Hi, and thanks for dropping by A DIFFERENT KIND OF READ. This website features books that are different from the normal read in that the main character(s) is UNIQUE, ETHNIC, or has a SPECIAL NEED.
The Blogs are posted into three different categories for your convenience:
FIRST TIME READERS for Infants to Eight,
MIDDLE GRADE READERS for Nine to Thirteen.
YOUNG ADULT for Fourteen to Nineteen
However, please feel free to choose any category you like. Below is a preview of the books I have featured so far. Also, Please subscribe to our newsletter if you would like updates of new books featured on this site:
Don’t Ever Look Behind Door 32 takes young readers on a journey through the magical Hotel of Hoo, a mysterious place with some very unusual occupants. As readers explore the strange hotel, they are invited to experience everything it has to offer with just one warning… don’t ever look behind door 32. For More Details Click Here
The Grumpface is a poetic fairy-tale that tells the story of Dan, an inventor who ventures into a forest looking for a rose. Instead he is finds the mysterious Grumpface who threatens to hold him captive unless he passes some difficult challenges. What follows is a humorous adventure that neither Dan nor the Grumpface could have anticipated. For More Details Click Here
Kids on Trump: America’s Children on President Trump explores the question “Who is President Donald Trump?” through a collection of children’s views on Trump along with exercises parents and kids can do together to get involved and create change in their communities. It is a unique publication that is not only an insightful look at how kids really feel about President Trump, but also a humorous read for adults (kids or no kids).For More Details Click Here
I Want to See My Papa – Little Bear struggles to understand what it means when he is told he would no longer be able to see his Papa. He questions those around him as he tries to bring meaning to why his Papa is gone. Through his memories and dreams, Little Bear goes on a journey to realize his Papa will always be with him. For More Details Click Here
The Moonling – A Moonling longing for the earth, and a ten-year-old Earthling, named Karl, wanting nothing more than to explore the moon and the stars… By a happy chance these two kindred beings find each other, as well as a sense of awe for life around them. But the more The Moonling sees of this green and blue planet the more homesick he gets. To him it is clear that the earth is far more beautiful from far away… For More Details Click Here
Dreamland with Mommy – Bedtime is here, it’s time for a game. Yousuf and his mom decide Adventures are waiting to be explored, as reality and dreamland Come join them on this journey to a land where dreams come true. From musical birds to a wacky pirate take our hand and join the crew. For More Details Click Here
The Caterpillar that Became Enlightened – Many children today believe that fame and fortune are the only pathways to happiness. This book shows that even if every desire is achieved in life, happiness can still be elusive. Many adults who know this important life lesson struggle to easily articulate the concept with their children. Sumi’s story of transformation into a joyful, awakened butterfly will resonate deeply within young children who strain to find meaning and fulfillment in a profit-driven, egocentric world. For More Details Click Here
Jay-Jay and His Island Adventure – Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus is not an ordinary bus taking you on a journey. He is a Playbus. Find out what happens when he is invited to an island where the children have never seen a double-decker bus – and certainly not one full of toys! For More Details Click Here
Across the Realm: Life Always Finds a Way is a story of the clash of two advanced civilizations. In the North, Humans live under a defined system of segregation and rely strongly on science, while in the South, the physically evolved humans live communally and are under the guidance of a deity they call “Mother.” For More Details Click Here
All Cats Go to Heaven is a touching children’s book that deals with difficult yet important topics, such as death, friendship, and accepting others for who they. The story is told through the eyes of Minka the cat, who has just become an angel and returns to earth to protect her friends. For More Details Click Here
Superbeetle – Hong goes to Taiwan with her dad to visit her grandmother. She finds two BIG problems. First, there is an enormous beetle in the bathtub. Second, her grandmother’s noodle shop is being forced to close. What can she do? For More Details Click Here
What at the End of Your Nose? – Sidney Snail is so sick of Slipperyville that he wants to go on an adventure–any adventure–anywhere but here! A timely word from mysterious Old Samuel Snail convinces Sidney to give Slipperyville one last chance before he snails out of town. For More Details Click Here
