Mia spotted Alex by the fruit stand and called, "Hi, Alex!" Alex covered his ears and looked away, feeling the supermarket was too loud. Mia turned to her mom, confused. Alex's mom smiled and said, "Noisy places bother Alex. Try a thumbs-up instead of shouting." Mia quietly walked over, gave Alex a big thumbs-up, and he smiled back. Mia felt happy their meeting was peaceful.

Monday – Thumbs Up with Alex at the Supermarket

Mia wanted to play catch with Jordan, but he zoomed up the slide instead. "Jordan, catch!" Mia called, but Jordan just kept running and giggling. Mia frowned, wishing he’d stop. She remembered her mom's words, "Try changing the game." Smiling, Mia shouted, "Race you to the swings!" Jordan cheered, and together they dashed off happily.

Tuesday – Racing with Jordan at the Playground

Mia and her mom, Andrea, baked cookies together. Mia dropped flour everywhere, feeling upset. "It’s okay to make a mess," Andrea said kindly. Mom handed Mia a towel and together they cleaned up, laughing. Andrea hugged Mia, "Helping each other makes things easier." Mia grinned, happy for their teamwork.

Wednesday – Helping Hands with Andrea at Home

Mia invited Alex and Jordan to draw with chalk on the driveway. Alex liked drawing quietly, while Jordan made silly faces. At first, Mia felt sad they weren’t drawing together. But she drew a smiley face for each friend and asked, "Can we add our ideas together?" Soon, all three laughed, making one big, happy picture.

Thursday – Sharing Smiles with Alex and Jordan

A 6 year old afro-american girl with long black hair. Her favorite color is red.

A 5 year old asian boy with short black hair

Alex

A 4 year old boy with fair skin and freckles on his nose

A 4 year old european boy with short red hair and freckles on his nose

Jordan

A 34 year old afro-american woman with medium-length black hair

Andrea

In Mia’s Week of Choices with Special Friends: Eight Adventures of Empathy and Play, young readers follow Mia as she discovers what it means to be a thoughtful, patient, and kind friend. Each day of the week brings a new setting, a new challenge, and a new friend who experiences the world in a unique way. Through trial and error, Mia learns that her choices matter—sometimes they make things harder, but other times they open the door to real friendship.

In the first story, “Monday – Thumbs Up with Alex at the Supermarket,” Mia is excited to meet Alex, the son of her mom’s friend. She eagerly calls out to him, but Alex covers his ears instead of answering. Mia feels confused until Alex’s mom explains that the supermarket noises feel overwhelming to him. With one small choice—a thumbs-up instead of a loud greeting—Mia learns that being a friend sometimes means changing how you communicate.

In the second story, “Tuesday – Racing with Jordan at the Playground,” Mia tries to play catch with her energetic friend Jordan. But Jordan is too busy running, climbing, and laughing to follow the rules of her game. At first, Mia feels frustrated. She almost gives up, until she remembers that friends can adapt. By turning catch into a racing game, Mia transforms frustration into fun. Together, they discover that new rules can make play even better.

Each story ends with an Activities Page to practice new skills and a Reflection Page that encourages children to think about patience, problem-solving, and empathy. Warm, engaging, and full of everyday situations, Mia’s adventures show children how to celebrate differences and make choices that build lasting friendships.