Here are 100 books that Super Max's Hero Surprise fans have personally recommended if you like
Super Max's Hero Surprise.
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I empower military-connected kids through books that support their mental and emotional growth, ensuring they feel "heard, seen, and chosen”. I draw from my bi-cultural military upbringing and global experiences to deliver keynotes and workshops on resilience and change management. My mission is to create empathy and curiosity beyond comfort zones, advocating for representation of kids who moved frequently worldwide. Through my children's book series, And That's Okay, I sparked a movement to inspire a growth mindset, empathy, and authentic connections through meaningful conversations. Writing the books that I wanted as a child, I understand the power of representation. Every child must see themselves and their lived experience to believe, dream, and achieve great things.
This heart-warming story teaches military families that they can stay connected although physically separated due to job assignments. Its reference to the starry night is relevant and relatable because we all share the night sky despite our physical location.
As a military-kid, this is the kind of story that we all wanted. I remember looking into the night sky and wondering where in the world he was and when our family would be together again. This story peeks into the minds of little soldiers and eases their concerns.
An engaging picture book for children that celebrates what it means to be American!
What does it mean to be American? Does it mean you like apple pie or fireworks? Not exactly. This patriotic picture book is perfect for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Election Day, or any day you want…
I empower military-connected kids through books that support their mental and emotional growth, ensuring they feel "heard, seen, and chosen”. I draw from my bi-cultural military upbringing and global experiences to deliver keynotes and workshops on resilience and change management. My mission is to create empathy and curiosity beyond comfort zones, advocating for representation of kids who moved frequently worldwide. Through my children's book series, And That's Okay, I sparked a movement to inspire a growth mindset, empathy, and authentic connections through meaningful conversations. Writing the books that I wanted as a child, I understand the power of representation. Every child must see themselves and their lived experience to believe, dream, and achieve great things.
I recommend this book because it sparks curiosity into careers within the military.
The author is a military kid, like me, and shares her authentic experience. The Peppered Sky is representation at its finest. Readers take a peek into the world of paratroopers jumping on a mission to defend our freedom. This book shines a much-needed light on what our world looks like to civilians.
Ultimately, it’s a great introduction into the military lifestyle with sweet moments, vibrant illustrations, and rhyme.
I empower military-connected kids through books that support their mental and emotional growth, ensuring they feel "heard, seen, and chosen”. I draw from my bi-cultural military upbringing and global experiences to deliver keynotes and workshops on resilience and change management. My mission is to create empathy and curiosity beyond comfort zones, advocating for representation of kids who moved frequently worldwide. Through my children's book series, And That's Okay, I sparked a movement to inspire a growth mindset, empathy, and authentic connections through meaningful conversations. Writing the books that I wanted as a child, I understand the power of representation. Every child must see themselves and their lived experience to believe, dream, and achieve great things.
This book creates empathy for kids that experience frequent moves. It’s timely, relevant, and relatable to military kids. I attended more than 11 schools in 5 countries from kindergarten until high school graduation. Needless to say, I moved a lot!
I’m A Dandelion is a conversation tool for lower elementary grades. The book provides a unique perspective on the transition for a young child. While this book features a military child, its message of resilience and hope are universal themes that help all children to overcome obstacles more easily.
The author does a great job of encouraging children to talk about their feelings and fears, and also reminds them that they are not alone in the adventure.
Serendipity is a magical story told by a grandmother to a granddaughter, introducing us to the traditional way of living of the Scottish Travellers and their Cant language.
A fantasy tale for children of 8 years old and older inspired by three real places in Scotland. Serendipity takes us to…
I empower military-connected kids through books that support their mental and emotional growth, ensuring they feel "heard, seen, and chosen”. I draw from my bi-cultural military upbringing and global experiences to deliver keynotes and workshops on resilience and change management. My mission is to create empathy and curiosity beyond comfort zones, advocating for representation of kids who moved frequently worldwide. Through my children's book series, And That's Okay, I sparked a movement to inspire a growth mindset, empathy, and authentic connections through meaningful conversations. Writing the books that I wanted as a child, I understand the power of representation. Every child must see themselves and their lived experience to believe, dream, and achieve great things.
Buddy the Soldier Bear is an adorable story that highlights the journey of a care package.
Having grown up in a military family, we sent care packages to our service members when they were away. I distinctly remember our classes encouraging us to write letters and add our favorite drawings to the packages. It makes a huge difference in morale for service members to know that someone cared enough to think of and send a handwritten note.
