Changing Children's Behavior, by Changing the People, Places and Activities in Their Lives. Richard Munger, $18.95

Author Richard Munger makes the case that the environments in which a child lives, plays, and studies are even more important than personality in shaping that child's behavior. So, he says, making changes in the people, places, and activities in a child's life can have profound effects on his or her behavior. These settings and the presence of interesting, challenging activities and adult mentors in them can make a big difference in helping children develop into motivated, compassionate, and competent adults.

8 Keys to Raising the Quirky Child: How to Help a Kid Who Doesn't Quite Fit In. Mark Bowers, $22.95

A quirky child experiences difficulty fitting in and connecting with others usually due to an interpersonal style or behavior that stands out from the other kids. Maybe they are obsessed with a topic of interest or spend excessive hours a day reading, playing video games, or playing with just one toy. These kids are not so far afield as to fall on the autism spectrum, but they are unique, and their behaviors are not addressed in typical parenting books.

This book defines quirky markers and offers strategies for parents to understand their children’s brains and behaviors; to know what is developmentally appropriate, and what isn’t; to understand how to reach their kids; and to help facilitate their social functioning in the world. It will calm the hearts and minds of parents who worry that their child doesn’t fit in and offer hope to parents who need strategies to support their quirky child’s overall development.

Getting from Me to We: How to Help Young Children Fit In and Make Friends. Shonna Tuck, $35.95

Many children age seven and under struggle with social skills and often find themselves perpetually on the sidelines, in time-out, or ignored by their peers in school and on the playground. It's incredibly painful and worrisome for their parents to witness, but fortunately, they are not powerless to help their kids improve their social IQ. Getting from Me to We helps parents understand the roots of these problems, which take hold at a very young age, and give their kids the foundational skills necessary to form connections and friendships with other children. The book explains how parents can teach their children social observing skills at an early stage in their development and identify:

• Where their child is on the social skills ladder
• How to set goals to fill in those gaps
• How and when to support their child during play
• How to identify play behaviors that hinder or help
• How to model good social skills and cues

Written by a speech-language pathologist and researcher with expertise in socially at risk kids, the book includes profiles of children who illustrate a wide variety of characteristics and behaviors that lead to social isolation, along with effective, well-designed activities that encourage joint attention, eye contact, and social interaction. Getting from Me to We is useful for children who have social skill delays without a formal diagnosis, as well as children with autism, ADHD, anxiety, or language delays. 

The Hidden Gifts Of the Introverted Child: Helping Your Child Thrive in an Extroverted World. Marti Olsen Laney, $18.95

Introverted children are often creative problem solvers, avid learners, have a high EQ (emotional IQ), are in touch with their feelings and they enjoy their own company. They are dependable, persistent and flexible. How can parents help their introverted children discover and cultivate these wonderful gifts?

The Hidden Gifts shows parents how to foster a climate that allows introverted kids to discover their inner strengths; to create a harmonious household with siblings and parents of different temperaments and how to help ‘innies’ find success at school, sports, parties, and other group activities.

Last One Picked ... First One Picked On: Learning Disabilities and Social Skills DVD. Richard Lavoie, $52.95

Playing with friends is a daily ritual for most children. But kids with learning disabilities are often isolated and rejected. Rick Lavoie addresses the social problems these children face, and offers some practical solutions for parents.

Let's Be Friends: a Workbook to Help Kids Learn Social Skills & Make Great Friends. Lawrence Shapiro & Julia Holmes, $21.95

Building positive friendships is a critical part of a child's development. When adults look back on their childhoods, they rate their friendships as one of the most important factors in their happiness. But researchers report that half of children have difficulty making and keeping friends. These problems predispose them to lifelong relationship challenges. What's more, parents report that they rarely know what to do to help their children make friends. Social problems in childhood may lead to more serious problems in adolescence and adulthood, so it's wise to help children with these skills now.

The activities in this book offer you effective tools for helping a child become a better friend-maker. The activities in Let's Be Friends teach kids a wide variety of social skills including the making and keeping of new friends, finding friends with common interests, ways of coping with rejection, and tips for developing give and take in relationships. With practice, the skills in this book can help youngsters locate support during transitions, build self-esteem, and develop into healthy, resilient adults.

Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me: the Top 25 Friendship Problems and How to Solve Them. Michele Borba, $19.99

Nobody Likes Me shows how to teach your child the 25 most essential friendship-building skills kids need to find, make, and keep friends, as well as survive that social pressure from peers. This is a "hands-on" guide for parents and teachers of kids aged 4 to 15.

Overcoming Your Child's Shyness & Social Anxiety: a Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques. Lucy Willetts & Cathy Creswell, $21.00

Many children are naturally shy but extreme shyness and social anxiety can become a major childhood problem, leading to avoidance of school, difficulty in making friends and even developing into social anxiety in adulthood. In Overcoming Your Child's Shyness and Social Anxiety, child psychologists Lucy Willetts and Cathy Creswell explain how parents can help a shy child learn to challenge their thoughts and behaviour patterns and learn to participate confidently in every aspect of their lives.

