Winner of the San Diego Book Award in Education

QUIRKY, YES--HOPELESS, NO: Practical Tips to Help Your Child with Asperger's Syndrome Be More Socially Accepted

by Cynthia La Brie Norall, Ph.D., with Beth Wagner Brust
St. Martin’s Press, August 4, 2009

This book is the first to be written by an expert in Asperger's along with a parent of an Asperger's child. Free of jargon and easy to read with stand-alone chapters, QUIRKY features 85 of the most common issues that challenge these bright, out-of-the-box thinkers.

Insightful, instructive and even humorous, QUIRKY sheds light on why aspies are the way they are and how parents, grandparents and teachers can help these smart but socially challenged kids cope better at home and at school.

Temple Grandin said:
"This is a fantastic book for helping people on the autism spectrum learn social skills. Great for individuals on the spectrum, teachers and social skills training specialists."
Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and Animals Make Us Human

Publisher's Weekly, 09
"Each useful, carefully worded entry addresses kids’ behaviors and their parents’ concerns, gives examples from real situations and offers suggestions for change or, as is often the case, acceptance. ...conversational in tone, full of insights and will help and encourage parents and their Aspie or high-functioning autistic kids alike."

The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen 

Everyone is familiar with the fairy tales of the famous Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen, but few are aware that he was as skilled with scissors as he was with his pen.  Throughout his life, Andersen made charming and highly original paper cuttings wherever he went.  The cuttings reflected his great imagination as he turned plain white pieces of paper into swans, clowns, windmills, angels, ballerinas on stage and much more.  He often made cutouts while telling one of his fairy tales!  This biography delves into Andersen's artistic side while revealing much about the man, who was a fascinating and complicated giant in children's literature. 

*"An exceptional biography"  (starred review) Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 3/94 

"Clearly and gracefully written, a fascinating introduction to a little-known aspect of Andersen's talent and an excellent resource for extending a literature unit into art."  (pointer) Kirkus Reviews, 3/1/94 

Activity:  Snowflake patterns for kids!

ZOOBOOKS series 

Seven books written as part of the ZOOBOOKS series published by Wildlife Education.  Dazzling artwork and color photos accompany tons of fascinating facts about animal groups. Each book covers the animal's anatomy, feeding habits, care for their young, special traits, dangers, and prospects for the future.

(softcover or hardcover, 20 pages, Grades K-6) 

Butterflies	Hippos	Sea Otters
Rattlesnakes	Seabirds	Kangaroos

The Great Tulip Trade
(Random House, 2005, ages 6-8, grades 1-3, 48 pages)

Anna wants tulips from her father's field for her eighth birthday, but in 1600s Holland, everyone wants tulips! This historical fiction tale is set in a true time when tulips were worth more than gold, diamonds and even houses. As merchants pass by Anna's house and try to trade their goods for her tulips, Anna must decide whether to make herself happy or whether to help her family. She must figure out what she wants to keep and what she's willing to trade away. Readers of this story with its folk tale quality discover that value is in the eye of the beholder. And sometimes we have to be faced with tough choices to realize what is really most important to us.

The Great Molasses Flood 

(Troll, 1998, paperback, 48 pages, easy reader, Grades 1-3) 

A two-million gallon tank of molasses explodes in Maggie Malone's neighborhood in Boston and sends a 25-foot tidal wave of brown, oozing goo racing down the streets!  Based on a true event in 1919, this lively historical fiction story grabs beginning readers from the get-go as Maggie tries to warn her friends and family and no one believes her!

Weird and Wonderful Animals series [currently out of print]

A trio of colorful and fun easy readers in the "Weird and Wonderful Animals" series from Teacher Created Materials, all 16-page paperbacks and aimed at Grades 1 & 2.

Who Made this Nest?

What Am I?

Dads and Babies

Activity: Special circle book directions.