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Hot Topics! Reading List for Gifted Children
On Being Gifted...

On Being Gifted...

Non-Fiction

101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids: The Ultimate Handbook by Christine Fonseca (or from Amazon)

A must-read for gifted kids ages 8 to 12 who want to find success in school and life. If you know gifted kids, they will love the 101 awesome secrets, tips, and tricks included in this book!

And Still We Rise: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-city High School Students by Miles Corwin

In this troubling yet uplifting book, the ills of the inner city have not completely defeated Toni Little's advanced-placement students at Crenshaw High School...

Bookmarked: Teen Essays on Life and Literature from Tolkien to Twilight by Ann Camacho

Young people from a wide range of backgrounds reflect on how words from literature connect with and influence their lives, goals, and personal philosophies. Topics include suffering the death of a parent, facing a life-threatening illness, letting go of perfectionism, making friends, realizing goals, and grappling with questions of faith and sexuality. Books cited range from The Grapes of Wrath and The Great Gatsby to Twilight and Lord of the Rings.

Teachers, guidance counselors, and parents working with teens on personal essays— including for college applications—will find useful samples, models, and inspiration. Teachers of literature, writing, and language arts classes can also use these essays as a way to help teens explore literature—and their own responses to it—through writing...

The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide (For Ages 10 and Under) by Judy Galbraith Also available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca

The Gifted Teen Survival Guide: Smart, Sharp, and Ready for (Almost) Anything by Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle (or from Barnes & Noble)

Updated 4th version is better than ever, keeping the best themes from the older versions but in a readable new format, and including lots of new stuff, too.  The ultimate guide for teens includes "discover virtual learning, find a cure for the common college, learn the value of mistakes, manage expectations and embrace your passions!"

Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Jones, illustrated by John Obrien

For those readers who feel as though they've yet to accomplish anything in life, these discoveries will come as a great relief. None of the inventions described in these pages were planned; in fact, some of the inventors had no idea they'd stumbled on something useful until years later, when their works became popular... 

More Than a Test Score: Teens Talk About Being Gifted, Talented, or Otherwise Extra-ordinary by Robert A. Shultz and James R. Delisle

What is giftedness all about? What's it like to be smarter than some of your friends? What about expectations, mistakes, getting along, gifted programs, and dull days at school? Includes hundreds of quotes from teens ages 13-19, brief biographies, and activities. Essential reading for gifted teens... 

Philosophy for Kids: 40 Fun Questions That Help You Wonder ... About Everything! by David A. White  (or from Amazon)

"What does it mean to be fair?" "How do you know who your friends are?" "What is time?" "Are you the same person you were five years ago?" "Can something logical ever not make sense?" If you have ever wondered about questions like these, you are well on your way to becoming a philosopher! Become acquainted with the wonders of philosophy... (or from Amazon)

The Examined Life: Advanced Philosophy for Kids by David A. White

Delves deeper into the philosophical questions kids (and adults) care about deeply. Through vibrant discussions and debate, the book offers ways teachers can help students grapple with age-old questions about the nature of friendship (Aristotle), time (Augustine), knowledge (Plato), existence of God (Aquinas), perception (Berkeley), freedom and society (Rousseau), and many more (or from Amazon) 

Philosophy for Teens: Questioning Life's Big Ideas by Sharon M. Kaye and Paul Thompson

"What is love?" "Is lying always wrong?" "What is discrimination?" "Do you think about weird things?"  What a perfect opening line for our kids! Lots of ideas, to help teens (and gifted pre-teens) think about the big questions that they have.  Full of "thought experiments" to keep them thinking after they put the book down... (or from Amazon)  Also More Philosophy for Teens: Examining Reality and Knowledge (or from Amazon)

If I'm So Smart, Why Aren't the Answers Easy? by Robert A. Shultz and James R. Delisle (or from Amazon)

Sheds light on the day-to-day experiences of those growing up gifted. In their own enlightening words, teens share their experiences with giftedness, including friendships and fitting in with peers, school struggles and successes, and worries about the future... 

