If you're the parent of a gifted child and you want to be well informed on giftedness and gifted issues, this book list was made for you. There are many books about gifted children, but these “top ten” selections will give you a great start on understanding your amazing offspring and learning how to best nurture his heart and mind. Please note that this list leaves out books aimed primarily at educators, as well as those that may have been groundbreaking as new releases, but are now somewhat out of date. I was tempted, for instance, to include a book that made a big impression on me when I first read it a decade ago. As it was first printed in 1942, it is not quite as relevant to today's parents as the other books noted here. The book I am referring to is Leta Hollingworth's Children Above 180 IQ – Origin and Development. Leta Hollingworth sought out children who topped the old Stanford Binet and followed them for many years. It's a fascinating book, and perhaps when you've finished going through the top ten listed below, you can give it a try!

My top ten books for parents of gifted kids are presented in alphabetical order. A very brief description follows each title. More complete reviews of several of them are available through the bellaonline gifted education site archives. Enjoy!

1.Different Minds – Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Deficits, by Dierdre Lovecky . Dr Lovecky is a child psychologist at The Gifted Resource Center of New England. This guide is close to 500 pages long and has extensive descriptions based upon many case studies.

2.Exceptionally Gifted Children, by Miraca Gross. This book is hard to find, but if you have an amazon kindle, you can download it for a few dollars. Gross writes about her ten year study of exceptionally and profoundly gifted children in Australia. Fascinating!

3.Genius Denied – How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds, What You and Your School Can Do For Your Gifted Child, by Jan and Bob Davidson, with Laura Vanderkam. Practical advice from the philanthropists who founded the Davidson Institute. A very accessible book.

4.High IQ Kids – Collected Insights, Information, and Personal Stories from the Experts, edited by Kiesa Kay, Deborah Robson, and Judy Fort Brenneman . This compilation of parental and professional stories can be read all at once, or savored more slowly.

5.Losing Our Minds – Gifted Children Left Behind, by Deborah Ruf. Dr. Ruf has revolutionized the gifted world with her concept of five different levels of giftedness. Case studies include snapshots of life from kids at different ages and ability levels.

6.A Love For Learning – Motivation and the Gifted Child, by Carol Strip Whitney and Gretchen Hirsch. Real information on how and why gifted children are motivated to perform. Emphasis on how to reach underachievers with careful attention paid to the social-emotional aspects of giftedness.

7.Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults – ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and other Disorders, by James Webb, Edward Amend, Nadia Webb, and Jean Goerss. A great resource for anyone with a quirky gifted child who may or may not be twice exceptional.

8.A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children by James Webb, Janet Gore, Edward Amend, and Arlene DeVries. If you are only inclined to read one book on gifted children, this should be it. It is quite comprehensive.

9.Raising a Gifted Child – A Parenting Success Handbook, by Carol Fertig. A casual and open style makes this book a great introduction for parents just getting their feet wet. A quick and easy read that goes broad but not overwhelmingly deep.

10.Upside-Down Brilliance – The Visual- Spatial Learner, by Linda Kreger Silverman. A must-have for parents with smart kids who don't fit the typical auditory-sequential learner mold. Eye-opening and written with a great deal of humor.