My Friend Has ADHD and All Dogs Have ADHD: Children's Books Giveaway!

It’s time (okay, past time) to bring everyone up to speed on this blog’s recent contests for kids' books that relate to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD).

In March, we highlighted the adoption-themed book The Forever Friends Club, in which a character, Nick, appears to have ADD/ADHD.  Two readers, Cherie Lang of Brooklyn, New York, and Dawn Adams of Norfolk, Virginia, won free copies of the book.  Thanks again to publisher Adrienne Ehlert Bashista of DRT Press for making this contest possible.

Our April contest, for the four books in the "Out of This World" comic book series, which combines ADD/ADHD skill-building with entertainment, ended last week.  Our two winners have been notified.  Our thanks go out to author Jon Filitti and publisher Youth Light, Inc. for their support.

And now, it’s time to announce our May giveaway!  This month’s prize is two children’s books that take unique approaches to explaining ADD/ADHD to our kids and to their friends.  

The first is My Friend Has ADHD, by Amanda Doering Tourville, illustrated by Kristin Sorra.  This, the latest title in Picture Window Books’ "Friends with Disabilities" series, follows My Friend Has... books about autism, Down Syndrome, and dyslexia. 

In My Friend Has ADHD, using language just right for the kindergarten-through-third-grade crowd, Marcus tells the reader about his friend Robby, who has ADD/ADHD, describing his positive qualities -- he’s creative and game to try new things -- balanced with his worrisome traits -- he has trouble waiting in line, he sometimes talks when he isn’t supposed to. Plus, each  two-page spread features facts about ADD/ADHD, expanding upon Marcus’s thoughtful narrative.  The book's matter-of-fact tone and balanced portrayal of this condition make it a valuable resource for introducing ADD/ADHD to our children, their friends, and their classmates.

The second book in our “Intro to ADD/ADHD" giveaway is All Dogs Have ADHD, from Kathy Hoopman, the author of All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome, and three other books in the Asperger Adventure series. Yes, as the title implies, Hoopman really does compare our kids to dogs in this humorous, but oh-so accurate book.  Although clearly walking a tightrope of political correctness, Hoopman manages to avoid being offensive, by focusing purely on the affectionate and the funny characteristics the two species share, as my favorite line demonstrates, an ADD/ADHD child's "first steps aren’t steps…they are an attempt to escape, because the world was meant to be explored.” That is so like my daughter Natalie!

Although All Dogs Have ADHD is categorized as juvenile literature, and will certainly appeal to many children, I highly recommend it as a “treatment” for tired parents of children with ADD/ADHD and other special needs -- after all, laughter heals.

Contest Rules: One lucky winner will receive a copy of My Friend Has ADHD and All Dogs Have ADHD. For a chance to win these two books, leave a comment to this post by 5:00 p.m. EDT, May 26, 2010, answering this question:  How well does your child's peers understand and relate to her ADD/ADHD and/or other special needs?  

Here’s my two cents worth on the topic: Natalie has several friends, and I’ve long been very thankful for that.  They all know that she takes medication, and I can think of four who might be able to name the condition the meds treat, although I’m not sure that Natalie, herself, would remember its name consistently! When I first read My Friend Has ADHD with Nat, and she exclaimed joyfully, “Tobias has ADHD!”  I reminded her that she does too, as well as Harry.  I don’t find the need to name her condition very often, and obviously, neither does Natalie.  Your turn!  Good luck!