Mother-son duo write book to help kids learn how to appreciate their differences

A conversation between Joseph Dodd and his mom, Jo, sparked a project that boosted Joseph's confidence — and will inspire other kids to embrace what makes them different.

Joseph, 9, and Jo were talking about their family and everyone's different likes and dislikes, when Joseph said, "We all like different things, and that's A-OK with me." Jo told her son "that's actually a really good title for a book," and the pair got to work.

Joseph has a learning disability, and Jo shared with Good Morning America that while writing We All Like Different Things And That's A-OK With Me, it was "really fun to see Joseph's confidence growing with his reading and writing." The main theme Joseph wants to get across is that "people are all different," he said, and "we don't have to be the same."

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This is the first of what they hope is many books they will write together, as both enjoy the extra one-on-one time and want to spread awareness about learning disabilities. There is "nothing wrong with having a challenge with reading or writing," Jo said. "And guess what? You can write your own story."