Smart Teens' Guide to Living with Intensity: How to Get More Out of Life and Learning by Lisa Rivero

A guide for pre-teens and teens who are a little more... more intense, more creative, more interesting, and yes, sometimes even called "more difficult."  A teen's perspective into growing up as a gifted teen today.  And for the parents, A Parent's Guide to Gifted Teens: Living with Intense and Creative Adolescents

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who s ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It s a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn t going anywhere. In fact, it's just getting started...

Fiction

For the Youngest Gifted Child...

Love Big and Dream Big by Kat Kronenberg

Set long ago in the heart of the African savanna, Dream Big--a mythological fable--follows moody Baboon as he discovers a powerful secret. One by one, Caterpillar, Tadpole, and Flamingo gaze up at the night sky and wish upon a star for their wildest dreams. Baboon insists these dreams could never come true. But when he sees Caterpillar turn into a winged butterfly, Tadpole into a dancing frog, and Flamingo into a beautiful pink bird, Baboon realizes that a transformative power exists between the stars and the animals once they truly believe in themselves and their dreams...

Little Zebra is Gifted by Corinne Grandclément

Little Zebra is at kindergarten. He reads and he has an amazing memory. The teacher wonders if Little Zebra is gifted. She talks to his parents. Then Little Zebra will meet a psychologist with whom he will have fun activities to determine if he is gifted. The psychologist will also explain to Little Zebra, his parents and the teacher what intellectual giftedness is...

The Gifted Kid Books Series... by Gloria van Donge (or from Royal Fireworks Press)

Picture books for kids 1-8 and older introducing Dabrowski's 5 Overexcitabilities. (Australia) Available in physical book set or digital download animated videos

There Were Those by Nathan Levy (also available directly from Nathan Levy There Were Those)

A picture book for those young gifted children in our lives!

For Younger Gifted Kids...

For Older Gifted Kids....

All the Answers by Anne C. Lemieux

Jason Hodges is having problems on all fronts. His accountant father is under a lot of stress at work, and the boy's messy room and failing grades in math have become sore spots in their relationship. He is smitten with Phelicia Nevimore, but can't get close to her because of her bullying twin brother. Jason's narration is filled with humor and great vocabulary, like Jason's excuses. Mrs. Meehan, the boy's math teacher, tells him he has "shown quite an epistolary talent"...

Black Powder by Staton Rabin

Langston Davis loves to go to his science class, where he studies astronomy. He and Neely Neubart have been best friends forever, and Langston becomes concerned when his pal starts running with a gang and lets his grades fall. Then Neely is gunned down by his own gang, and Langston will go to any measures to get him back. When Mrs. Centauri, his science teacher, shows him the time machine she's invented, the 14-year-old uses it to go back to the 13th century so he can convince Dr. Roger Bacon to destroy his formula for gunpowder, thus preventing Neely's murder. A touching story of two great scientific minds discovering the humanity behind the ideas. Langston is well-developed as an intelligent, mostly responsible African-American finding his way...

Callahan's Con by Spider Robinson

Barkeep Jake's scientifically precocious daughter, Erin, comes to the rescue with a scheme to sell Tony the fabled Fountain and "prove" its existence with increasingly youthful incarnations of herself conjured through time travel. Mishaps involving Erin's uptight truant officer, misuse of a timehopping gizmo, and-in the tale's soberest moment-terminal illness for one of the regulars, steer the story down fantastically unpredictable avenues...

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Dr. Mel Levine and Jarvis Clutch

Fictionalized biography of the mathematician and astronomer who realized his childhood desire to become a ship's captain and authored The American Practical Navigator (Also Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Study Guide)

Deliver Us From Normal by Kate Klise

Charles Harrisong is obsessed with the idea that he is strange and can't fit in with the sixth grade in Normal, IL. He feels that he possesses a special talent, the ability to know what people are really saying and thinking, all of which, he is sure, is directed at him and is negative to the extreme...

The Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross (or from the Amazon.co.uk The Demon Headmaster)

Dinah moves in with the Hunter family and starts going to the same school as her foster-brothers Lloyd and Harvey. It's not easy, as they seem to hate her, and school is really strange. Pupils suddenly talk like robots and do weird things - even Dinah finds herself acting oddly. She's sure the headmaster has some kind of power over them, and is determined to find out more. But the Demon Headmaster is equally determined to stop her.  And it's sequels...

