10 Books About Dyslexia and Learning Differences

The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan by Ben Foss

More than 30 million people in the United States are dyslexic - a brain-based genetic trait, often labeled as a "learning disability" or "learning difference", that makes interpreting text and reading difficult. Yet even though children with dyslexia may have trouble reading, they don't have any problems learning; dyslexia has nothing to do with a lack of intellect. 

While other books tell you what dyslexia is, this book tells you what to do. Dyslexics' innate skills, which may include verbal, social, spatial, kinesthetic, visual, mathematical, or musical abilities, are their unique key to acquiring knowledge. Figuring out where their individual strengths lie, and then harnessing these skills, offers an entrée into learning and excelling. And by keeping the focus on learning, not on standard reading the same way everyone else does, a child with dyslexia can and will develop the self-confidence to flourish in the classroom and beyond. 

The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock and Fernette Eide

Dyslexia is almost always assumed to be an obstacle. And for one in five people who are dyslexic, it can be. Yet for millions of successful dyslexics - including astrophysicists, mystery novelists, and entrepreneurs - their dyslexic differences are the key to their success. In this paradigm-shifting book, neurolearning experts Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide describe exciting new brain science revealing that dyslexic people have unique brain structure and organization. While the differences are responsible for certain challenges with literacy and reading, the dyslexic brain also gives a predisposition to important skills and special talents.

While dyslexics typically struggle to decode the written word, they often also excel in areas such as mechanical reasoning (required for architects and surgeons); interconnected reasoning (artists and inventors); narrative reasoning (novelists and lawyers); and dynamic reasoning (scientists and business pioneers). With much-needed prescriptive advice for parents, educators, and dyslexics, The Dyslexic Advantage provides the first complete portrait of dyslexia. Supporting their claims with groundbreaking science and interviews with successful dyslexics and innovative teachers, the authors of this essential book show how the unique strengths of dyslexia can be captured for success at home, at school, and at work.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives listeners an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in.

"Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid."

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her - and to everyone - than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

Language at the Speed of Sight by Mark Seidenberg

The way we teach reading is not working, and it cannot continue. We have largely abandoned phones-based reading instruction, despite research that supports its importance for word recognition. Rather than treating Black English as a valid dialect and recognizing that speaking one dialect can impact the ability to learn to read in another, teachers simply dismiss it as "incorrect English". And while we press children to develop large vocabularies because we think being a good reader means knowing more words, studies have found that a large vocabulary is only an indication of better pattern recognition.

Understanding the science of reading is more important than ever - for us, and for our children. Seidenberg helps us do so by drawing on cutting-edge research in machine learning, linguistics, and early childhood development. Language at the Speed of Sight offers an erudite and scathing examination of this most human of activities and concrete proposals for how our society can produce better readers.

Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene

The act of reading is so easily taken for granted that we forget what an astounding feat it is. How can a few black marks on white paper evoke an entire universe of meanings? It's even more amazing when we consider that we read using a primate brain that evolved to serve an entirely different purpose. In this riveting investigation, Stanislas Dehaene, author of How We Learn, explores every aspect of this human invention, from its origins to its neural underpinnings. A world authority on the subject, Dehaene reveals the hidden logic of spelling, describes pioneering research on how we process languages, and takes us into a new appreciation of the brain and its wondrous capacity to adapt.

Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf

Interweaving her vast knowledge of neurology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy with fascinating down-to-earth examples and lively personal anecdotes, developmental psychologist, neuroscientist, and dyslexia expert Wolf probes the question, "How do we learn to read and write?" This ambitious and provocative new book offers an impassioned look at reading, its effect on our lives, and explains why it matters so greatly in a digital era.

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally and Jonathan Shaywitz

Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder on the planet, affecting about one in five individuals, regardless of age or gender. Now, a world-renowned expert gives us a substantially updated and augmented edition of her classic work: drawing on an additional 15 years of cutting-edge research, offering new information on all aspects of dyslexia and reading problems, and providing the tools that parents, teachers, and all dyslexic individuals need. 

The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal by Jonathan Mooney

A young man once called unteachable journeys across America to investigate the lives of those, like himself, who are forced to create new ways of living in order to survive.  

Labeled "dyslexic and profoundly learning disabled with attention and behavior problems", Jonathan Mooney was a short-bus rider - a derogatory term used for kids in special education and a distinction that told the world he wasn't "normal". Along with other kids with special challenges, he grew up hearing himself denigrated daily. Ultimately, Mooney surprised skeptics by graduating with honors from Brown University. But he could never escape his past, so he hit the road. To free himself and to learn how others had moved beyond labels, he created an epic journey. He would buy his own short bus and set out cross-country, looking for kids who had dreamed up magical, beautiful ways to overcome the obstacles that separated them from the so-called normal world.  

In The Short Bus, his humorous, irreverent, and poignant record of this odyssey, Mooney describes his four-month, 35,000-mile journey across borders that most people never see. He meets 13 people in 13 states, including an eight-year-old deaf and blind girl who likes to curse out her teachers in sign language. Then there's Butch Anthony, who grew up severely learning disabled but who is now the proud owner of the Museum of Wonder. These people teach Mooney that there's no such thing as normal and that to really live, every person must find their own special ways of keeping on. The Short Bus is a unique gem, propelled by Mooney's heart, humor, and outrageous rebellions.

Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare

There’s nothing more frustrating than watching your bright, talented son or daughter struggle with everyday tasks like finishing homework, putting away toys, or following instructions at school. Your “smart but scattered” child might also have trouble coping with disappointment or managing anger. Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare have great news: there’s a lot you can do to help.

The latest research in child development shows that many kids who have the brain and heart to succeed lack or lag behind in crucial “executive skills”--the fundamental habits of mind required for getting organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. Learn easy-to-follow steps to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses, use activities and techniques proven to boost specific skills, and problem-solve daily routines. Small changes can add up to big improvements--this empowering book shows how.

Driven to Distraction by Edward Hollowell, MD and John J. Ratey, MD

Groundbreaking and comprehensive, Driven to Distraction has been a lifeline to the approximately eighteen million Americans who are thought to have ADHD. Now the bestselling book is revised and updated with current medical information for a new generation searching for answers.
 
Through vivid stories and case histories of patients—both adults and children—Hallowell and Ratey explore the varied forms ADHD takes, from hyperactivity to daydreaming. They dispel common myths, offer helpful coping tools, and give a thorough accounting of all treatment options as well as tips for dealing with a diagnosed child, partner, or family member. But most importantly, they focus on the positives that can come with this “disorder”—including high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm.