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Titles in Barron's Live and Learn series are sensitively written picture storybooks that take a child's point of view--especially in regard to kids who need encouragement in the face of an emotional or a physical difficulty. Following each story are four pages of suggested activities that relate to its theme, followed by a two-page section that offers advice to parents. Live and Learn titles are also available in Spanish language editions under the series title Vive y aprende. Here is the story of a child who has ADHD--attention-deficit disorder--and is mistakenly perceived as being unruly and incapable of following instructions. Ultimately, this little boy overcomes this problem with help from the family doctor, his parents, and his teacher.

Goodreads Best Children's Book of 2022
Kid's Indie Next List Pick

Emile is not shy—he is quiet.  
 
Emile may seem timid and shy on the outside, but on the inside he is bustling with imagination. While grownups and even other kids may see Emile as the shy kid who doesn’t raise his hand in class, we know that Emile is actually a high-seas adventurer, a daring explorer, and a friend to wild beasts.
 
This story honors and encourages the beauty of knowing ourselves for exactly who we are. Emile’s world shows us that the mind of a quiet child can be as rich, expansive, and bold as that of any other (more extroverted) child.

Winner of the Christopher Award

Elsie can't wait to go to her first father-daughter dance. She picked out the perfect dress and has been practicing swirling and swaying in her wheelchair. Elsie's heart pirouettes as she prepares for her special night. With gestures, smiles, and words from a book filled with pictures, she shares her excitement with her family. But when a winter storm comes, she wonders if she'll get the chance to spin and dance her way to a dream come true.

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner

What if words got stuck in the back of your mouth whenever you tried to speak? What if they never came out the way you wanted them to?

Sometimes it takes a change of perspective to get the words flowing.

A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year

I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me. 

And I can't say them all . . . 

When a boy who stutters feels isolated, alone, and incapable of communicating in the way he'd like, it takes a kindly father and a walk by the river to help him find his voice. Compassionate parents everywhere will instantly recognize a father's ability to reconnect a child with the world around him.

Poet Jordan Scott writes movingly in this powerful and ultimately uplifting book, based on his own experience, and masterfully illustrated by Sydney Smith, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to author and illustrators of children's books. A book for any child who feels lost, lonely, or unable to fit in.

Finalist for the BC and Yukon Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize
A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
ILA Primary Fiction Honoree
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Shelf Awareness, Bookpage, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Lunch, and more!
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year!
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
A CBC Best Picture Book of the Year
A Kids' Book Choice Award Finalist

From a multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winning author comes the story of a brilliant girl that no one knows about because she cannot speak or write. "If there is one book teens and parents (and everyone else) should read this year, "Out of My Mind" should be it.O--"Denver Post."

Luna the Tuna, with glasses on her nose...

It's bad enough having a weird name -- now, to make matters worse, Luna has to wear glasses! But what happens if she doesn't? Find out as Luna discovers to appreciate herself and her glasses after a day of silly mishaps.

Many kids have to wear glasses to see properly. For most kids, the realization that their eyesight isn't perfect is a blow to their self-esteem--and they feel different from other kids who don't have to wear glasses. On top of that, getting used to wearing glasses can be challenging. Glasses may feel uncomfortable at first. It may also be hard for kids to figure our how or when to use them for certain fun activities like swimming or playing softball. Even when kids choose their own glasses, the frames can still feel like a huge obstacle in their daily lives.

Luna and the Big Blur acknowledges kids' feelings of sadness, discomfort, and being different while reminding them of the importance of wearing their glasses. They'll laugh and have fun with Luna as she sets out on her adventures. And they will learn, as Luna does, that they are very special, with or without their glasses.

This updated edition has a Note to Parents by ophthalmologist David F. Plotsky, MD, filled with psychological, practical, and medical information on how to help kids cope with wearing glasses.

It's the principal Mr. Slipper's birthday, and while the rest of the class gets busy writing cards for the occasion, Stan becomes frustrated when his letters come out all in a muddle. Stan is afraid to ask for help, until a friend assures him that nobody's good at everything. And after lots and lots of practice, Stan's letters come out the right way round and the right way up.

This delightful book deals with a common childhood frustration and will remind readers that practice pays off and that everyone has to ask for help sometimes.

Watch the trailer:
 

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book

An Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Honor Winner

Read the world to change the world! This artful picture book about friendship and sign language, originally published in the Philippines in concert with nonprofit Room to Read, is beautifully revised for this global edition. 



Our new neighbors' hands are dancing. Their hands move as if to music. What are they saying to each other?



Sam's new neighbors' hands make graceful movements she doesn't recognize, and she wonders what they are saying. Soon she meets her new neighbor, Mai, who teaches Sam some Filipino Sign Language. Along the way, they both discover the joys of making a new friend, a best friend.



This sweet and perceptive picture book by authors Joanna Que and Charina Marquez tells the story of two girls as they learn to communicate with each other. With playful illustrations that celebrate the beautiful movements of sign language, back matter discussing sign languages around the world, and endpapers teaching all the signs used in the book, Dancing Hands conveys the shy and fumbling experience of making friends and overcoming language barriers.



SIGN LANGUAGE IN A STORY: One of the only children's books about sign language that is not centered on instruction, this beautifully illustrated friendship story is the perfect way to introduce kids to topics around deafness, hearing or speech impairment, and global sign languages. 