Demon Headmaster and the Prime Minister's Brain (or from the Amazon.co.uk Demon Headmaster and the Prime Minister's Brain)
The Revenge of the Demon Headmaster (or from the Amazon.co.uk The Revenge of the Demon Headmaster)
Facing the Demon Headmaster (or from the Amazon.co.uk Facing the Demon Headmaster)
The Demon Headmaster Takes Over (or from the Amazon.co.uk The Demon Headmaster Takes Over)
The Demon Headmaster Strikes Again (or from the Amazon.co.uk The Demon Headmaster Strikes Again)

Dogs Don't Tell Jokes by Louis Sachar

Gary Boone (who calls himself "Goon") is the self-proclaimed clown of his seventh-grade class. He never stops joking, despite the fact that nobody laughs much, and he has no real friends at school. Entering a talent contest as a stand-up comedian forces him to look more closely at the effect his humor has on others and on himself...

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

A genius IQ, hacking into computers by age 7, grooming for world domination by age 14... sound like anyone we know? A complex tale, fun to read...

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts

Katie is used to being alone. She would rather read a book than deal with other people. Other people don’t have silver eyes. Other people can’t make things happen just by thinking about them! But these special powers make Katie unusual, and it’s hard to make friends when you’re unusual. Katie knows that she’s different but she’s never done anything to hurt anyone so why is everyone afraid of her? Maybe there are other kids out there who have the same silver eye and the same talents, and maybe they’ll be willing to help her....

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Gilly Hopkins is a determined-to-be-unpleasant 11-year-old foster kid, who scored the highest in her school's history on a national aptitude test, and who you can't help but like by the end. Gilly has been in the foster system all her life, and she dreams of getting back to her (as she imagines) wonderful mother. Gilly is all the more determined to leave after she's placed in a new foster home with a "gross guardian and a freaky kid." But she soon learns about illusions--the hard way. ...treats a somewhat grim, and definitely grown-up theme with love and humor, making it a terrific read for a young reader who's ready to learn that "happy" and "ending" don't always go together...

Ida B: . . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan

Ida B lives life to the fullest, firmly believing there is never enough time for fun. When her mother develops cancer, her parents sell part of the orchard and send Ida B to public school rather than homeschooling her. The changes leave her feeling fiercely angry and betrayed. With the help of a wise and caring fourth-grade teacher and the enduring love of Mama and Daddy, the girl slowly begins to heal. Ida B is a true character in every sense of the word...

In Search of Molly Pitcher by Linda Grant De Pauw

When Peggy McAllister learns about the Rattletop Award for "excellence in eighth grade social studies," she is determined to win it with a research paper on a Great American Hero. But when she chooses Molly Pitcher, the famous Revolutionary War heroine of the Battle of Monmouth, as her subject, she runs into difficulties. With the help of her Greatgramps, a retired private investigator, his lady friend Mrs. Spinner, a local historian and secret author of historical romance novels, and Ms. Guelphstein, a dedicated reference librarian, Peggy sorts through a maze of confusing and contradictory evidence to identify the "real" Molly Pitcher...

Jarvis Clutch - Social Spy by Dr. Mel Levine and Jarvis Clutch

Jarvis Clutch—Social Spy is mainly about something very important called social thinking, which most likely is a term you’ve never heard before, even though it’s something you use all day long. Even most grownups don’t know exactly what it means. Let me explain... (See All Kinds of Minds for a complete review)

Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes

Cadence sees her life as a modern-day fairy tale in which she is Rapunzel, alone, abandoned, and waiting for answers. Her father's clinical depression she terms the Evil Spell; the teacher at the after-school Homework Center is dubbed the Wicked Witch. Through a series of journal-like writings to the elusive owner of box #5667, she comes to terms with her life and begins to understand her father's illness...

Matilda by Rald Dahl

Matilda is a brilliant and sensitive child, but her parents think of her only as a nuisance. When one day she is attacked by her odious headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to avenge herself!...