Donn’s Hill (Adult) – Mackenzie Clair is looking for a fresh start. She thinks she’ll find it in her favorite childhood vacation spot, but returning to Donn’s Hill awakens more than nostalgia. Mac regains a lost psychic ability to talk to the dead, and the poltergeist haunting her apartment is desperate to make her use that gift to find his killer. For More Details Click Here
Creatures of Dawnia is a fantasy adventure series focusing on a group of animals and other ‘fantasy’ creatures living in the fictional city of Dawnia, and contains many diverse short stories focusing on the different adventures of the main characters. The first book, Baby Rescue, is a longer story that sees the main characters come together for the first time. The characters get to know one another and become friends whilst in the middle of an adventure to save a baby piglet from an evil goblin and his polar bear henchmen. For More Details Click Here
Beauty – When Beauty, the liquid amber tree, pushes her head out of the warm earth, her mother is filled with pride when she sees her young sapling. As Beauty grows, she experiences the changing seasons, watches her leaves change colour, and loses her leaves to face the cold winter. For More Details Click Here
The Age of Myths & Legends – Book One: Monsters is drawn from the myths and legends of the first inhabitants of North America, the delightful tales, collected for this book series, not only offer insights into tribal character and beliefs, but they also celebrate the diverse tribal traditions of rich and powerful cultures that are still relevant today. For More Details Click Here
The Life of Nuzzels – Nuzzels the Nosey Skunk – This charming book follows a young skunk that loves adventure. Nuzzels goes against his mother’s wishes, as well as the advice of his siblings, when he leaves the safety of home to visit the forest. He meets several new animal friends. For More Details Click Here
Buzzy and Thomas Move Into The President’s House – It’s 1801 and life is good for Buzzy the dog. She lives with Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, but her life turns upside down when Thomas tells her that they’re moving to the President’s House. Buzzy doesn’t want to move. She’s afraid to leave the comfort of Monticello. What will she do? This enjoyable children’s book teaches kids about President Jefferson, the new breed of dog he brought home from France and confronting issues about moving. If your child loves books by Robert Dawson like “Ben and Me,” then he’ll love Buzzy! Historical fiction at its best: learning from the pets of famous people in history. For More Details Click Here
Bedtime for Buzzy – A young boy is playing with his toys and doesn’t want to go to bed at bedtime. One by one his toys come to life in his imagination and convince him that going to sleep is the best way to continue his adventures. For More Details Click Here
Dear Sun, Dear Moon – What do love letters between the sun and moon sound like? Dear Sun, Dear Moon expresses the beauty of the sun and the moon in nature through expressive letters describing the wonder all around us all. The sun and moon share what they love most about each other in this endearing book that encourages children to enjoy the beauty of nature that is often overlooked. As the sun and moon share what they love most about each other, they find a way to blend their beauty through the magic of an eclipse. For More Details Click Here
Little Karl is a curious child, always wanting to know everything about the world around him. As he walks through the city with his mother, he asks question after question about what he thinks is wrong with the world and offers his own solutions to make sure everyone has shelter, food, education, work, and comfort. For More Details Click Here
Luke the horse who wanted to be a Unicorn – Luke was a strong, stately, well-built horse who lived in a town with other horses. He enjoyed spending time with his horse-friends in the stable and with the little girls of the community. But there was one thing about Luke that made him feel ashamed and insecure among his friends. His body was covered in dark brown spots from top to toe. Luke figured that there was only one way through which he would feel more accepted among his friends – he had to look like a unicorn, beautifully white and magically majestic. For More Details Click Here
How Montezuma Got His Revenge – Montezuma’s revenge is more than just a legend; it’s legendary for its stinky curse. Centuries after King Montezuma was defeated by Hernán Cortés and his Spanish army, a strange illness befalls legions of people arriving to his land. But this illness isn’t anything ordinary. It leaves a putrid smell in the air and gassy people racing for el baño . It is a battle – a battle your butt won’t win! For More Details Click Here
Even Mummy Cries is a gentle book which explores issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing. It is reassuring in nature, explaining to children that they are not to blame for any sadness experienced by their parents. In addition, it encourages parents to openly express their sadness with their kids without feeling guilt or shame. For More Details Click Here
Let’s Go Buggees – We are so happy to have you with us on this marvelous adventure to explore the world.
