Lindsay N. Giroux, Author & Trainer

To-Read Tuesday: A Little Spot of Anxiety by Diane Alber. From her whole series of A Little Spot books, this book looks at anxiety. My favorite part about it was the concrete strategies that incorporate the senses and affirmations. It talks about some common worries, like trying new things or failing a test, in a supportive way. The fact that the emotions are cute little spots is helpful too.

Did I take the same picture I always take of my kid for the beginning of the school year? I sure did! EdD program for Leadership for Educational Equity in Early Childhood Education starts today! 🎉 🏫 ✏️ 📚

To-Read Tuesday: Pride is Love by Dano Moreno, illustrated by Nakul P. This is a delightful board book, wiht messages about kindness, helpfulness, and acceptance. One the left side of the spreads are things like, "Pride is helping," and the right side has an affirmation of "Your kindness is a gift." Illustrations show a child and their family getting ready for a pride parade. It's a simple, vibrant read for littles.

This week I had a great time presenting at the International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute. One activity I tried out for the first time was Mystery Date with an SEL Book. We used the books to think through how to teach some new skills in the classroom, and somehow almost every single participant had a book they hadn’t read before! 📚

I’ve been a library kid forever, and now here I am as a library adult, sending my six picture books to the library in my small hometown. 📚🥰
Next up on my library bucket list:
🪣 Meeting at the 2026 International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute 🤩
🪣Seeing We Find Feelings Clues in a library in person (hoping to see them on our trip to Toronto) 👀
🪣Seeing my books in my home library (they stock board books, so I’m hopeful that the Feelings Head to Toe books will make it to the shelves) 🤞🏻

I had the joy of consulting with the librarian who was proposing this awesome idea, and I’m so excited to see it out in the world. SEL Kits including great books and recommended reading lists, National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations resources, and information to guide families to Project Enlightenment’s resources too. 🎉📚

May is and Wake County Public Libraries is rolling out a robust lineup of programs and launching a resource to help young children build essential emotional skills.

Created for kids in pre-K through second grade, Social Emotional Learning Kits are designed to help children develop essential life skills including self-awareness, self-management, empathy and responsible decision-making.

Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4mVHbwZ

To-Read Tuesday: Big Kids No Everything by Wednesday Kirwan.
I happened upon this board book at my local library and appreciated it so much. Rather than portraying children saying "no" as defiance or opposition, it very simply explains that "no" is about growing an opinion and voice as you grow up. It's playful (there's a "no" coming from a naked child running from the bath) and realistic (a hangry "no" on the grocery store floor) and illustrated delightfully.

I am excited to announce that I am presenting at the 2026 International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute- twice!

The Inclusion Institute is a premier educational experience for those working to improve outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families, close to me here in North Carolina.

I will be presenting with my colleague, Leiha, in both the preconference and the regular conference:
Getting Unstuck: Pyramid Model Strategies for When Behavior Challenges Adults on Tuesday, May 19th (9am-12pm)
&
Better Together: Partnering with Child Care Provides for Inclusive Experiences on Wednesday, May 20th (2-3pm).

You can find more information about the Inclusion Institute at

International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute – Improving outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families LnRiLWNvdW50ZG93bntkaXNwbGF5OmZsZXg7anVzdGlmeS1jb250ZW50OmNlbnRlcjthbGlnbi1pdGVtczpiYXNlbGluZX1AbWVkaWEgKG1heC13aWR0aDogNzY3cHgpey50Yi1jb3VudGRvd257ZmxleC13cmFwOndyYXB9fS50Yi1jb3VudGRvd25fX2RheXMsLnRiLWNvdW50ZG93bl9faG91cnMsLnRiLWNvdW50ZG93bl9fbWludXRlcywudGItY291bnRkb3duX19zZWNvbmRzLC50Yi1jb3VudGRv...

Come hang with me next week at in Apex! I'm excited to be chatting and answering questions about building children's emotional intelligence. Plus, there are fun activities for kids while the grown ups hang. Check out the comments for the RSVP link!