Mildew on the Wall by Suzanna E. Henshon

At one time, fifth grader Millie had a lovely bedroom, but she had created apparent chaos in it. It became the room  that defined her identity. To the outside world, it was a mess; but Millie simply could not bring herself to clean her room, no matter how her mother insisted. Finally, her allowance was cut off until the room was cleaned. But, rather than capitulate, Millie began to run secret guided tours to her room for money.  Carried away, Millie called a radio talk show during its Promotion Hour, and 'promoted' her room. The DJ thought it was great fun, and a huge crowd showed up on Saturday for a viewing. Bad things happened...  Finally, a state of cease-fire began. Millie gained insight, realizing that it has been her personality, not her room, that had made her unique, that in meeting some of society’s standards (cleaning her room up), she didn’t have to sacrifice her own essential uniqueness...  Read the sequel, Spiders on the Ceiling

Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee

Yee's first novel examines child prodigies from a refreshing angle, showing the ups and downs of being a whiz kid. An excellent job of showing Millie's grown-up brain and her decidedly middle-school problems... 

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

After Reynie Muldoon responds to an advertisement recruiting "gifted children looking for special opportunities," he finds himself in a world of mystery and adventure... Collect The Mysterious Benedict Society Complete Collection

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

A new adventure, full of brain teasers and adventures...

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

A daring new adventure threatens to force the kids apart from their friends, families, and even each other...

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

Now Nicholas Benedict is being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances--and a mystery that could change his life forever. On his quest to solve the mystery, Nicholas finds enemies around every corner, but also friends in unexpected places -- and discovers along the way that the greatest puzzle of all is himself...

The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums by Trenton Lee Stewart

Companion book to the Mysterious Benedict Society series, a mind-bending collection that will put YOU to the test! With full-color artwork throughout, features ingenious new puzzles, riddles, and brainteasers compiled by Mr. Benedict himself, with the help of Reynie, Kate, Sticky, Constance, and other Society associates...

The Mysterious Benedict Society Complete Collection by Trenton Lee Stewart

New to The Mysterious Benedict Society?  Get all five!

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

Tired of school-assigned novels where the dog always dies, Wallace tells the teacher how he feels... and ends up kicked off the football team and into detention, along with an English teacher doing a dramatic production of the novel Wallace hates.  By the end of the production, the tables are turned and the dog pulls through... Great for our sensitive readers!

Orientation (The School for Gifted Potentials) by Allis Wade (or Kindle)

One hundred years in the future, Government Observers roam the classrooms of average learners, looking for the rare gifted learners still left in the general population. One gifted child, who has been carefully coached by his mother to appear average, is unaware that his abilities have been documented by an Observer for years, until he is tricked into showing his mathematical strengths. He is devastated to receive a letter requiring him to test at The School for Gifted Potentials... Orientation is a great way to introduce Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities to gifted kids.  Don't miss the sequel, Revelations (The School for Gifted Potentials) (or Kindle)... I can't wait to read it!

Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret

A gifted girl takes on the project of saving an elephant from an abusive circus. One child can make a difference...

Some Day Angeline by Louis Sachar

Nobody understands why Angeline is so smart. But being smart is causing Angeline nothing but trouble. The mean kids in school call her a freak, her teacher finds her troublesome, and even her own father doesn't know what to do with an eight-year-old girl who seems to be a genius. Angeline doesn't want to be either a genius or a freak. She just wants the chance to be herself and be happy

Squirrels in Deer Land: A Novel celebrating those with ADHD, Giftedness, and other things that make us, well, squirrelly... by Susie Binkley

a novel with a purpose: to use the power of storytelling to help people with any kind of differences feel good about themselves. It is a story of heroes for those who are squirrelly - people who don't always color inside the lines or think inside the box, such as those with ADHD, giftedness, or learning or behavioral differences. Instead of focusing on the problems associated with being "different", it is a celebration of the wonderful skills and abilities that energetic, creative, squirrelly people have and the talents they contribute to our world...

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

"She was homeschooling gone amok." "She was an alien." "Her parents were circus acrobats." These are only a few of the theories concocted to explain Stargirl Caraway, a new 10th grader at Arizona's Mica Area High School who wears pioneer dresses and kimonos to school, strums a ukulele in the cafeteria, laughs when there are no jokes, and dances when there is no music. The whole school, not exactly a "hotbed of nonconformity," is stunned by her...

And the sequel... Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Picking up a year after the end of Stargirl, Love, Stargirl is the diary of the next year in Stargirl's life, with the past and her new present mixed in her memories, including her thoughts on life, and love...