Together we will go places, see new faces, learn a lot, and have tons of fun.
Hidden in our books are secret links. Find them, and with one click you will be up high, looking out at new horizons. For More Details Click Here
A Children’s Guide to Rabbits provides information about pet rabbits which is understandable for children, and in a way they can easily follow. The book gives them, a step-by-step guide on how to look after rabbits in their own backyards, from shelter to food to playtime, and everything in between. Later in the book readers are taken on an adventure with Radar and Jupiter. Where they will discover they are smart, adorable and full of fun! For More Details Click Here
Loretta’s Pet Caterpillar – Loretta finds a caterpillar egg on a milkweed plant. She breaks off the leaf and brings it home. Mom won’t let Loretta keep it in the house, so she tapes the leaf back on the plant, and watches over the egg. It hatches. It eats the leaf, and more leaves. As the caterpillar grows and molts, Loretta shoos away a bird that wants to eat it. For More Details Click Here
Wonderworld: The Musical is a Tim Burton style fairytale about Max, a lonely and confused boy who struggles with distinguishing reality from fiction. An outcast, he is picked on in school and his only solace is found in his art (his “Wonderworld”). At his lowest moments, his creations come to life to sing to him. Can his art save him?
In the Land Without Color – Lost in a strange land where everything is gray, Alvin must find the true color thieves to save the princesses and restore the color to the kingdom.
In the Land of Broken Time: The Incredible Journey – This book is about the adventures of the boy named Christopher, the girl named Sophia and golden retriever Duke. By chance they find themselves in a balloon, that took them into a fairyland, where mysterious events happen. For More Details Click Here
Snapshots at the Fontaine Motel – With a wink and a nod to such movie greats as Thelma & Louise and The Breakfast Club, Snapshots at the Fontaine Motel is about six eighteen-year-old friends in 1996 who seek immediate revenge after one of them is brutally attacked.
Jay-Jay: The Supersonic Bus – Jay-Jay the bus was rescued from the scrap yard where he was sadly gathering dust and cobwebs. He is taken to an airport where he is magically transformed into a ‘Playbus’ full of toys, games and adventure.
Intrinsic Encounters – It’s midsummer. David Elbert’s final semester at the university comes to an end. For this fresh Engineer, the daunting task of saving a company from imminent disaster soon pales in comparison to the multimillion-dollar stash of drugs and money found in a luxurious property he comes to own. His nerves start to singe. Criminals come out of the wood work. Escalation is imminent. When police and drug enforcement agents pop onto the scene, all hell quickly breaks loose. At this point, pure survival instinct takes over.
Maria’s Beads – Verónica pushes through the other seventh grade kids in our breezeway, speaking over the noise, “María! What’s wrong with Hannah?” What does she want? Like she suddenly cares about Hannah, cares that the nurse sent her home, cares that her eyes were glassy, her face swollen and her whole body sagging. I begged Hannah to stay home, but she wouldn’t listen.
Oki and Harlo – Oki, a little orphaned goat meets Harlo, a shooting star, who falls to earth and ends up in the field where Oki is asleep. They become instant best friends and together they go on a quest to find Oki’s momma.
Summary: A plucky girl encounters an enormous tree, discovers it includes all fruits, and decides, much to the chagrin of its current animal and insect inhabitants (no epiphytes, sorry!), to climb to the top to retrieve a prized tropical fruit, the mangosteen. On the way she makes a mess, though, and well to continue would be to spoil the reader’s adventure.
The Adventures of HyperKid v BullBorg is about a fourth grader named Morgan Wallace who is hyperactive and sometimes has difficulty focusing on the tasks of everyday life. He is self-conscious about being different, but he soon finds out what it is like to really be different after the rays of a meteor transform him into a cyborg with super powers. After the family doctor is unable to transform him back into a regular nine year old, Morgan convinces his parents to let him keep his powers to help people as the super hero “HyperKid”.
