Zara and the Missing Words

Reading seems to come easily to everyone else. For one of Zara's classmates, it doesn't. Words can be difficult, reading aloud can feel uncomfortable, and school can sometimes make a child wonder why something that seems so simple for others feels so hard. But Zara and her friends begin to understand something important: struggling with reading doesn't mean struggling with thinking, learning, imagining, or having something valuable to contribute. Zara and the Missing Words is a warm, beautifully illustrated story about dyslexia, learning differences, friendship, and understanding. Rather than portraying a learning difference as something that needs to be "fixed," the story helps children recognize that people learn in different ways and that difficulty in one area does not define a person's intelligence or potential. Part of the Zara & Friends series, this thoughtful story encourages empathy, patience, confidence, and inclusion while helping young readers see beyond the challenges another child may face. Ideal for children ages 6–8, as well as parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and classrooms exploring dyslexia, learning differences, neurodiversity, friendship, and social-emotional learning.