Based on clinically proven cognitive behavioural principles, the book explains what causes shyness, how to identify social anxiety in your child (sometimes masked by anger or stubbornness) and how to gradually help your child face their anxieties and develop problem-solving strategies. This book is a must for parents, teachers and anyone working with children.

Photo Social Stories: 35 Cards That Teach Kids Social Skills for Everyday Situations. Lawrence Shapiro, $29.95 (ages 5-12)

Photo Social Stories about Kids in School: 35 Cards That Teach Kids Social Skills for Everyday Situations. Mike Canavan & Lawrence Shapiro, $31.50 (ages 5-12)

Photo Social Stories about Kids in the Community: 35 Cards That Teach Kids Social Skills for Everyday Situations. Mike Canavan & Lawrence Shapiro, $29.95 (ages 5-12)

Photo Social Stories about Kids and Their Families: 35 Cards That Teach Kids Social Skills for Everyday Situations. Mike Canavan & Lawrence Shapiro, $29.95 (ages 5-12)

Simple stories, illustrated with photographs, teach children how they are expected to behave in typical social situations. Each story is followed with highlights and interactive questions.

The Skill-ionaire in Every Child: Boosting Children's Socio-Emotional Skills Using the Latest in Brain Research. Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, $22.95

Many young people today struggle with social and emotional issues such as low self-esteem, fears, anger, bullying, body image, and depression. The standard approach used in families, schools, and counseling centers, is to focus on what is “going wrong” and solve kids’ problems. Yet, a wide body of recent brain research shows that socio-emotional skills are best cultivated and secured by experiences that evoke positive emotions. In this inspiring book, psychologist Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin teaches adults how to engage young people in “skill-boosting conversations” (SBC), a cutting-edge method to help them identify and further enrich the unique problem-solving strategies that have already been working best for them.

With its clear and practical approach, and roots deep in neuroscience, The Skill-ionaire in Every Child offers parents, educators, and counselors a proven set of ideas for helping all our kids move forward through life with confidence, competence, and compassion.

Social Skills for the Tough Kid®: Tips and Tools for Parents. Susan Sheridan, $17.95 (ages 7-13)

Many children have a tough time in social situations. Some are shy and withdrawn. Others may use their fists to settle arguments with their classmates. Kids who don't know how to interact appropriately have trouble expressing feelings, making friends, and resolving disagreements. But there is a solution-teach the social skills your child needs to make and keep friends. SOCIAL SKILLS FOR THE TOUGH KID includes handy cut-out cards to guide parents through coaching each of 12 important skills.

Social Skills Training and Frustration Management: DVD. Jed Baker, $121.95 DVD format, 4.5 hours

This comprehensive, dynamic presentation is extremely valuable to all family members and professionals working with individuals with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities, mood and anxiety disorders, and other issues that impact social-emotional functioning. The DVD workshop will help parents and professionals learn how to:

• Build an individual’s social skills in crucial areas such as conversation, conflict resolution, emotion management, employment, dating, etc.
• Develop an effective behavior plan
• Manage and prevent meltdowns
• Help create peer acceptance
• Assess social skills of individuals or groups

SOCIALSKLZ:- ) for Success: How to Give Children the Skills They Need to Thrive in the Modern World. Faye de Muyshondt, $18.50

With the world of technology advancing and face-to-face communication becoming less common, it is no wonder the many “manner” and “etiquette” books fall short of reaching young people who are fully enveloped in a digital age. Faye de Muyshondt’s SOCIALSKLZ:-) FOR SUCCESS is not only relevant, touching on topics of email, social networking, cyberbullying, and smartphones, but also breathes life into the basics: how to speak, shake hands, make conversation, and behave in all social settings. Although they are not typically taught in school, research has shown that teaching these skills increases academic scores. The book takes de Muyshondt’s highly successful workshop and brings it to the homes of millions in this fun and interactive guidebook designed to direct parents in teaching kids the skills necessary for success without being perceived as a "nag."

Starting Kids Off Right: How to Raise Confident Children Who Can Make Friends and Build Healthy Relationships. Stephen Nowicki, Marshall Duke & Amy Van Buren, $19.95

Starting Kids Off Right is an easy-to-use guide that clearly demonstrates techniques for assessing a child’s strengths and weaknesses in developing relationships. Written in easy-to-understand, jargon-free language, the authors look at the expectations and opportunities—as well as special challenges—of building, deepening, and keeping relationships at every stage of child development.

Your Successful Preschooler. Ann Densmore & Margaret Bauman, $19.95

Ten skills children need to become confident and socially engaged.