Bibliography of Books for Families with Gifted Children

Adderholdt-Elliott, Miriam (1986). Perfectionism: Whats Bad About Being Too Good

Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co. 

Written for teenagers and adults who have crossed the fine line between healthy ambition and destructive perfectionism.  Topics such as procrastination, under-achievement, family and peer relationships, etc. are discussed, along with trouble signs and tips on how to take control of your life.  

Barrett, Susan (1985). Its All in Your Head: A Guide to Understanding Your Brain

and Boosting Your Brain Power. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

A manual for children to help them explore the possibilities and capabilities of their brain, how they learn and remember, and a discussion of logic and creativity.

Berger, Sandra L. (1998). College Planning for Gifted Students, Second Edition,

      Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children. 

                  Designed to help understand the unique needs of gifted adolescents as

                  they plan for college, choose a school, and understand the application

                  process, with an appendix of college guides, contests, and competitions.

Clark, Barbara (1997). Growing Up Gifted, 5^th Edition. Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/

      Prentice Hall.

                  This comprehensive resource book is one of the most often used texts for

                  training teachers of gifted students.  It is filled with research and practical suggestions for the classroom and home.

Colangelo, Nicholas and Davis, Gary A. (2003). Handbook of Gifted Education,3rd Edition, Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

                  Scholarly without being pedantic, this book has 31 chapters by eminent authors and represents the latest thinking on topics such as intelligence, ability grouping, counseling, and handicapped gifted.

Delisle, James (1987). Gifted Children Speak Out. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit

      Publishing Co.

                  This sometimes funny and poignant book resulted from questionnaire

                  responses of over 6000 gifted children.  Sections on such topics as getting along with friends, school and defining giftedness are accompanied by stimulating discussion guides and group activities.

Delisle, James (1987). Gifted Kids Speak Out-Hundreds of Kids Ages 6-13 Talk About School, Friends, Their Families, and the Future. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

                  A candid inside look at how gifted kids think and feel about themselves

                  based on a survey of 6000 kids from 37 states.

Delisle, James (1991). Kidstories-Biographies of 20 Young People Youd Like to Know.

 Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

Real stories about real kids with pets, parents, problems, and plans for the future.  Written to help upper-elementary and middle school students explore their thoughts and feelings.

Delisle, James and Galbraith, Judy (1987). The Gifted Kids Survival Guide II-A Sequel to the Original Gifted Kids Survival Guide (For ages 11-18).  Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

                  An extended look at growing up gifted, the truth about IQ and

                  achievement test scores, how to take charge of your education and your

                  life, ways to make and keep friends, ways to deal with depression and

                  loneliness.

Delisle, James and Galbraith, Judy (2002). When Gifted Kids Dont Have All the Answers: How to Meet Their Social and Emotional Needs. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

This books shares what experts say, including gifted kids themselves, about giftedness, and to give strategies, activities, and ideas to use in supporting the social and emotional needs of gifted students.

Feldman, David (1981). Natures Gambit: Child Prodigies and the Development of Human Potential. New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc.

Through case histories of six prodigies in writing, music, and mathematics, the realm of exceptionally gifted persons is explored.

Galbraith, Judy (1999). The Gifted Kids Survival Guide (For Ages 10 and Under).

      Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

Written for use by younger gifted children to help them understand the six gripes of gifted kids, smart ways to make and keep good friends, how to prevent the perfection infection, and how to get what you want from life by setting goals. 

Galbraith, Judy (1983). The Gifted Kids Survival Guide (For Ages 11-18). Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

A guide for and about gifted students providing positive ways to make school more challenging; tips for coping with stress, practical advice on     goal setting, and a chance for students to discover who they are and what giftedness means.

Goertzel, Mildred and Victor (1962). Cradles of Eminence-A Provocative Study of Childhoods of over 400 Famous Twentieth Century Men and Women. New York,    

      NY: Little, Brown, and Co.

