5 Creative Ways to Bring Surprise and Fun to Your Lessons with A Different Book

Looking to add a little more fun—and surprise—to your lessons?

A Different Book invites children to participate, follow unexpected directions, and rethink what a book can be. Its interactive format also makes it a versatile hook for lessons across subject areas.

Here are five of my favorite ways to use it:

1️⃣ Character education

With its central message, “It’s fun to be different,” the book opens the door to conversations about kindness, respect, and appreciating what makes each person unique.

2️⃣ Self-esteem

The message grew from my own experience of learning to value what made me different. I want children to begin developing that acceptance much earlier—to recognize that who they are is worth celebrating.

3️⃣ Math: Order of operations

Readers are used to moving through books from left to right, just as students may initially try to solve expressions from left to right. But this book asks readers to flip it, turn it, and even close it. Following each direction in the correct order is the only way to reach the message—just like following the order of operations!

4️⃣ Art

Art often involves learning the rules and then breaking them to create something new. I didn’t have the illustration skills to make a traditional children’s book, so I turned that limitation into a new possibility: a book without pictures that challenges expectations.

5️⃣ Creative problem-solving

Being different can also mean thinking differently. The book is a natural introduction to divergent and flexible thinking. Try asking:

✨ What else could this be?

✨ What other approach could you try?

✨ What new possibilities do you see?

I’ve shared A Different Book with children from Pre-K through sixth grade, including during a Week of Respect program. Its message and format can also spark meaningful conversations with older students about art, creativity, problem-solving, identity, and inclusion.

Want to bring these conversations into your classroom? Download the free Educator Guide on my website—or contact me about an author visit.

What lesson would you pair with A Different Book?

Buy A Different Book.