The Big Aquarium Adventure

The Big Aquarium Adventure is the first in the hi-lo series from Alex and Jordan Explores! Its developmental format is real, relatable, and relevant!
Do you know a reader struggling with comprehension?
Do they have a learning disability?
Are they neurodivergent?
This book can help them!Reading comprehension skills and routines are embedded!
Kids learn to pause and think about what they are reading.
Sensory friendly colors, fonts, and themes are comfortable.
Stephen, a fourth grader, visits the Big Aquarium to look at wild sea animals. He wasn't expecting to see frogs since they live on land. Then, someone asks Stephen to touch another sea animal that he doesn't know, and his body feels so scared that his hands are shaking. What will Stephen do next?
Find out, as his fifth-graders Alex and Jordan explore and write about Stephen's big adventure! They interview, research, and create a story. Then they finish up with a letter to the reader inviting them to check out the resources in the back of the book including story mountains, questions, and a how-to interview activity.
Note: Although this book features characters who are neurodivergent, it is not mentioned directly. However, illustrations and themes subtly depict a person managing sensory-processing disorder.
Educational features are:upper elementary school content in science and social studies
vocabulary, connections to reader, prediction, and reflection
social emotional learning and cultural awareness
evidence-based Language Arts resources
And, it has amazing art that's fun to read!
It is safe to say that this book is written for and about neurodivergent kids, anyone ready for early chapter books will be drawn to the animal facts and Stephen's story in The Big Aquarium Adventure.

Nancy Roop promotes neurodiversity and inclusion by publishing developmental books and speaking at educational conferences-or to anyone, anywhere. Her early chapter books have embedded comprehension strategies, so readers learn how to extract meaning from books. These developmental books look like traditional books, but are sensory-friendly, model social connections, and support self-regulation. Roop is also a favorite Substitute Teacher in local Special Ed classrooms. She lives with her family near Detroit, Michigan and has a BA in Integrative Studies from Oakland University. Her thesis, Developmental Texts for Students with Autism; a Safe Space in the Written World, is available at my website.