Canaries Among Us

For those drawn to both Tara Westover’s candid view into a difficult childhood and Susan Cain’s research on undervalued traits . . .Canaries Among Us encourages us to reconsider and appreciate kids who learn and think differently.“The courage to put this story on paper should not be overlooked . . . Taylor addresses so many noteworthy things . . .  includ[ing] the importance of inclusion, diversity, and how to protect children who are vulnerable. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to all parents [and] educators. Everyone can benefit from a better understanding of [each] other’s differences.” —San Francisco Book Review,5/5 STARSCanaries Among Us explores one of the most widespread threats to children’s well-being: a lack of acceptance. Kayla Taylor starts her day as an ordinary parent at a respected school, but her family’s life turns upside-down when her child becomes the prime target of bullying. Taylor assumes the school will partner with her to solve the problem but is confounded when she finds the opposite: officials not only turn a blind eye to cruelty but also ostracize and attack anyone who speaks up against it. Frustrated by this failure to protect vulnerable students, Taylor researches the challenges those in charge are most unwilling to discuss with her—like bullying, learning differences, and anxiety. She then digs deeper to study empowering responses that are woefully absent from many parenting books and teaching curricula—including validation, empathy, apologies, forgiveness, healing, and belonging. These concepts end up providing the guideposts Taylor needs to navigate both the exquisite joy and raw heartache inherent in raising a child who doesn’t fit society’s definition of “normal.”Canaries Among Us is both a heart-rending exposé of the ways we mistreat unique children and a searing indictment of society’s tendency to revictimize people in their times of greatest need. Throughout, Canaries Among Us points to an alternative: supporting, and even celebrating, the dazzling variety of our humanity.

“This is an important book with essential messages for all of us . . . Let’s hope that [Canaries Among Us] helps to open up the discussion in order to affect some change in our society.”—Booktrib“Canaries Among Us is a masterpiece . . . a poignant, urgent, and important story that has yet to be told and needs to be heard. I recommend it to everyone involved in raising or educating children.”—Rosalie Whitlock, CEO of the Children’s Health Council “For any parent who has worried their child does not fit in or who has battled with a school to do what is right for a child, this amazing book will heal your soul while offering important strategies, insights, and even several smiles along the way.”—Jo Boaler, Stanford, Co-Founder of youcubed.org “Overall, this is a powerful book that offers a brilliant exposé of how, even after the rise of anti-bullying efforts, enforcement remains a challenge, and it illustrates what happens when anti-bullying efforts are finally honored . . . A necessary book on the intersections of neurodivergence and bullying.” —Kirkus Reviews“The courage to put this story on paper should not be overlooked . . . Taylor addresses so many noteworthy things . . . includ[ing] the importance of inclusion, diversity, and how to protect children who are vulnerable. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to all parents [and] educators. Everyone can benefit from a better understanding of [each] other’s differences.” —San Francisco Book Review, 5/5 STARS“Taylor powerfully highlights America’s bias against neurodiversity in this heartfelt and sensitive debut . . . Parents will be swept into Taylor’s story, experiencing the family’s pain and eventual triumphs alongside them, and some may even recognize their own biases and contributions to school bullying in the process.” —Booklife by Publisher’s Weekly

Kayla Taylor writes to address important issues plaguing families, and she uses a pseudonym to protect the identities of minor children. She is donating her profits from the first edition of Canaries Among Us to organizations promoting mental health, neurodiversity, and bullying prevention.