Why am I passionate about this?

I wrote my first picture book, My Secret Bully, to help kids who have experienced bullying and friendship issues. Over the years, I’ve written numerous award-winning children’s books, including The Invisible Boy, a School Library Journal Best Picture Books Selection and a recommended back-to-school book by USA Today and Scholastic Instructor. I’ve also had the honor of collaborating with leading experts and organizations including Sesame Workshop, International Bullying Prevention Association, Committee for Children, and ConnectSafely.org. My books and presentations focus on promoting social-emotional learning, empathy, kindness, and inclusion in the classroom and beyond.


I wrote

Book cover of The Invisible Boy

What is my book about?

Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game,…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness

Trudy Ludwig Why did I love this book?

What I love about this wordless story is how the illustrator team Kerascoët powerfully shows how bystanders of bullying incidents can become upstanders. It all starts with one little girl who, after seeing Vanessa get bullied by a boy, feels bad and wants to help her. That one upstander’s actions end up inspiring an entire community to support Vanessa. 

By Kerascoët,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked I Walk with Vanessa as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This simple yet powerful picture book--from a New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife team--tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. The perfect back-to-school read for every kid, family and classroom!

Don't miss the companion book, I Forgive Alex, about the importance of compassion and forgiveness.

Inspired by real events, I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. By choosing only pictures…


Book cover of One

Trudy Ludwig Why did I love this book?

One, by author-illustrator Kathryn Otoshi, is one of my favorite bullying prevention picture books. Why? The story brilliantly shows young readers through color characters and numbers how each of us “counts” when it comes to being an upstander in bullying situations. This is a popular book used by teachers in elementary classrooms.

By Kathryn Otoshi,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Blue is a quiet color. Red's a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don't like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand - until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about accepting each other's differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count.


Book cover of Hey Little Ant

Trudy Ludwig Why did I love this book?

When a boy tells a little ant that he intends to squish him, the ant offers great reasons why he shouldn’t be squished. The story ends with a cliffhanger: Will the boy squish the ant? Will he let the ant go free? The authors brilliantly leave the ending up to the reader. Hey, Little Ant is a wonderful story that promotes perspective-taking, empathy, and acceptance in young readers.

By Phillip Hoose, Hannah Hoose, Debbie Tilley (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hey Little Ant as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The perfect tool to help inspire compassion in our world’s youth.”
—Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist

The 20th anniversary edition of the hilarious picture book that poses the classic conundrum: To squish or not to squish? With a meaningful message about the importance of caring for creatures big and small, this is a perfect gift for Earth Day.

What would you do if the ant you were about to step on looked up and started talking? Would you stop and listen?

That’s what happens in this funny, thought-provoking book. Originally a song by a father-daughter team, this suprising conversation between a…


Book cover of Be Kind

Trudy Ludwig Why did I love this book?

There’s a reason why this little jewel became a NYT bestseller: Be Kind is such a thoughtful story that models for young readers what it means to be kind. It shows various scenarios, including standing up for someone who is being bullied. The reader’s takeaway is that our words and acts of kindness have the potential to spread far and wide in positive ways.

By Pat Zietlow Miller, Jen Hill (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Be Kind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate contemplates how to make her feel better and what it means to be kind. From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving and thoughtful story explores what a child can do to be kind, and how each act, big or small, can make a difference - or at least help a friend. With awardwinning author Pat Zietlow Miller's gentle text and Jen Hill's irresistible art, Be Kind is an unforgettable story about how two simple words can change the world.


Book cover of Each Kindness

Trudy Ludwig Why did I love this book?

Each Kindness, for me, is a modern take of the Eleanor Estes classic children’s story, The Hundred Dresses. In Each Kindness, a new girl comes to school, and no one--especially the protagonist Chloe--makes any effort to befriend her. Instead, Chloe and her friends actively snub her. Chloe learns an important lesson about “…each kindness--done and not done.” This story can generate thoughtful conversations in the classroom and at home.

By Jacqueline Woodson, E.B. Lewis (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Each Kindness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF A CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR AND THE JANE ADDAMS PEACE AWARD!

Each kindness makes the world a little better

This unforgettable book is written and illustrated by the award-winning team that created The Other Side and the Caldecott Honor winner Coming On Home Soon. With its powerful anti-bullying message and striking art, it will resonate with readers long after they've put it down.

Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe's teacher gives a…


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of The Invisible Boy

What is my book about?

Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party…until, that is, a new kid comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.

The Invisible Boy shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses intentional and unintentional exclusion will find this gentle story a valuable and important resource.

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What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

By Sharman Apt Russell,

Book cover of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

Sharman Apt Russell Author Of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Explorer Runner Mother

Sharman's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife—mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice—near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marks left by browsing deer, predatory weasels, and inquisitive bears, skunks, and raccoons. Master tracker Kim A Cabrera provides photos and illustrations.

Winner of the prestigious John Burroughs Medal, Russell also writes about community, a sense of place, and a renewed connection with the nonhuman world. She explores the health of…

What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

By Sharman Apt Russell,

What is this book about?

Did a red fox pass this way? Could that be a bobcat print there in the dirt? Do those tracks belong to a domestic dog or a coyote? Combining lyrical memoir with an introduction to wildlife tracking, What Walks This Way explores the joys of learning to recognize the traces of the creatures with whom we share our world.

The nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife-mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice-near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. With wit and compassion, she guides readers through…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in kindness, bullying, and bully romance?

Kindness 31 books
Bullying 84 books
Bully Romance 19 books