfully, since then there is a bigger market for ADHD friendly books. Here is a compilation of ten great ADHD kid-tested and approved children’s books that are wonderful aids for children with ADHD:

Box of Mixed Emotions

by Brittany Canada
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Disney’s film, Inside Out, opened the eyes of children with ADHD everywhere. For the first time, they were able to see the faces of five of the emotions they feel on a daily basis: Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Joy. This cute boxed set devotes one book to each emotion. It describes the emotions and gives examples of what situations bring on those powerful emotions. Inside Out is such an amazing, well thought out story that helps children with ADHD understand and describe their emotions better.

Eight Legs Up

by David Kirk

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This cute short story is about Snowdrop, an adorable little spider. More than anything, she wants to win the race in the Sunny Patch Pinecone Derby, but her eight legs keep getting in the way of her dream. She tries to be like her other insect friends who are faster than her by tying some of her legs behind her back, but it doesn’t work. Just as Snowdrop is feeling defeated and useless, a situation comes up where a bug with eight legs is needed and she is just the bug for the job! This story teaches children to be themselves and to be proud of who they are.

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein

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This cute story is about a little girl named Beatrice, who never makes mistakes. From making the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich to riding her bicycle in a perfectly straight line, she had everything down to a T. Everyone expects perfection from Beatrice. One day though, Beatrice makes her very first mistake during her juggling act at her school’s talent show and it was a big one! Instead of crying or running off the stage, Beatrice decides to handle her mistake in a different, more positive way. This book teaches children that it is okay to make mistakes and that it isn’t the end of the world. It also teaches children how to handle making a mistake.

Have You Filled A Bucket Today?: A Guide To Daily Kindness For Kids

by Carol McCloud

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The well written book explains what the concept of bucket filling is; Everyone has an invisible bucket and by showing love and kindness to others, your bucket will become filled and you will lead a happier life. The bucket essentially represents your mental and emotional health. The author is an early childhood specialist who understands that self-esteem building in children starts very early. By your child practicing bucketfilling, they will learn that they can fill their bucket of self-esteem, as well as other peoples’ buckets of self-esteem. This will make them feel very good about themselves, which children with ADHD need.

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

by Jo Witek

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This fun and wonderfully illustrated book is about the many different types of feelings we encounter on a daily basis and the situations in our lives that bring on those emotions. Our heart is capable of feeling many emotions. Children with ADHD have many powerful and sometimes overwhelming emotions. This book helps children understand their emotions better and how to describe what they are feeling.

My Mouth Is A Volcano

by Julia Cook

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This funny and entertaining story is about a little boy named Louis who has a difficult time with interrupting others. He just can’t help it! No matter how hard he tries to not interrupt others, it’s like his mouth is a volcano with erupting words. In the story, Louis experiences what it is like to be interrupted by others and he doesn’t like that at all, so he learns a silly technique to keep his words from erupting. This book is wonderful for children who have a difficult time waiting their turn and are impulsive. It teaches them to pause and think before they speak.

Sadly Ever After

by Elise Allen

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Joy, one of the emotions from the hit Disney film, Inside Out, introduces the other powerful four emotions in Riley’s head: Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear and explains what each of them do. In the book, Joy recalls a memory that Sadness, the pessimist, claims is a sad one. Joy, being the optimist that she is, explains how the memory is actually a happy one. This book is great for pessimistic children who seem to only focus on the negative in a situation. The book teaches children how to find the good in a bad situation.

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage to Be Who You Are

by Maria Dismondy

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This sweet story is about a curly haired little girl named Lucy, who gets teased by a bully named Ralph at school. Lucy does things differently than most people, like eating spaghetti in a hot dog bun, and Ralph teases her for being different. Although Lucy’s feelings are hurt by Ralph’s mean words, Lucy’s grandpa teaches her to embrace her individuality and to appreciate the differences in others as well. He also teaches her to treat others the way she would want to be treated. When Lucy does just that with Ralph when he needs a friend, she is surprised by the positive result. This is a fantastic book for helping your child embrace being one of a kind and to follow The Golden Rule, no matter what.

Waiting Is Not Easy

by Mo Willems

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This hilarious Elephant & Piggie easy reader shows how difficult it is for Gerald, the elephant to wait for a surprise his friend, Piggie, said she has for him. Gerald has a very hard time with being patient, but Piggie assures him the surprise is worth the wait and she waits with him. Although Gerald does get anxious and throws a couple of fits, he sticks it out and gets an awesome surprise at the end of the story. The illustrations in the book are plain, but are a children pleaser that will have your child rolling with laughter. The book is great for children who deal with anxiety, because it is something they can relate to and now because of Mo Willems, shake it off and laugh about.

You’re Here for a Reason

by Nancy Tillman

Unknown

From the author of On The Night You Were Born comes a beautifully written and illustrated book that tells each child they matter and they are important. Depression in children is no joke. It tears them apart and breaks their families’ hearts to see them that way. Often, children with ADHD have low self-esteem and feel like they are not worthy of our love, which could not be further from the truth. Although it is tested daily, a parents’ love for their ADHD child is unconditional and eternal. Children with ADHD need to be told they are important, they matter, and they are loved every single day. This book helps children know just that.

Happy Reading!

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