This list of resources provides links that will take you directly to some of my favourite resources to use with children as a parent and in the classroom. Simply click on the title of the book!
Be sure to ask me if there is a specific resource you’re looking for that’s not on the list
Children’s Story Books
This collection of story books will support discussions with children around grief, death, dying, diversity, disability, and self-love.
The Heart and the Bottle
Once there was a girl whose life was filled with wonder at the world around her…Then one day something happened that made the girl take her heart and put it in a safe place but then the world was emptier than before. 
The Invisible String
A mother tells her two children that they’re all connected by an invisible string made of love. Even though you can’t see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love. 
When Dinosaurs Die
The wonderful story explains in simple language the feelings people may have regarding the death of a loved one and the ways to honor the memory of someone who has died.
If You Hold A Seed
Something magical happens when you plant a dream with a seed. With plenty of love and patience, they can blossom into an extraordinary gift.This book encourages kids to never give up.
Maddi’s Fridge
Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park, but while Sofia’s fridge at home is full of nutritious food, the fridge at Maddi’s house is empty. Filled with colorful artwork, this storybook addresses issues of poverty.
Phyllis’s Orange Shirt
This is both Phyllis Webstad’s true story and the story behind Orange Shirt Day which is a day for us all to reflect upon the treatment of First Nations people and the message that ‘Every Child Matters’. 
The Kissing Hand
The Kissing Hand, helps parents and children starting school or facing separation.
And Tango Makes Three
The heartwarming true story of two penguins who create a nontraditional family. At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.
We’re Different, We’re the Same
The colorful characters from Sesame Street teach young children about racial harmony. Muppets, monsters, and humans compare noses, hair, and skin and realize how different we all are. But as they look further, they also discover how much we are alike.
The Colour Monster
By illustrating such common emotions as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and calm, this sensitive book gently encourages young children to open up with parents, teachers, and daycare providers. 
The Alphabet War
This engaging picture book will encourage children with dyslexia that their struggles will get easier over time, and provides a great resources for parents and educators.
Armond Goes to a Party
Armond doesn’t want to go to Felicia’s birthday party. Parties are noisy, disorganized and smelly – all things are hard for a kid with Asperger’s. Worst of all is socializing with other kids. But with the support of Felicia and her mom, good friends who know how to help him, he not only gets through the party, but also has fun. When his mom picks him up, Armond admits the party was not easy, but he feels good that he faced the challenge – and that he’s a good friend. A great book for anyone to learn about coping with autism or Asperger’s.
It’s Okay to Be Different
Targeted to young children first beginning to read, It’s Okay to be Different will inspire kids to celebrate their individuality through acceptance of others and self-confidence.
The Skin I’m In
The Skin I’m In encourages kids to accept and be comfortable with differences of skin color and other racial characteristics among their friends and in themselves. 
The Memory Box
Jennifer Rowland artfully describes what it is like to remember and grieve a loved one who has died. A parent guide includes expert information from a Christian perspective on helping children manage the complex and difficult emotions they feel when they lose someone they love.
The Goodbye Book
Through the lens of a pet fish who has lost his companion, Todd Parr tells a moving and wholly accessible story about saying goodbye. Todd reminds readers that it’s okay not to know all the answers, and that someone will always be there to support them. 
My Princess Boy
Dyson loves pink, sparkly things. Sometimes he wears dresses. Sometimes he wears jeans. He likes to wear his princess tiara, even when climbing trees. He’s a Princess Boy. This heartwarming book is a call for tolerance and an end to bullying and judgments. The world is a brighter place when we accept everyone for who they are.
Dear Girl
Dear Girl, encourages girls to always be themselves and to love who they are—inside and out.
Amazing Annabelle
When six-year-old Annabelle is diagnosed with cancer, she uses her imagination to get through the toughest parts of her diagnosis and treatment. Amazing Annabelle will help kids prepare for scary procedures like anesthesia, scans, and surgery, and will help them cope with every step of their cancer fight.
Pearla and Her Unpredictable Perfect Day
This is a scrumptious tale for children aged 4-12, particularly those who experience anxiety or developmental issues. It demonstrates that you can’t succeed unless you try and that it’s ok to make mistakes. Pearla’s strategies for solving her problems will help children to overcome their own hurdles.
Why Can’t I Read?
This is a book about one boy’s struggle with dyslexia. It is told from the child’s perspective to help other children and their parents understand and deal with the frustrations, shame, and despair of not being able to read, to ultimately overcome the obstacles to reading, and become proud of the fascinating dyslexic brain. This book should be read by children, parents, teachers, and anyone who has a loved one struggling with a learning disability. It’s a story of resilience and hope.
We’re All Wonders
We’re All Wonders taps into every child’s longing to belong, and to be seen for who they truly are. It’s the perfect way for families and educators to talk about empathy and kindness with young children.
Dumpling Soup
Marisa gets to help make dumplings this year to celebrate the New Year. But she worries if anyone will eat her funny-looking dumplings. Set in the Hawaiian islands, this story celebrates the joyful mix of food, customs, and languages from many cultures.and kindness with young children.
Listening to My Body
From wiggly and squirmy to rested and still, Listening to My Body helps children develop a sensations vocabulary so that they can express what they are experiencing.
I am Love
I Am Love asks readers to look inward when they feel afraid, angry, hurt, or sad. When a storm is brewing inside us and the skies grow dark, the transformative power of love lets the light back in.
Includes heart-opening yoga poses and a guided meditation.
Is There Really A Human Race
Is There Really a Human Race? Is all about relishing the journey and making good choices along the way—because how we live and how we love is how we learn to make the world a better place, one small step at a time.
The Colour of Us
Seven-year-old Lena is going to paint a picture of herself. She wants to use brown paint for her skin. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades. 
Cancer Hates Kisses
Through all the stages of treatment—surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, losing her hair—Jessica Reid Sliwerski thought about how hard it would be to talk to your child about cancer while coping with it. She wrote this picture book to give other parents and their children an encouraging tool for having those conversations.
David’s World: A Picture Book about Living with Autism
David is a boy with autism. The book’s striking narration—told from the point of view of David’s brother—will help siblings and friends of autistic children better relate to them. This is a must for any home with children with autism and for classrooms that include mainstreamed special-needs kids.
What Do You Do With A Problem?
What Do You Do With a Problem? is a story for anyone, at any age, who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away. It’s a story to inspire you to look closely at that problem and to find out why it’s here. Because you might discover something amazing about your problem… and yourself. This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn’t so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared.
Resource Books for Parents and Educators
The Invisible String Workbook
This is a must have companion to the book called The Invisible String. It includes more than 50 art and writing activities (plus bonus reflection cards!) to help build self-esteem and healthy relationships, and to celebrate the power of love.
Childhood Loss and Grief: Guidelines for Educators and Professionals
With a focus on death, divorce, and childhood illness, Dr. Merenda discusses several factors that influence children’s grief, such as the type of loss experienced, gender, chronological age, and developmental stage.
The Memory Book
The Memory Book helps grieving families process their emotions together by remembering their lost loved one and creating their own memory album full of photos and keepsakes of the person they lost. 
My Hear Hurts
My Heart Hurts is a workbook for children and teens who have experienced the death of someone whom they love and who is important to them. My Heart Hurts can help a grieving child begin to process the loss of anyone who was important to them, as well as guide adults as to how to begin a dialogue about loss and grief with a grieving child.
Creative Interventions for Children of Divorce
An innovative collection of therapeutic games, art techniques, and stories to help children of divorce express feelings, deal with loyalty binds, disengage from parental conflict, address anger and self-blame, and learn coping strategies. Includes a theoretical overview for practitioners, a sample treatment plan, and a reproducible handout to give parents. 
Tear Soup
In this modern-day fable, a woman who has suffered a terrible loss cooks up a special batch of “tear soup,” blending the unique ingredients of her life into the grief process. Along the way she dispenses a recipe of sound advice for people who are in mourning.
Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children
A uniquely creative compilation of activities to help bereaved children express feelings of grief, diffuse traumatic reminders, address self-blame, commemorate the deceased, and learn coping strategies. Includes special activities for children dealing with the suicide or murder of a loved one. 
Children can experience short- and long-term negative consequences when their parents divorce. They are still growing and maturing, so every aspect of their lives, from school life to sleeping, tends to be affected. Read more by clicking the link above.
