Posted are books that are often used for our classroom lessons, during small group sessions, or with students individually. Some books are appropriate for more than one category, but they are organized based on how they are used most frequently. With our own office libraries, we have aimed to have books available that represent all students at our school. We strive to use books that expand thinking by challenging racial biases, gender stereotypes, and traditional family norms. This is an ever growing list and some of these books are still on our own wish lists. If helpful, we have found that many books are shared on YouTube, so if we have not yet purchased a book, we can often find a video of another teacher reading it aloud and can then use it with our students!
Friendship
You Will be my friend by Peter Brown
Yo! Yes? By Chris Raschka
The Sandwich Swap by Kelly DiPucchio
My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano
Feelings/Emotions
Worry Says What? by Allison Edwards
The Way I Feel by Janna Cain
Horrible Bear by Ame Dyckman
Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein
When Worry Takes Hold by Liz Haske
Breathing Makes It Better by Christopher Willard and Wendy O’Leary
You Get What You Get by Julie Gassman
Mindfulness
Moody Cow Meditates by Kerry MacLean
Anh’s Anger by Gail Silver
Mindful Movements: Ten Exercises for Well-Being by Thich What Hanh
Listening to my Body by Gabi Garcia
Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda by Lauren Alderfer
Making Mistakes
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
It’s Okay to Make Mistakes by Todd Parr
What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
Growth Mindset
The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do by Ashley Spires
Your Fantastic, Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
My Strong Mind by Niels van Hove
Kindness / Empathy
Thank you, Omu! by One Mora
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
The Night Gardener by The Fan Brothers
Death, Dying, and Loss
When Dinosaurs Die by Laurie Krasny Brown
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
The Memory Box by Joanna Rowland
Appreciating Ourselves and Others
Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Something Else by Kathryn Cave
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Drawn Together by Minh Lê
What Should Danny Do? School Day by Ganit & Adir Levy
What Were You Thinking? Learning to Control Your Impulses by Bryan Smith
Freddie the Fly Series by Kimberly Delude
Leadership and Advocacy
Say Something by Peter Reynolds
Little Legends Series by Vashti Harrison
Grandpa’s Corner Store by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
The Water: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter
Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner by Janice Harrigton
Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
Books to Support for Facilitate Crucial Conversations (i.e. Discrimination, Racism, Privacy, Boundaries)
I Said No! A Kid-to-Kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private by Kimberly King and Zack King
Miles is the Boss of His Body by Samantha Kurtman-Counter
No Means No! by Jayneen Sanders
Not in Room 204: Breaking the Silence of Abuse by Shannon Riggs
Something Happened in our Town: A Child’s story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano PhD
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford
Circle Unbroken by Margot Theis Raven
I Like, I Don’t Like by Anna Baccelliere
Do You Have a Secret? (Let’s Talk About It) by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos
Understanding and Celebrating Our Difference
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia by Diane Burton Robb
Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds
A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor
Therapy Smash 