The Best ADHD Books for Children: From Preschool to High School
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ADHD Books for Younger Children
Reading ADHD books for children to preschoolers and grade schoolers can help them to learn about the disorder and feel more comfortable with it. The following list is of books that are appropriate for students in this age range:
- If your child has just been diagnosed, you may want to consider getting the book Taking A.D.D. to School: A School Story About Attention Deficit Disorder and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, by Ellen Weiner. The main character in this book, named Ben, has been having trouble paying attention and concentrating in school, and his doctor diagnoses him with ADD. This book is written from Ben’s point of view, and it includes a quiz for kids in the back. The illustrations in this book are captivating as well.
- Jumpin’ Johnny Get Back to Work: A Child’s Guide to ADHD/Hyperactivity, by Michael Gordon. This is similar to the above in that it is told from kid’s point of view. It focuses on kids’ concerns about ADHD, explaining them in a way that young children can understand.
- Putting on the Brakes: Young People’s Guide to Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by Patricia Quinn and Judith Stern includes some very practical suggestions about how kids can deal with ADHD most effectively. It also comes with an activity book, which contains helpful information about study techniques that kids with ADHD can use.
- For a different type of book, try Sparky’s Excellent Misadventures: My A.D.D. Journal, by Phyllis Carpenter and Marti Ford. This book is written from the point of view of a dog that has ADD, and it can help kids with a friend or sibling who has just been diagnosed.
- Young girls with ADHD can sympathize strongly with the main character in the Phoebe Flowers series, by Barbara Roberts. This trilogy focuses mainly on problems that children with ADHD often have in social situations.
Books for Preteens and Teens
Teens have their own unique struggles with ADHD. They may appreciate hearing firsthand accounts from other kids who have the same disability, as well as accurate but easy to understand information about how they can deal effectively with their ADHD. The following books fit the bill:
- A Bird’s-Eye View of Life with ADD and ADHD: Advice from Young Survivors, by Chris Dendy and Alex Zeigler. This is a compilation of the firsthand accounts of twelve teens who struggled with ADD or ADHD. It includes advice from teens about challenges they encountered, and tackles hot button issues like “using medications” and “dealing with friendships.” Appendices in the book explain the disorders from a scientific perspective and provide other useful information about them.
- Adolescents and Add: Gaining the Advantage,by Patricia Quinn is a basic textbook about ADD and ADHD. Although the photographs are in black and white, and the text is not quite as user-friendly as it could be, the information in the book is very comprehensive.
- Perhaps one of the most memorable ADHD books for children is ADHD & Me: What I Learned from Lighting Fires at the Dinner Table, by Blake Taylor. This book is about an older teen who learns how to cope effectively with his ADHD, especially his ADHD-related impulsivity. Written as a memoir, this book recounts various ADHD-related adventures that occurred to Taylor throughout his childhood.
This post is part of the series: Kids With ADHD: Tips and Advice
If you have a child or student with ADHD, you may be wondering how to deal with her most effectively. This series of articles will help you understand children with ADHD as well as how to help them succeed.