It’s an emotional story that encourages readers to remember the military community outside of special holidays. With very relevant illustrations, the story offers appreciation and compassion for military families. There is a sense of adventure as Buddy joins the soldiers during military assignments until he safely accompanies the soldier home.
Meet Buddy and go on a magical journey with him, from the toy store to the battlefield and back home again. Buddy the Soldier Bear is a delightful tale of a stuffed bear who dreams of adventures and being part of a family. When he finds himself in a care package for a soldier, he embarks on quite an adventure, indeed. Written by the daughter of a WW II veteran and the mother of a soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, you can feel the love poured into this story. Illustrated by a talented soldier who was deployed with…
Why am I passionate about psychopaths? I’m not, but I am passionate about creating characters with depth that aren’t the cardboard cutout tropes that litter science fiction, like used confetti. People are deeper, richer, and far more twisted than most authors imagine or dream. So knowing nothing about psychopaths, I found out. I read the books listed above and visited some nice (slightly amused but paid) psychologists for long chats, with the goal of making one central character in three volumes of my hexalogy as close to real as an imagined person can be. Why? So, Diathesis stands out from the crowd. So the reader can immerse fully in the story.
All I needed was the view from inside a psychopath, and there aren’t many reliable ones out there, but hey, guess what, this one is—because it’s written by a self-diagnosed psychopath who’s also a neuroscientist!
I loved this one as the inside view is that extra layer of nuance I needed to build into one of my main characters—understanding how they think and process from their perspective is crucial in making my psychopath real. Bonus here is that the author’s absolutely honest, describing his behaviours, what he didn’t see impacting on those around him,and then adding in how they felt and reacted. Very valuable.
“Compelling, essential reading for understanding the underpinnings of psychopathy.” — M. E. Thomas, author of Confessions of a Sociopath
For his first fifty-eight years, James Fallon was by all appearances a normal guy. A successful neuroscientist and professor, he’d been raised in a loving family, married his high school sweetheart, and had three kids and lots of friends. Then he learned a shocking truth that would not only disrupt his personal and professional life, but would lead him to question the very nature of his own identity.
While researching serial killers, he uncovered a pattern in their brain scans that…
Lisa Bournelis is a transformation leader in healthcare, a new author, and TEDx speaker. Prior to this, she worked for the United Nations and NGOs in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Africa. Dealing with the unknown makes her passionate about promoting books that empower children to overcome anxiety.
As a mom to a child with a mental health diagnosis, she wanted to help children by writing an uplifting novella based on her son’s experiences with OCD during the pandemic. Her aim is for anxious and neurodiverse kids to see themselves as heroes of their own stories. A portion of the royalties from her book will be donated to pediatric OCD research.
The author is a mom and clinician herself and based on clinical best practices has written a lovely rhyming book to help young children deal with boundaries and bullies in a way that is accessible for younger readers.Ideal for school, daycare, and clinical settings.As a parent of an empathic child, I found this book an easy way to introduce the concepts of self-worth and appropriate relationships.If you have a child that is experiencing bullying or needs to set boundaries at school, then this book is an excellent addition to your library.
“Being aware of our feelings is a building block for our emotional and social intelligence. In this charming and creative book, Christina Furnival offers children a way to sense and shape their emotions that emerge in the important friendships that shape who we are now, and who we will become later on in our lives.” ―Daniel J. Siegel, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Developing Mind, Parenting from the Inside Out, and The Whole Brain Child
How can I help my child deal with a bully? What do I teach them about handling an on-again-off-again, not-so-friendly friend? My…
Since losing his mom, thirteen-year-old Jack Wilson has spent most of his time seeing just how much trouble he can get away with so that he feels like a winner at something. But he takes his mischief too far and is faced with the possibility of unbearable consequences. He…
As a writer and best-selling poet who addresses themes of mental health, addiction, grief, and hope, I have a deep understanding of the struggles that many face and what they are looking for when they are trying to heal, feel less alone, or come to terms with something. They are looking for honest, authentic writing from people who have made it out alive, free of platitudes and chronic optimism. For over 10 years, I have used my own writing to create connections and open conversations around sensitive topics, so of course, I would recommend other writers who do the same.
This book made me reflect deeply on how my connection with my own parents has changed as I’ve gotten older. I highlighted so many lines, especially ones centered on the complicated evolution of a parent-child relationship and the pain, love, and resentment that can coexist in these relationships.
Brik might be one of my favorite modern poets at this point. I even recommended this book to my therapist.