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan

Newbery Honor title! When Jake Semple is kicked out of yet another school, the Applewhites, an eccentric family of artists, offer to let him live with them and attend their unstructured Creative Academy...

Weslandia by Paul Fleischman

What do the children you know usually do when school is out for the summer? Go crazy with boredom? Head poolside with friends? Plan a self-sufficient civilization with its own staple food crop? That is precisely how Wesley decides to spend his summer vacation. Wesley is not an ordinary boy...

by Carole Hamburger

Wonderful stories of a family of dots, and their adventures.  Picture books, but for older kids, full of great vocabulary and idiomatic phrases and more!
The Star Pupil: A Dot's Quest to Find His Place in the World

A dot's quest to find his special calling. After excelling in school, he heeds his parents' advice to follow his heart and to always be himself

The Zippity-Do-Dot: The Dot Who Dared to Pick Her Knows

The escapades of a feisty little dot who pursues her dreams...
 

For Our Teens....

Heart of a Warrior: 7 Ancient Secrets to a Great Life by James Langlas

Presents seven principles that are rooted in the long tradition of Taekwondo and are also tied to modern character education: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, community service, and love. Explore each through a mix of storytelling and writing from the author's former students, describing ways in which they’ve applied these principles to their own lives and inspiring readers to do the same. Includes questions to spur reflection, discussion, and action. This story—and especially the enduring appeal of traditional master/student tales—will resonate with teens of all backgrounds...

Welcome to the Ark by Stephanie S. Tolan

In a world of random violence and multiplying militias, four brilliant young misfits are thrown together in a group home for troubled youth. Isolated by their special abilities, Miranda, Doug, Taryn, and Elijah are unable to cope in a society that regards them as freaks. But in the experimental program they dub the Ark, the four discover they are not alone...  (young adult)
 

Social Stuff...

These fun books for kids and teens are full of great ideas and information!

Gifted Girls

The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World by Christine Fonseca (or from Amazon)

Finding your unique voice in a noise world can be hard, but not if you've got a great guide. A must read for girls entering adolescence. Stress management, relational aggression, online safety, mother-daughter relationships, and more...

No B.O.!: The Head-to-Toe Book of Hygiene for Preteens by Marguerite Crump

This frank, reassuring, humorous book covers the physical changes boys and girls experience during puberty and offers tips on caring for oneself from head to toe. Fascinating facts, friendly suggestions, and funny illustrations...

Gifted Boys

  

No B.O.!: The Head-to-Toe Book of Hygiene for Preteens by Marguerite Crump

This frank, reassuring, humorous book covers the physical changes boys and girls experience during puberty and offers tips on caring for oneself from head to toe. Fascinating facts, friendly suggestions, and funny illustrations...

Gifted and LD...

ADHD in HD: Brains Gone Wild by Jonathan Chesner

A kinetic collection of frank personal stories of failure and success, hilarious anecdotes, wild ideas, and blunt advice that will resonate with teens and young adults. While most ADHD books are written to parents and educators, this is written to hold the attention of the teen and young adult reader with ADHD: more than 60 short essays, relevant topics, wacky illustrations—all stamped with Jonathan’s irresistible humor. Addresses the four main characteristics of ADHD: hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention, and indecisiveness. It provides positive advice about school, family life, social life, dating, careers, medicine. Warning: it's a colorfully distracting book...

Keeping a Head in School: A Student's Book About Learning Abilities and Learning Disorders by Mel Levine

Designed to help students with a wide range of learning disorders "gain a realistic insight into their personal strengths and weaknesses."  Levine heartens his readers -- not only by demonstrating a clear understanding of their difficulties but also by providing hope for the success that everyone needs...

Putting on the Brakes by Patricia O. Quinn and Judith M. Stern

Simple presentation explaining what ADHD is and offers ways for its victims to gain control of their lives. Short chapters, numerous black-and-white photographs and drawings, lists, wide margins, and large type will entice children to read the book from cover to cover. The authors' suggestions are practical and clearly described... Also Putting on the Brakes Activity Book for Kids with ADD or ADHD

Squirrels in Deer Land: A Novel celebrating those with ADHD, Giftedness, and other things that make us, well, squirrelly... by Susie Binkley

a novel with a purpose: to use the power of storytelling to help people with any kind of differences feel good about themselves. It is a story of heroes for those who are squirrelly - people who don't always color inside the lines or think inside the box, such as those with ADHD, giftedness, or learning or behavioral differences. Instead of focusing on the problems associated with being "different", it is a celebration of the wonderful skills and abilities that energetic, creative, squirrelly people have and the talents they contribute to our world...

