By Malynn Kuangparichat, Psy.D., J.D. 

There are so many reasons why children need access to diverse children’s books, including support for your child’s mental health. Books serve so many purposes– to escape, entertain, educate, encourage empathy, and help us reflect on our own experiences. 

Reading and discussing the stories with your child help them find self-affirmation, windows to learn about others, and opportunities to understand and further process any challenges they’re experiencing, emotionally or learning-wise.

In our home, my husband and I make sure to read books with Asian characters to reaffirm positive representations of our kids’ mixed Asian heritage.

When my two older kids were young, one of their favorites was “Hush! A Thai Lullaby” and “Am I Small” with the latter book written in English and Thai. Currently, my almost two-year-old likes to read a lift-the-flap-book titled “Toddler Two” by Anastasia Suen. 

Books as a Mirror

For one, diverse books are a mirror for kids to see themselves represented in stories.

They can have a safe space to explore their identities when they read books where they can see themselves in the main characters.

Rudine Sims Bishop, professor emerita, explains, “Literature transforms the human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation.”

When kids read books that represent them, this acts as a validation that they are important and valued in our communities.

As of 2018, an infographic from St. Catherine University shows that the percentage of children’s books in the US that depict characters from diverse backgrounds has improved since 2015, but the numbers are still quite low.

1% American Indian/First Nations

5% Latinx

7% Asian/Asian Pacific American/Islander

10% African American

27% Animal/Other

50% White

I believe the children’s publishing industry has been working to increase diversity and inclusion since 2018, and even now I’m starting to see more books featuring characters with neurodiversity and racial diversity from a strength-based perspective.

Go to your local library or even search read alouds on YouTube to find books that act as a mirror for your child.  

Books as Windows

Besides diverse children’s books being a mirror that reflects their identity and gives them positive self-affirmation, diverse books can be a window.

Books can paint vivid stories of people different than ourselves.

Diverse stories help kids expand their frame of view and help them grapple with and understand people with different abilities, cultures, beliefs, family backgrounds, and skin color.

Reading about characters who represent individuals and communities different from their own helps build empathy.

What’s more, finding the differences will also help them see the similarities.

A new perspective inevitably ignites a child’s desire to learn more about others and promote relationships with individuals who may talk, behave, or look differently than themselves.

Books as an Opportunity to Understand Emotional Challenges

Last but not least, books help kids understand and further process any learning or emotional challenges they might be experiencing.

Stories can help your child build more language around how they’re feeling, and empower them with ways to respond to challenging situations.

Categorized Book Lists to Read With Your Child

Below, I’ve gathered some of our favorite kid’s picture and chapter books for school-age children. This is not an exhaustive list, but it will help you get started.

For ages 8 and below, I recommend reading with your child.  Depending on the topic, kids ages 8 and up can read on their own though discussing the books will help them get the most out of the stories.

It’s helpful to look up a synopsis so you’re ready to speak about any sensitive topics for some of the stories, especially with chapter books that may include heavier topics.

Also, just know that these book resources do not replace the need for professional mental health services for your child. If you’re seeking mental health care for your child, head over to my blog post explaining what it looks like to get your child started with therapy.

Books Featuring Diversity

I am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed

Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy and Ekua Holmes

Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Mailard

Thank You, Omu! By Oge Mora

Just a Minute by Yuyi Morales

Always Anjali by Sheetal Sheth

We are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

Papa, Daddy, & Riley by Seamus Kirst

The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

I am Golden by Eva Chen

Eyes That Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

Binny’s Diwali by Thrity Umrigar

Hot Hot Roti For Dada-ji by F. Zila

Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

Chapter Books

Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories For Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Books Featuring Autistic Characters

