There was a time when traditional education expected uniformity in delivery of lessons and how students responded, said Lindsay Gottwald, Youth Services Manager for The Library. 

Fortunately, The Library and schools nationwide are rethinking that concept. With The Library’s new Sensory Storytime, neurodivergent children find a welcoming space where their sensory needs and sensitivities are acknowledged and addressed. At the same time, they’re building the early literacy skills they need for kindergarten and beyond.

“It’s a gift that I get to help families with their needs, and that we have such a different culture that’s developing around neurodiversity as a positive and normal fact of existence,” Gottwald said. “Our brains are different, and that’s fine and lovely.”

Books featuring neurodivergent characters and topics let children see people like themselves represented on the page while also educating parents about their children’s needs and perspectives. Readers don’t always know by the title that a book addresses neurodivergence, so Sensory Storytime sessions point families toward these reads, including:

Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming, by Steve Asbell.

My Busy Brain: A First Look at ADHD, by Pat Thomas and Leslie Harker.

I Think I Think a Lot, by Jessica Whipple, and illustrated by Josée Bisaillon.

My Whirling, Twirling Motor, by Merriam Sarcia Saunders, LMFT, and illustrated by Tammie Lyon.

A Walk in the Words, by Hudson Talbott.

Aaron Slater, Illustrator, by Andrea Beaty, and illustrated by David Roberts.

Ben & Emma’s Big Hit, by Gavin Newsom with Ruby Shamir, and illustrated by Alexandra Thompson.

Brilliant Bea, by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich, and illustrated by Fiona Lee.

Mindfulness Activities for Kids with ADHD: Engaging Stories and Exercises to Help You Learn and Thrive, by Sharon Grand, PhD, and illustrated by Taia Morley.

The Boy with Big, Big Feelings, by Britney Winn Lee, and illustrated by Jacob Souva.

Listening to My Body: A Guide to Helping Kids Understand the Connection Between Their Sensations (What the Heck are Those?) and Feelings so that They Can Get Better at Figuring Out What They Need, by Gabi Garcia, and illustrated by Ying Hui Tan.

Big Feelings, by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman.

Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism, by Jen Malia, and illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff.

Benji, the Bad Day, and Me, by Sally J. Pla, and illustrated by Ken Min.

A Friend for Henry, by Jenn Bailey, and illustrated by Mika Song.

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin, by Julia Finley Mosca, and illustrated by Daniel Rieley.