Take Control of ADHD: The Ultimate Guide for Teens With ADHD by Ruth Spodak and Kenneth Stefano (or from Amazon)

Helps teens take control of their disorder and find success in school and in life. By creating the “ADHD Attention Profile” discussed in the book, readers will recognize how ADHD affects them, discover coping strategies and technology tools to improve their focus, and develop a self-advocacy plan they can use immediately...

Take Control of Asperger's Syndrome: The Official Strategy Guide for Teens With Asperger's Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disorders by Janet Price and Jennifer Engel Fisher (or from Amazon)

Handbook for kids and teens on living successful lives with these disorders by taking control of their strengths to overcome their weaknesses, including tips on understanding the disorders, living with the symptoms, succeeding in school, completing homework, talking to others about strengths and needs, making friends and socializing, and using technology to connect with other kids and teens with these disorders. Includes ideas, information, and advice for students, by students just like them...

Take Control of Dyslexia and Other Reading Difficulties by Jennifer Engel Fisher & Janet Price (or from Amazon)

Guidebook written especially for kids with dyslexia and other reading difficulties to help them overcome their reading struggles and find success in school and beyond. Addresses the fundamentals of reading for elementary and middle school students, speaking to students directly in easy-to-understand language with charts, graphs, and illustrations...

Take Control of OCD: The Ultimate Guide for Kids with OCD by Bonnie Zucker Psy.D. (or from Amazon)

Guide just for kids ages 10–16 with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to help them take control of their disorder and find success in school and in life. Using a cognitive-behavioral therapy method to stress gradual exposure to students' obsessive thinking patterns, the book takes kids step-by-step through a ladder-based process to conquer their fears and demolish their worries...

What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD by Dawn Huebner and Bonnie Matthews

Designed to help students with a wide range of learning disorders "gain a realistic insight into their personal strengths and weaknesses."  Levine heartens his readers -- not only by demonstrating a clear understanding of their difficulties but also by providing hope for the success that everyone needs...
 

The Adventures of Everyday Genius... by Barbara Esham, illustrated by Mike Gordon
Visit Mainstream Connections for many great reviews and endorsements by the Eides, Silverman, Reis, Baum, and many more!

If You're So Smart, How Come Can't You Spell Mississippi?

Katie always thought that her dad was smart; he is one of the busiest attorneys in town! People are always asking him for advice! She has been a bit confused since asking for help with her weekly spelling list. How can her "very smart" dad struggle with one of her spelling words? This definitely did not make sense.  The word "Mississippi" had changed everything...

Stacey Coolidge's Fancy Smancy Cursive Handwriting

How does Stacey do it? How can Carolyn not do it? Carolyn has been practicing cursive handwriting every day for weeks, but she is not getting any closer to Frederick, the class guinea pig. It's a good thing her teacher, Mrs. T., is able ot turn her frustration into confidence...

Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have The Wiggle Fidgets

David doesn't know how he ends up in such "situations." At the time, it just seems like such a great idea. His teacher, Mrs. G., has had about enough; he can tell by the way her voice changes when she speaks to him. This time, he believes that he has come up with the best idea yet - the perfect plan to make everything better...

Last to Finish: A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math

One by one, Max's classmates turn in their finished papers before the timer rings.  Not Max, as soon as the teacher starts the timer, "it" happens! His heart begins to pound. Once his heart begins to pound, his hands begin to sweat and his brain freezes!  Math must not be his thing...

Gifted and Dyslexic...

Gifted and Aspergers / High Functioning Autism (HFA)...

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopman

This touching picture book explains the joys and challenges of raising a "different" child.  Good for kids and adults alike, leaving the reader with a sense of the dignity and potential of the Aspergers child...