Picture Books

A Manual for Marco: Living, Learning, and Laughing With an Autistic Sibling

By: Shaila Abdullah

Illustrated by: Iman Tejpar

A Friend for Henry

By: Jenn Bailey

Illustrated by: Mika Song

Crow Boy

By: Taro Yashima

Genre: Fiction

Do You Want to Play? Making Friends with an Autistic Kid

By: Daniel Share-Strom

Illustrated by: Naghmeh Afshinjah

My Brother Charlie

By: Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete

Illustrated by: Shane Evans

Chapter Books

A Boy Called Bat

By: Elana Arnold

Illustrated by: Charles Santoso

Rules

By: Cynthia Lord

Genre: Fiction

A Whole New Ballgame

By: Phil Bildner

Illustrated by: Tim Probert

Al Capone Does My Shirts

By: Gennifer Choldenko

Books Featuring LGBTQIA+ families

Picture Books

My Family, Your Family by Lisa Bullard

Sharice’s Big Voice by Sharice David

Zak’s Safari by Christy Tyner

This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman

Who Are You? The Kid’s Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pessin-Whedbee

Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman

Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate

When Aiden Became a Brother by By Kyle Lukoff

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

My Footprints by Bao Phi

They, She, He, Easy as ABC by Maya Christina Gonzalez and Matthew SG

Stella Brings the Family by Mariam B Schiffer

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno

Teen and Young Adult Lit

The Gender Quest Workbook: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults Exploring Gender Identity by Rylan Jay Testa, Deborah Coolhart, & Jayme Peta

Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood by Melissa Hart

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

The Russel Middlebrook Series by Brent Hartinger

Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Parents by Noelle Howey and Ellen Samuels

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein & S Bear Bergman

Books Featuring More Neurodiverse Kids and Kids With Disabilities

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best (Living with a disability)

My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook (ADHD)

Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari (Living with a disability)

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Mosca (Autism)

A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey (Autism)

This Beach is Loud! By Samantha Cotterill (Overstimulation)

Same Way Ben by Maryann Cocca-Leffler (Autism)

Just Ask by Sonia Sotomayor (Neurodiversity)

Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin (Overstimulation)

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (Shy, Quiet)

Not So Different by Shane Burcaw (Living with a disability)

Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco (Dyslexia)

Corrie Stories by Jeanne Kraus (ADHD)

Jeremy’s Dreidel by Ellie B. Gellman (Living with a family member with a disability)

Moses Goes to a Concert by Issac Millman (Written in American English and American Sign Language)

Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty (Dyslexia)

Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (Writing disability)

Knees: The Mixed Up  World of a Boy with Dyslexia by Vanita Oelschlager and Joe Rossi (Dyslexia)

The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco (Learning differences)

Sarabella’s Thinking Cap by Judy Schachner (ADHD)

Captain Starfish by Davina Bell (Sensory Processing Disorder)

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (series) by Jack Gantos (ADHD)

Looking For More Support

Reading and discussing books with your child is a great way to help them process their feelings and affirm their identities. If you’re looking for professional support for your child with autism, ADHD, or challenging behavior, check out our blog post with tips on how to choose a therapy practice for quality mental health care.

Contact Us

Need more support for your child? Chester County Well-Being (CCWB) provides a range of mental health services to ensure we meet our community’s needs. We serve youth and families in the Chester County and greater PA area. Reach out to us here.

Our specializations for youth and families include:

• AD/HD
• Parenting Support
• Stress Management
• Family Counseling
• Therapy for Depression and Anxiety
• Self-Harm 
• Perfectionism
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Addiction & Recovery
• Conflict Resolution

Disclaimer: The contents of this blog does not constitute a clinical relationship or replace the need for professional services. 

Teletherapy

In addition to in-person services, Dr. Malynn Kuangparichat provides high quality and secure telepsychology services in participating PSYPACT states. All other clinicians offer teletherapy services for the state of PA.

Follow Us

You can learn more mental health tips for your kiddo, including tweens and teens, by following us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love for you to connect with us! 

About the Author

Malynn Kuangparichat (Psy.D., J.D.) is founder and psychologist at Chester County Well-Being.  

She has a collaborative approach that results in highly tailored evaluations intended to meet her clients’ unique needs. She focuses on an individual’s strengths, which are integrated in the practical, personalized recommendations identified by the findings of an evaluation. 

In her free time, she enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, and getting ice cream or doughnuts from the local shops.