Books that help kids' mental development

Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party... until, that is, a new kid comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine. From esteemed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and acclaimed illustrator Patrice Barton, this gentle story shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find The Invisible Boy a valuable and important resource. Includes backmatter with discussion questions and resources for further reading.

Whenever Jonathan James finds himself in a new situation, he hears his Whatif Monster asking all kind of questions to stop him trying something new: What if it's scary? What if they laugh? What if it's hard?  Finally, Jonathan James has some questions of his own: What if they don't? What if it isn't? What then?

Invited to Kristabelle's birthday party with her entire class, young Willow is dismayed when the bossy birthday girl begins crossing guests off the invitation list if they do anything she doesn't like. Willow does everything she can think of to be invited to classmate Kristabelle's fantastic birthday party, but when bossy Kristabelle un-invites some children from the party, Willow finds a quiet but sure way to say no to her.

All day, Whale swims through the ocean, wearing a poster advertising the big upcoming art exhibition. He visits the eel who wriggles abstract patterns in the sand, the squid who paints with ink, and the hammerhead shark who builds sculptures from salvage. Whale sees his friends' confidence and creativity and wishes he could be an artist too, but he doesn't know what to make and insists he's too ungainly to create art. Then one day, with the unexpected help of some bioluminescent plankton, he discovers his own distinct point of view and talent. From the award-winning author-illustrator of What Animals Really Like, hailed by School Library Journal as "sublime silliness," comes another inspiring tale about defying expectation and finding the artist within. STARRED REVIEW "At its core, Robinson's ( What Animals Really Like) story is a tried and true tale of a wallflower realizing his potential. But her understated, offbeat voice and visuals—a mashup of classicism and graphic novel sensibilities—makes this a standout: up-to-the-minute modern in its irreverence and offhandedness, yet timeless in its understanding of a character's yearning." — Publishers Weekly, starred review "Sharp contrasts between light and dark are beautiful." — Kirkus Reviews "Children will embrace and understand the sincere, undervalued message of art as substantive and a way to "share one's world." This inspiring tale of artistic collaboration between the whale and bioluminescent plankton will be shared again and again." — School Library Journal "The watercolor and pencil art makes excellent use of the spreads' wide horizontality; while the art projects and, indeed, the underwater world are on the literal side for such an artistic-themed story, there's a murky charm to life in the briny deep... What's particularly appealing here is the casual inclusion of a wide variety of approaches to art, making this an entertaining lead-in to art projects, especially those involving the natural world." — Bulletin of The Center for Children's Books

A grouchy boy learns how to chase away his grumpy moods. Includes a note to parents.

Every morning, I play a game with my father. He goes knock knock on my door and I pretend to be asleep till he gets right next to the bed. And my papa, he tells me, “I love you.” But what happens when, one day, that “knock knock” doesn’t come? This powerful and inspiring book shows the love that an absent parent can leave behind, and the strength that children find in themselves as they grow up and follow their dreams.

A biography of Wilma Rudolph, an African-American who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track during a single Olympics.

When told to draw a jungle in art class, Regina experiences feelings of failure and creative insecurity, but manages to create a beautiful picture that's all her own.