Kids Books for Social Emotional Learning

Child books for self-esteem:

Big Life Journal - a growth mindset journal for kids

Beautiful Oops - being ok with mistakes

A Perfectly Messed Up Story - embracing life’s “messes”

Don't be Afraid to Drop - taking risks

Giraffes Can't Dance - embracing differences

I'm Gonna Like Me - self-esteem, accepting one’s differences

Only One You - being unique

Eraser - being yourself

A Bad Case of the Stripes - learning it's ok to be different

A Flicker of Hope - finding and sharing hope

I can do hard things - mindful affirmations, perseverance

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes - growth mindset, letting go of mistakes

Believing in Me - 30 activities to build confidence and self-esteem

Fiona Flamingo - accepting our differences

A Whale of a Mistake - learning to accept mistakes

Bounce Back Betty - being resilient and loving ourselves for who we are

Even Superheroes Make Mistakes - owning and overcoming mistakes

Exactly You! The Shape of Your Feelings - normalizing and accepting feelings

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon - being your best self

I Like Myself! - appreciate everything about you

I Promise - motivating kids to be themselves

I’m Not Just a Scribble - accepting people for who they are

Never Let a Unicorn Scribble - persevering to solve problems

Motivated Ninja - finding intrinsic motivation

Ricky the Rock that Couldn’t Roll - the importance of friendship and the power of perseverance

The Elephant Who Wanted to be a Bee - hard work and perseverance

A Whale of a Mistake - learn and move on from mistakes

Child books for navigating emotions:

My Many Coloured Days - exploring different moods and feelings

Emotion in the Ocean - understanding and expressing emotions

The Way I Feel - helping kids name their feeling

Shy Spaghetti and the Excited Eggs - labeling feeling and coping with uncomfortable emotions

Even Superheroes Have Bad Days - ideas to help kids cope when they’re feeling overwhelmed

Today I Feel Silly - explore and identify changing emotions

The Color Monster - learning to sort and define mixed up emotions

The Color Monster Goes to School - dealing with first day of school feelings

A Little Spot of Feelings (or the box set with plushies) - recognize feelings in self and others

What to Do When Your Temper Flares (by D. Huebner) - a workbook for kids to overcome anger

What to Do When You Grumble Too Much - a workbook for kids to overcome negativity

A Volcano in my Tummy - dealing with anger

Freddie and Friends: bugging out - control reactions to problems and solve small problems

Marcy’s Having All the Feels - feelings multiple feelings

My Magic Breath - Mindful breathing strategies

Ravi’s Roar - controlling big angry feelings

Roaring Mad Riley - anger management for kids

Soda Pop Head - control anger and manage stress
Fiona Flamingo - identify, label, and manage feelings

Child books for worry/anxiety:

Freddie and Friends, Becoming Unstuck - a story about letting go of the worry bug

What to do When you Worry too Much - interactive workbook for overcoming worries

Jonathan James and the What If Monster - overcoming the “what if” thoughts

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine - teaches children strategies so that they can feel more in

control of their worry (also has an Activity book)

Wemberly Worried - Wemberly overcomes her worries about going to school

Worry Says What - learn to flip your thinking when anxious thoughts creep in

When my Worries Get Too Big - learning self calming strategies

The Anti-Test Anxiety Society - overcoming test anxiety

A Flicker of Hope - emphasizes that it’s ok to ask for help, ways to be a hope builder for others

Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs - a story about a technique called “tapping” for self-regulation

The Invisible String - coping with separation anxiety

A Little Spot of Anxiety - a story about anxiety and how it can get too big

Scaredy Squirrel - a story about taking chances

Ruby Finds a Worry - everyone has worries, learning how to get rid of them

My Body Sends a Signal - recognizes how feelings show up in our body, includes activities

Exactly You - talking about big feelings (like anxiety, depression, or self-esteem)

Don’t Feed the Worry Bug - keeping worry from growing

Big Deals and Little Deals and What to do When They Happen to You - recognizing problems

and problem solving

Captain Snout and the Super Power Questions - strategies to overcome negative thinking

Don’t Think About Purple Elephants - easing worry

Child books for self-control/social skills:

Anything by Julia Cook! (www.juliacookonline.com)

You are a Social Detective! - language and concepts for foundational social awareness

What Should Danny Do? - choose your own ending book based on choices

What Should Danny Do? School Day (Power to Choose Series)

What Should Darla Do? - another choose your own adventure book based on expected choices

Stand in my Shoes: Kids Learning About Empathy

It’s My Way or the Highway - turning bossy into flexible

Speak Up and Get Along! - strategies for social skills, assertiveness, and making friends

Enemy Pie - learning kindness and how to get along with others

What if Everybody Did That? - thinking about the impact of our actions

What if Everybody Said That? - using our words carefully, social filter
What if Everybody Thought That? - encourages thoughtfulness and acceptance

Parent Books

Parent books for managing challenging behaviors:

The Explosive Child (by Dr. Ross Greene, Ph.D.) - problem-solving and identifying triggers

Parenting with Love and Logic (by Foster Kline & Jim Fay) - positive parenting

1-2-3 Magic 3 step discipline (by Thomas Phelan) - positive parenting and effective discipline

1-2-3 Magic Managing difficult behaviors in children 2-12 (by Thomas Phelan)

UnSelfie (by Michele Borba) - teaching your child empathy

The Whole-Brain Child (by Daniel Siegel) - strategies for healthy brain development

The Power of Showing Up (by Dan Siegal) - being present with your child to build resiliency

The Science Behind Your Child’s Tantrums (article)
The Critical Thinking Co. - website with a variety of resources to support critical thinking

Parent books for supporting anxious/emotionally reactive children:

Worried No More: Help and Hope for Anxious Children (by Aureen Pinto Wagner)

Your Anxious Child: How Parents and Teachers Can Relieve Anxiety in Children (by John S. Dacy and Lisa B. Fiore)

The Explosive Child (by Dr. Ross Greene, Ph.D.) - includes great problem solving strategies to prevent melt-downs and identify triggers

Raising Human Beings (by Dr. Ross Greene, Ph.D.) - creating a collaborative relationship

Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD (by Eli Lebowitz, PhD) - on SPACE treatment

Freeing your Child from Anxiety (by Tamar Chansky, PhD) - practical strategies to overcome

Building Emotional Intelligence (by Dan Goleman & Linda Lantieri) - guide to helping children respond to challenges
Yes Brain (by Dan Siegal) - helping children respond receptively instead of reactively

Parent books for supporting self-esteem/growth mindset:

The Gift of Failure (by Jessica Lakey) - letting kids learn and grow through mistakes

Parent books for supporting ADHD or Executive Functioning:

Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents (by Russell Barkley, Ph.D.)

Driven to Distraction (by Edward M. Hallowell)

Smart but Scattered (by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare)- building executive functioning skills

Taking Charge of ADHD (by Russell Barkley)

Homework Success for children with ADHD (by Power, Karustis, and Habboushe)

Mindfulness books:

Sitting Still Like a Frog (by Eline Snel)

A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles (by Thich Nhat Hahn)

Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children (by Thich Nhat Hahn)

Master of Mindfulness (by Laurie Grossman)

Moody Cow Meditates (by Kerry Lee MacLean)

Breathe Like a Bear - 30 mindful moments for calm and focus
Little Monkey calms down (by Michael Dahl & Oriol Vidal