                  A revealing, intriguing book on the parentage, education, and early                        environments of hundreds of eminent people providing insights on the                       development of creativity.

Halstead, Judith W. (1994). Some of My Best Friends are Books. Scottsdale, AZ: Gifted Psychology Press.

A guidebook including an expanded Index of Categories which make it easy to select appropriate books which are of interest to a particular child. 

Hearne, Betsy (2000). Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.

This guidebook to childrens books offers articulate discussions of books and the issues surrounding them.

Hipp, Earl (1985).  Fighting Invisible Tigers. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

A straightforward life-management guide to every young person who has ever felt frustrated, overwhelmed, depressed about life and wants to do something about it.  

Johnson, Nancy (1989). The Faces of Gifted. Dayton, OH: Pieces of Learning.

A collection of articles addressing who the gifted are, traits of gifted children with particular discussion of gifted preschoolers, gifted at risk for experiencing problems, parent advocacy, home schooling, left/right brain and creativity.

Kalb, Jonah and Viscott, David (1976) What Every Kid Should Know. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Discusses the problems of growing up and gives suggestions on coping with various emotions, understanding oneself, getting along with others,      and dealing with parents. 

Kerr, Barbara (1997). Smart Girls: A New Psychology of Girls, Women and Giftedness. Scottsdale, AZ: Gifted Psychology Press.

Bright girls have different needs because they face unique challenges and often show different patterns.  This book provides guidance for    parents and teachers.  Brief biographies of eminent women are inspiring and insight-producing.

     Krueger, Mark (1978). On Being Gifted. New York, NY: Walker and Co. 

Revealing insights of the frustrations, accomplishments, and failures of young people as they discuss school and peer pressures, school programs, people who helped, career options, and their inner feelings.

Lewis, Barbara (1992). Kids with Courage- True Stories about Young People Making a Difference. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

                  True stories about positive young role models with the courage of

                  conviction to fight crime, take social action, help the environment.

Lewis, Barbara (2000). Being Your Best: Character Building for Kids 7-10. Minneapolis, MN: Free

      Spirit Publishing Co.

This book can help children discover their own good qualities and make them stronger.  A marvelous resource for character development.

National Association for Gifted Children (2002). The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know? Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, Inc.

This book offers an examination of peer pressure, social acceptance, resilience, delinquency, and underachievement.  It is essential reading for those who wish to enable gifted students to develop their strengths.

Rimm, Sylvia (1995). Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades and What You Can do About It. New York, NY: Crown Trade Paperbacks.

An array of suggestions for parents of underachieving children.  Effective for both average and gifted students, from preschool to college. The book offers a practical, six-step program that really works.

Rimm, Sylvia (1986). Underachievement Syndrome: Causes and Cures. Watertown, WI: Free Spirit Publishing Co. 

Family patterns which promote underachievement are described along with strategies for curing various types of dominant and dependent conforming and nonconforming underachievers.

Schmitz, Connie and Galbraith, Judy (1985). Managing the Social and EmotionalNeeds of Gifted Children:  A Teacher Survival Guide. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Co.

A companion to the Gifted Kids Survival Guide, it contains dozens of concrete strategies for teachers of gifted education.  Contents include resolving conflicts at school and at home, managing stress and handling          feelings of differences.

Sockwell, Dick (1993). Beyond Grades. Iowa City, IA: Rudi Publishing.

                  A parents handbook for developing the real skills for school success.

Walker, Sally Y. (1991). The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit

     Publishing Co.

A good introductory book for parents which provides perspective on how gifted children view themselves and the world, some typical problems that may occur (along with some advice on how to handle them) and an overview of educational options, with tips on how to advocate for your childs education.

Webb, James, Meckstroth, Elizabeth and Tolan, Stephanie S. (1982). Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers. Scottsdale, AZ: Gifted Psychology Press.

This award-winning book provides time-proven guidance about such frequent concerns as motivation, discipline, peer relations, sibling relations, communication of feelings, stress management and depression.