"My Father's Eyes, My Mother's Rage" is the raw and emotionally charged debut poetry collection by Rose Brik. Rose delves into the intricate layers of the human experience with profound insight. Through her poetry she fearlessly navigates themes of the mother and father wound, childhood trauma, domestic violence, grief, mental health struggles, love, motherhood and ultimately, the process of healing. Her words possess the power to unearth buried emotions and memories, evoking a deep sense of empathy and reflection in her readers.
"I have my mother's rage, and my father's ability to walk away. this, I've learned, is a very…
I am a historian of international conflict who focuses on understanding the enemy. For most of my career, I have studied why we so often misread others, and how those misperceptions lead to war. The current crisis in Ukraine is just one more example of how the parties involved misunderstood each other. I believe that if we could improve this one ability, we would substantially lessen the likelihood, frequency, and severity of war.
Epley, a behavioral scientist, provides an often-humorous take on our daily efforts to read the minds of others. He offers trenchant, real-life examples (in addition to scientific studies) of how we go horribly wrong – and why we sometimes get it right. In one clever experiment, people tapped out the tune of a song on a wooden desk while they hummed it in their heads. The tappers were wildly overconfident that others could identify the song – because it sounded so clear to themselves. Mindwise is a wonderful reminder to get out of our own heads and figure out the limits of what others can perceive.
From leading psychologist Nicholas Epley, Mindwise reveals our real sixth sense - our ability to understand our own minds and the minds of others
Arguably our brain's greatest sense is the ability to understand the minds of others - our sixth sense. In Mindwise, renowned psychologist Nicholas Epley shows that this incredible capacity for inferring what others are thinking and feeling is, however sophisticated, still prone to critical errors. We often misread social situations, misjudge others' characters, or guess the wrong motives for their actions. Drawing on the latest in psychological research, Epley suggests that only by learning more about…
I have always been a peacemaker, so anger can be a really uncomfortable emotion for me. I think that’s true of lots of people! As a mom and mental health counselor, it was important to me to write a book that honored the protective nature of anger. Feelings give us important information. Putting this book together felt like a big puzzle to solve, and I’m so happy with how it turned out. Bright and engaging illustrations, relatable characters, and tips for grown-ups in the back to help us all say hello to our anger and whatever might be hiding underneath!
This powerful book normalizes the big, big feelings that, for many kids, might look like angry outbursts or meltdowns. The gentle rhyme and soft illustrations are great for elementary-age kiddos.The Boy with Big, Big Feelingsis especially important for highly sensitive children, helping them see their strengths in a new light.
Highly recommended by parents, teachers, and therapists for children navigating feelings and coping with an array of emotions.
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings is relatable for any child -- especially kids experiencing anxiety, extreme emotions, autism, or who have been diagnosed as a Highly Sensitive Person. Beautifully illustrated and written in rhyming verse, children and adults explore the whole spectrum of feelings and readers navigate the emotional challenges they face throughout the day.
The main character has feelings so big that they glow from his cheeks, spill out of his eyes, and jump up and down on his chest.…
A gay retelling of the classic fairy tale--a scrumptious love story featuring ungrateful stepsiblings, a bake-off, and a fairy godfather.
Cinderelliot is stuck at home taking care of his ungrateful stepsister and stepbrother. When Prince Samuel announces a kingdom-wide competition to join the royal staff as his baker, the stepsiblings…
I wholeheartedly believe that kindness is the single most powerful thing that we can teach our children. One of the best ways to instil kindness in children is by talking to them about it, and one of the most effective ways to start the conversation is through stories that highlight kindness. These stories don’t just get kids talking—they also help shape the values of the next generation.
This was gifted to us by my daughter's 1st-grade teacher. It has become a favorite in our household with my daughters. It’s such a heartwarming story about inclusivity and friendship, showing how important it is to be kind and welcoming to others.
We’ve read it over and over, and each time, they bring up a different question about it. It’s one of those stories that is not only fun to read but also teaches valuable life lessons about kindness and empathy.
Every child has a voice ― if we take the time to listen.
In this appealing, energetic picture book, two kids with different challenges and strengths find they are just what the other needs to navigate classroom life.
Tyson does everything fast ― so fast he often disrupts the class. His teacher is always saying, “Too fast, Tyson!” And often he ends up playing all alone.
Suze, the new girl, is nonverbal with special needs. Sometimes her classmates don’t know what those needs are.
But Tyson understands. Taking the time to interpret her cues, Tyson forms a special friendship with…