PROMOTES EMPATHY: As readers follow Mai and Sam's blossoming friendship, they will be encouraged to be open to new experiences. This thoughtful book emphasizes the importance of trying to understand each person we encounter and the beautiful connections we can form when we overcome perceived barriers. 



EDUCATIONAL EXTRAS: The book includes additional content that speaks to the history of Filipino and American sign languages, as well as sign languages around the world.



CHARITABLE SUPPORT WITH EVERY PURCHASE: Buying this book benefits children in Room to Read's global Literacy Program. Room to Read has supported publishing training and opportunities for children's book creators from around the world since 2003. The Read the World, Change the World partnership with Chronicle Books brings these international voices to English language readers. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.





Perfect for:

• A book for Deaf children and families who speak sign language
• Gift or self-purchase for anyone interested in picture books that center Deaf characters
• Storytime or classroom resource for teachers and librarians looking for books about disability, new friendships, sign language, or the Philippines
• AAPI audiences and Tagalog speakers
• Fans of Room to Read, non-profit book initiatives, and global children's literature

A CBC Kids Reads Competition Finalist

In the tradition of All Are Welcome and The Day You Begin comes a touching picture book about the many unique ways we communicate, and how we can better listen to and respect these different modes of expression, from the author of Together, a Forest.

Nathan doesn't say much. 
He sure has a lot on his mind, though.

At school, Nathan quietly observes the ways his peers communicate. Even when they’re not talking, they’re expressing themselves in all sorts of ways! 

By witnessing the beauty of communication diversity, Nathan learns and shows his classmates the essential lesson: Not only does everyone have something to say, but seeking to understand one another can be the greatest bridge to friendship and belonging.

This tender, stunningly illustrated picture book explores and celebrates the many forms of expression—signing, speaking, singing, smiling, among others—and culminates in a poignant story about connection and understanding.

Includes additional material at the end of the book with vocabulary, an introduction to various forms of communication, and information about communication access, perfect for back-to-school and classroom discussions.

Golden Kite Award Finalist

Washington State Book Award Winner

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard

Notable Social Studies Reading List

CCBC Choices



Melvin Robinson wants a strong, smooth, He-Man voice that lets him say what he wants, when he wants--especially to his crush Millie Takazawa, and Gary Ratliff, who constantly puts him down. But the thought of starting high school is only making his stutter worse.



And Melvin's growing awareness that racism is everywhere--not just in the South where a boy his age has been brutally killed by two white men, but also in his own hometown of Spokane--is making him realize that he can't mutely stand by.



His new friend Lenny, a fast-talking, sax-playing Jewish boy, who lives above the town's infamous (and segregated) Harlem Club, encourages Melvin to take some risks--to invite Millie to Homecoming and even audition for a local TV variety show. When they play music together, Melvin almost feels like he's talking, no words required. But there are times when one needs to speak up.



When his moment comes, can Melvin be as mighty on the outside as he actually is on the inside?



P R A I S E



★ "This powerful novel weaves strong characters into the tapestry of civil rights, treatment of people with disabilities, fallout fear from the war, and ever-changing cultural shifts that defined the 1950s."

--School Library Journal (starred)



★ "A well-constructed and movingly told story of a thoughtful Black boy making his place in his family and in 1950s America."

--Publishers Weekly (starred)



"A gentle historical novel about finding your voice."

--Kirkus



"Sundee Frazier once again flexes her masterful expertise in understanding the human heart, and the insurmountable will and capacity we have to press forward and persevere triumphantly."

--Kirkus Prize-winner Derrick Barnes



"One of those rare books I found myself reading more slowly as I got to the final pages. I didn't want it to end."

--Newbery Award-winner Christopher Paul Curtis

* Schneider Family Book Award Winner *

A gorgeous and empowering picture book biography about Evelyn Glennie, a deaf woman, who became the first full-time solo percussionist in the world. A robust author’s note brings further detail and highlights Evelyn’s own voice.

"No. You can't," people said.
But Evelyn knew she could. She had found her own way to listen.

From the moment Evelyn Glennie heard her first note, music held her heart. She played the piano by ear at age eight, and the clarinet by age ten. But soon, the nerves in her ears began to deteriorate, and Evelyn was told that, as a deaf girl, she could never be a musician. What sounds Evelyn couldn’t hear with her ears, though, she could feel resonate through her body as if she, herself, were a drum. And the music she created was extraordinary. Evelyn Glennie had learned how to listen in a new way. And soon, the world was listening too.


"Radiant." —Publishers Weekly
"Perfect for elementary school readers . . . Excellent." —SLJ
"Beautiful." —A Mighty Girl 
“Lyrical . . . Expressive.” —Booklist
“An intriguing, loving biography.” —Kirkus
"Engaging [and] vibrant." —The Horn Book
"Fantastic." —Book Riot
"I strongly recommend it." —Time for Kids

Meet Doug, an ordinary kid who doesn't like hugs, in this fun and exuberant story which aims to spark discussions about bodily autonomy and consent—from author Carrie Finison and the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The World Needs More Purple People, Daniel Wiseman.

Doug doesn't like hugs. He thinks hugs are too squeezy, too squashy, too squooshy, too smooshy. He doesn't like hello hugs or goodbye hugs, game-winning home run hugs or dropped ice cream cone hugs, and he definitely doesn't like birthday hugs. He'd much rather give a high five--or a low five, a side five, a double five, or a spinny five. Yup, some people love hugs; other people don't. So how can you tell if someone likes hugs or not? There's only one way to find out: Ask! Because everybody gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.