A children’s book about two different mental illnesses, depression and mania, Peter and Lisa makes it easier for children to understand these mental conditions. It is a story about two people affected with such illness and how they got better and recovered through the proper medication and necessary support by family and friends. Charles and Linda Baron Katz’s Peter and Lisa: A Mental Illness Children’s Story manifests the true essence of love and support to aid us overcome every storm that may pass. For More Details Click Here
Scared of the Dark is a rhyming picture book for children.
Shadows dance on your wall
Curtains flap in the breeze
Floorboards squeak in the hall
The wind whips through the trees
For More Details Click Here
Do you wish you could get better grades? Do you struggle with certain subjects and believe that maybe you’re not cut out for them? Do you want to spend less time studying and still get good grades? Anyone Can Get An A+: How to Beat Procrastination, Reduce Stress and Improve Your Grades is a conversational, down-to-earth guide for high school and college students on how to maximize their learning and get the grades they want. For more details click here
Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother is a heartwarming story about the power of a mother’s love; truly an ode to women and mothers all over the world. It is a captivating and emotional story that talks about love and loss!
Follow Yetunde as she narrates her mother’s ode to her grandmother. For more details click here
Monkfish Maggie and the Bungalow Stairs is an illustrated adventure story for all ages. CatchphraseDan collaborated with the tremendous Norwegian painter Berg Norcross for this story, who has packed the book full to the brim with over 50 illustrations, and they look fancier than a chicken in a raincoat. An honest review will help to spread the word about the book, and get more people reading instead of shoplifting tubs of delicious strawberry ice-cream! For more details click here
Vacancy is a short-story for adults. This is the first time I will be featuring a story for adults on this website. Since it has profanity in it, I recommend this for 15 plus.
From the moment Holly steps in front of the mirror to check her
disguise, you’re hooked. The way she gets herself into the vacant room bodes on espionage. But when she looks under the bed…
Vacancy is full of nail biting suspense and cunning action. And, that twist in the middle– brilliant. The most UNIQUE, thing about Vacancy is that crazy, no unexpected, no wicked. Yeah that’s the word wicked switch that comes when she meets up with Stan, giving you that, “Ewww! I didn’t see that comin!” moment. The other unique thing about Vacancy is that you can read it in its entirety here
DASH’S BUSY DAY Learn basic direction concepts and counting as Dash the dragonfly flies left, then right, and all around the pond seeing several other pond inhabitants along the way. Simple, brightly colored, engaging character checking out the environment in which it lives, counting as it goes. For More Details Click Here
THE STRUGGLE: Mom and the Summertime Blues
5-4-3-2-1 Ringgggggggg
The school bell rings and school’s out. It’s time for summer! You rush out into the hall, say goodbye to your friends and run to the school bus. You just can’t wait for summer to begin. But for these four girls, it’s the complete opposite…
Meet four sisters: Diamond, Sheila, Crystal, and Felicity. For More Details Click Here
MAX HAMBY AND THE ONYX EYES BOOK 3 This is the third book in the children’s fantasy series featuring Max Hamby. The battle at Dunmere is over, the first two stones have been found, and Milo is safe. But, Milo’s mom and grandma are now trapped with Max’s parents in the Shadowlands. They will fade away and cease to exist unless the other stones can be found. Max, along with friends and family, prepare to journey to find the next stone, but his plans are thwarted. In a bold move, Isolde sends the Trith to Merrihaven with a message and two strange children are chased from the Downs by an enormous ogre. Birdie and Basil Salisbury have awakened from a two-hundred-year sleep with a dark secret. One is good and the other is evil. Both are set to become pawns to gain the stones. It is up to Max to find out who Birdie and Basil are and what they want. For More Details Click Here
THE NEVERNIGHT WARS BOOK ONE: TOBY’S GIFT The weirdest, most horrible week in Toby Stevens’ life starts when he hears a voice no one else can hear. The voice tells him that he has been Chosen to fight in a thousand-year-long war. It says that he’ll be given a Gift, a superpower to help him save the world. Terrified, Toby tries to ignore the voice, to pretend that everything is normal. But his friends keep catching him talking to himself. And the voice keeps saying stranger and stranger things. It tells him that he has to go to the middle of the Nevernight Forest, the giant woods that surround Toby’s town. In the Nevernight, the voice almost screams, all of your questions will be answered. For More Details Click Here