The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules: The Handbook of Not-so-obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens and Teens With Asperger Syndrome by Jennifer Cook O'Toole

Being a teen or tween isn't easy for anyone -- but it's especially tough for Asperkids. I know. I was one, I taught a whole bunch, and I am going to be raising three! Asperkdis deserve their very own guide to all of the hidden social rules that are awfully confusing to us, even if they seem obvious to everyone else. This isn't your momma's Emily Post, and there is no "don't do this" finger-wagging or patronizing "high and mighty preaching" here. The "Secret" Book gives Asperkids (aged 10-17) respectful, funny insights written "for Aspies by an Aspie." Full of illustrations, logic and even a practice session or six (in comic strip style, thank you very much!), this is the handbook every adult Aspie wishes we'd had growing up, but never did...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

A murder mystery of sorts -- told by an autistic boy. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers...

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid by Daniel Stefanski

Who better to explain the challenges of typical kids communicating with autistic kids than 14-year-old Daniel Stefanski, who has autism? “Even though my brain is different, I’m still a kid.” And like any kid who’s been ignored, Daniel can often feel lonely. Through his casual and frank narration, he recognizes that autistic kids may look and sound different when trying to communicate, but they still want to be included...

The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (And Their Parents) by Elizabeth Verdick and Elizabeth Reeve

Have a child just diagnosed with Aspergers or other Autism Spectrum Disorder or Nonverbal Learning Disorder? This book should be your first purchase. Real problems are answered with real solutions shared by kids, and illustrated cheerfully with drawings of kids of every gender and race. An appealing and valuable read for kids and the adults who love them...

Take Control of Asperger's Syndrome: The Official Strategy Guide for Teens With Asperger's Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disorders by Janet Price and Jennifer Engel Fisher (or from Amazon)

A unique handbook for kids and teens on living successful lives with these disorders by taking control of their strengths to overcome their weaknesses, including tips on understanding the disorders, living with the symptoms, succeeding in school, completing homework, talking to others about strengths and needs, making friends and socializing, and using technology to connect with other kids and teens with these disorders. Includes ideas, information, and advice for students, by students just like them...

Gifted Young Authors...

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner

"John Gardner was famous for his generosity to young writers, and (this book) is his . . . gift to them. The Art of Fiction will fascinate anyone interested in how fiction gets put together. For the young writer, it will become a necessary handbook, a stern judge, an encouraging friend." -- The New York Times Book Review.

The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup

Oscar Martin was fourteen when he mysteriously disappeared from his Iowa farmhouse in 1914. His sister claimed Oscar had rowed out to sea — but how was that possible? Nearly a century later, when Lucy Martin moves with her parents to that same Iowa farmhouse, she discovers the strange and dangerous Book of Story Beginnings, and soon Oscar himself reappears in a bizarre turn of events that sends the two distant relatives on a perilous journey. From a first-time author comes an intricate, spellbinding fantasy that lures you in and won’t let go...

On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner

John Gardner understands the poor, young, serious-fiction writer. Gardner's sympathetic On Becoming a Novelist is the novelist's ultimate comfort food--better than macaroni and cheese, better than chocolate. Gardner, a fiction writer himself (Grendel), knows in his bones the desperate questioning of a writer who's not sure he's up to the task. He recognizes the validation that comes with being published, just as he believes that "for a true novel there is generally no substitute for slow, slow baking." Gardner also has strong feelings about what kinds of workshops help (and whom they help), and what kinds hinder. But a full half of Gardner's book is devoted to an exploration of the writer's nature...

Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write by Victoria Hanley (or from Amazon)

Elements of fiction, from creating believable dialogue to exciting plots, laid out clearly and illustrated with examples taken straight from story excerpts by excellent writers, writing exercises designed to encourage teens to tell the stories that are theirs alone, plus other published authors of young adult literature share their insights about the writing life. Teens gain firsthand advice from T. A. Barron, Joan Bauer, Hilari Bell, Chris Crutcher, David Lubar, Lauren Myracle, Todd Mitchell, Nancy Garden, and more...

Spilling Ink by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer

Practical advice in a perfect package for young aspiring writers. After receiving letters from fans asking for writing advice, accomplished authors Mazer and Potter joined together to create this guidebook for young writers. The authors mix inspirational anecdotes with practical guidance on how to find a voice, develop characters and plot, make revisions, and overcome writer’s block. Fun writing prompts will help young writers jump-start their own projects, and encouragement throughout will keep them at work...

