One of our main goals is to raise self-esteem and promote respect and tolerance for all. Learing first to respect yourself teaches you to respect others. The Library is a great place to start and we recommend the following titles.

Search in our catalog for the following titles.

tdi Special Pick:

I Like Your Buttons! - Sarah Lamstein
The story of a chain reaction of good deeds all caused by one girl giving her teacher a simple compliment!

• Different Just Like Me - Lori Mitchell
  April has to wait a whole week to visit her grandmother. Throughout the week, April meets many different people. At her grandmother's, she admires her garden, where she realizes people - just like flowers - are all different, and that's what makes them great.
• Life is Fun - Nancy Carlson
  Seven simple instructions for any kid to be happy on Earth, complete with great illustrations.
• Black, White, Just Right! - by Marguerite W. Davol
  A story about how nothing is right for everyone. It's important to be "right" for yourself, whether that means you like dogs or cats, you're tall or short, or black or white.
• My Two Grandmothers - Effin Older
  Lily loves spending time in the city with Bubbe Silver and spending time in the country with Gammy Lane. She also loves the winter holidays - Christmas with Gammy and Hanukkah with Bubbe. Both of her grandmothers have so many traditions to share with her, and Lily gets an idea for a new tradition.
• Stellaluna - Janell Cannon
  When Stellaluna, a baby bat, is separated from her mother, she is cared for by a family of birds. When she finds another group of bats she must learn whether or not she can be friends with the bats and the birds, despite their differences.
• The Rainbow Tulip - Pat Mora
  Stella is a little girl who is torn between her Spanish home and the English world outside. Soon she realizes though that she can love both worlds at the same time and that it’s ok to be different.
• Hooray for Grandparents' Day! - Nancy Carlson
  Arnie is upset when Grandparents’ Day comes and he has no one to invite to his school’s celebration. But when he tells several people his story, like the librarian, the baker and the dressmaker, they all surprise Arnie and come to help him celebrate.
• The Memory String - Eve Bunting
  Laura is having a hard time accepting her new stepmother, Jane. When Laura’s special “memory string”, a string of buttons, each with its own story, breaks, Laura can’t find the buttons that was most precious to her mother. Jane’s compassion and understanding through Laura’s search for the button help Laura to begin to accept her stepmother.
• All the Colors of the Earth - Shelia Hamanaka
  This book celebrates the diversity in the world by showing how children come in all the colors of the earth. The lyrical text and beautiful illustrations make it a great book to share with everyone.
• Sometimes I'm Bombaloo - Rachel Vail
  Usually Katie is a good girl, but sometimes she gets mad and when she does, she becomes Bombaloo. With a time-out and some love from an understanding mom, Katie can become Katie again and realizes its ok to be Bombaloo sometimes.
• I Wish I Could Fly - Ron Maris
  Turtle wishes that he can do the neat things that the animals he meets can. He then realizes that he has his own special talents.
• Another Important Book - Margaret Wise Brown
  Discusses the important things you learn to do throughout life and that everyone is different.
• It's Just a Game - John Farrell
  A soccer team practices and plays hard but still doesn't win. They learn the lesson that it doesn't matter whether you win or lose as long as you have fun.
• Wings - Christopher Myers
  Being different is not a bad thing. This book teaches the importanance of acceptance of all types of people and personalities.
• The Brand New Kid - Katie Couric
  Have you ever been the new kid in class? This book shows how important it is to be nice to the new kids in class because it can affect them more than you think.
• Fat Chance Thanksgiving - Patricia Lakin
  This book shows kids that even in the worst of times, you should never give up on your dreams and desires. In this book, Carla shows her determination to have a big Thanksgiving meal despite the rough times her family is going through.
• What's Wrong With Timmy? - Maria Shriver
  Kate, a very curious little girl, encounters many people at the park. One day, she sees Timmy, a kid who doesn't look like everyone else. She questions her mom all about Timmy and finally decides to meet him. After some talking, she takes him to play basketball because she realizes Timmy is just like her. Kate realizes that Timmy, although he looks different, is just like her and special in his own way.

It's not all fiction...

• Win or Lose by How You Choose! - Judy Sheindlin
  In this book, Judge Judy creates different difficult situations kids could find themselves caught in like "You are home alone and someone knocks on the door." Then, rather than telling the reader what to do, she provides several multiple choices answers to let the child decide. A great book to teach kids how to solve problems!
• Dealing with Insults - Marianne Johnston
  A how to book about dealing with insults from friends, families, and bullies. It explains why people insult others and how to avoid insults or how to properly respond to them.