An award-winning picture book about resilience, self-esteem, and the power of talking about emotions Lili Macaroni loves drawing butterflies, counting the stars, and being exactly who she is-Lili Macaroni. That is, until she starts kindergarten. There her classmates tell her that her hair is like a pumpkin, her eyes are squinty blueberries, and her laugh is like a parrot's squawk. She has never felt such unhappiness before. It makes her want to erase herself and draw a brand-new Lili. Then she reconsiders. Does she really want to erase her hair that's just like Mom's? Her eyes just like Grandma's? Her Grandpa's infectious laugh? With her parents' help, she creates a polka-dotted butterfly to wear at her collar, publicly announcing her own resilience and symbolically letting her sorrows be flown away. And when she explains the butterfly to her classmates, Lili discovers she has begun a powerful conversation, and that everyone has some trouble to be carried away on butterfly wings. In this accessible exploration of emotions and self-esteem, Nicole Testa and Annie Boulanger create a relatable heroine with inborn ingenuity and warm family support.

Newly arrived from Kazakhstan, twelve-year-old Maya Alazova resents the way her mother babies her brother, but when she leaves her English Language Learner program for mainstream classes and has to deal with a boy, a bully, and conflict at home, she finds her brother can help with their new culture in ways their parents can't.

Albert is not only the runt of his herd, he was born with an extra long trunk - a trunk that makes him feel ashamed and ostracized, so Albert runs away to the city. Unfortunately, his troubles continue as people and other animals tease and humiliate him. Then one morning Albert has the opportunity to turn his "disability" into a very special "ability." Will Albert finally find the friends and respect he craves? Trey Martin's Albert the Elephant delivers a powerful message about being different and finding one's special talents in that difference. His book is a personal triumph over being differently-abled in our public education system. Albert the Elephant is a tender, informative, must-read book for all school-age children (and parents, too).