Your Life in Comics: 100 Things for Guys to Write and Draw by YOU, created by Bill Zimmerman, artwork by Tyler Page

Great kick-start for reluctant writers, this make-your-own take on comic books will appeal to tweens—both boys and girls, and never mind the title... With oh-so-right topics—such as music, texting, and school lockers—the book offers lots of cool links for online exploration, too...

Anxiety...

From Worrier to Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Fears  by Dan Peters
Make Your Worrier a Warrior: A Guide to Conquering Your Child's Fears  by Dan Peters

From Worrier to Warrior, a companion book to Make Your Worrier a Warrior (for parents), is designed to teach you how to conquer the Worry Monster. This book shows you how to overcome worry and fear using several easy-to-follow strategies. Read the book and learn the strategies yourself, or read along with a parent or other adult. From Worrier to Warrior will teach you how to create your very own "toolbox" of ways to combat fear and anxiety to carry with you and conquer the Worry Monster at any time. With these tools, you will be able to overcome whatever challenges come your way!...

Letting Go: A Girl's Guide to Breaking Free of Stress and Anxiety by Christine Fonseca

Do you ever feel like you'll never be perfect? Do you worry that what you say or do or wear will be how people remember you? It's time to let go of those worries and embrace who you are. Letting Go: A Girl's Guide to Breaking Free of Stress and Anxiety has everything you need to help you understand and manage the very real pressures you're facing from life. Designed to provide strategies for managing stress and anxiety, this book is filled with practical evidence-based advice and stories from teen and young adult women like you who have found ways to manage their anxieties. Every chapter features a discussion of different types of stress and anxiety so you can understand better what you're experiencing, activities to help you remember all the things you love about yourself and to help you understand yourself better, strategies for combating both stress and anxiety, and a stories of other girls who've learned to move past their stress and love their lives― and themselves ― to the fullest...

My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic by Michael A. Tompkins

helps teens take control of their anxious feelings by providing cognitive behavioral strategies to tackle anxiety head-on and to feel more confident and empowered in the process. It also offers ways for teens with anxiety to improve their inter-personal skills, manage stress; handle panic attacks; use diet and exercise appropriately; and decide whether medication is right for them...

No More Stinking Thinking by Joann Altiero

Be a wizard of positive thinking! Easy to use workbook that provides for parents, teachers, and therapists to teach children to think healthily and confidently, in a magical world in which children learn magic powers of positive thinking in order to defeat the evil Lord Stinker. Chapters focus on specific skills for topics such as jumping to conclusions, looking at the big picture, critically examining the details of a situation, learning how to have more positive thoughts, and the dangers of "all or none" thinking...

Stressed Out!: Solutions to Help Your Child Manage and Overcome Stress by James Forgan and Mary Anne Richey

Easy-to-read guide for parents to help their children understand stress, its effects on kids' day-to-day lives, and how to handle it. Stress management solutions that can be implemented by even the busiest parents and kids, focusing on a variety of common stressful situations that are grouped according to three categories-school, family, or environmental. Strategies include sample dialogues parents can use in conversation with their child and activities to help children gain insight and understanding into the nature of their stress, such as worksheets, role-play scenarios, or children's stories...

Too Stressed To Think?: A Teen Guide To Staying Sane When Life Makes You Crazy by Annie Fox and Ruth Kirschner

Basics on stress and stress management, then details on the most stressful stuff in teen lives: family, friends, school, and boyfriends / girlfriends...

What to Do When You're Scared and Worried: A Guide for Kids by James J. Crist

From a fear of spiders to panic attacks, kids have worries and fears, just like adults. But while adults have access to a lot of helpful information, that hasn’t been true for kids—until now. Drawing on his years of experience helping children deal with anxiety, Crist gives kids a place to turn to when they need advice, reassurance, and ideas...
 

Perfectionism...

Also visit Perfectionism and the Gifted Child

Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg

The Book of Mistakes by Corrina Luykin

Bookmarked: Teen Essays on Life and Literature from Tolkien to Twilight by Ann Camacho

What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough: The Real Deal on Perfectionism: A Guide For Kids  by Tom Greenspon

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