Social Emotional Learning & Character Development
Children's Books
Reading books with your children is a fabulous way to practice social emotional skills at home. To learn more on the value of reading together, here's a great article from Education Connection
When reading, here are some great questions to ask about the story:
What do you predict might happen?
What do you think the character might be feeling?
What do you think the character would like to happen?
Why do you think the character chose to act the way they did?
Do you think they thought first about how their words or actions would make others feel?
What other choices could they have made?
What would you have done?
How would a different choice change the ending of the story? What effects would different actions have on the characters in the story?
Social Emotional Competencies
Self-Awareness
How Do I Feel? by Norma Simon (PreK-2)
Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee (PreK-3)
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman (K-3)
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell (K-3)
Anna Hibiscus’ Song, by Atinuke
The Colors of Us, by Karen Katz
Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut, by Derrick Barnes
A Gift from Papá Diego/Un regalo de Papá Diego, by Benjamin Alire Saenez
How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods, by Saxton Freymann
I Love My Hair, by Natasha Anatasia Tarpley
In My Family/En mi familia, by Carmen Lomas Garza
Looking Like Me, by Walter Dean Myers
Lots of Feelings, by Shelley Rotner
Mama’s Sari’s, by Pooja Makhijani
My Cold Plum, Lemon Pie, Bluesy Mood, by Tameka Fryer Brown
Out of my Mind, by Sharon Draper
The Three Names of Me, by Mary Cummings
Too Many Tamales, by Gary Soto
The Way I Feel, by Janan Cain
Yesterday I Had the Blues, by Jeron Ashford Frame
Self-Management
When I Feel Frustrated by Marcia Leonard (PreK-1)
Super George and the Invisible Shield by Laurie P. Mendoza (Grades 2-5)
Know and Follow Rule by Cheri Meiners (K-1)
There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi (K-2)
Big Red Lollipop, by Rhuksana Khan
Charlotte and the Quiet Place, by Deborah Sosin
The Day of Ahmed’s Secret, by Florence Parry Heide
Grump, Groan, Growl, by Bell Hooks
Jabari Jumps, by Gaia Cornwall
Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream For Me, by Daniel Beaty
Sky Sisters, by Jan Boudreau Waboose
Sometimes I’m Bombaloo, by Rachel Vail
Twist: Yoga Poems, by Janet Wong
Upside Down Boy/El niño de cabeza, by Juan Felipe Herrara
When Sophie Thinks She Can't, by Molly Bang
Social Awareness
When I Care About Others by Cornelia Maude Spelman (K-2)
Can You Tell How Someone Feels by Nita Everly (PreK-1)
Hugo and the Bully Frogs by Francesca Simon (PreK-2)
Deep in the Sahara, by Kelly Cunnane
Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson
Halmoni’s Picnic, by Sook Nyul Choi
I am New Here, by Anne Sibley O’Brien
I Love Saturdays y domingos, by Alma Flor Ada
Indian Shoes, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Short Stories)
Mama's Nightingale, by Edward Danticat
Mirror, by Jeannie Baker
Muskrat will be Swimming, by Cheryl Savageau
My Two Blankets, by Irena Kobald
Nadia’s Hands, by Karen English
New Shoes, by Susan Myer
Rain School, by James Rumford
Shades of People, by Shelly Rotner
Suki’s Kimono, by Chieri Uekagi
Take Me Out to the Yakyu, by Aaron Meshon
The Ugly Vegetables, by Grace Lin
Relationship Skills
Can You Be a Friend? by Nita Everly (PreK-1)
We Are Best Friends by Aliki (PreK-2)
You’re All My Favorites by Sam McBratney (PreK-2)
Across the Alley, by Richard Michelson
Crossing Bok Chitto, by Tim Tingle
Danitra Brown Leaves Town, by Nikki Grimes
Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson
Four Feet, Two Sandals, by Karen Williams
Grandfather Counts, by Andrea Cheng
I Miss Franklin P. Shuckles, by Ulana Snihura
Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel, by Nikki Grimes
Margaret and Margarita/Margarita y Margaret, by Lynn Reiser
My Name is Sangoel, by Karen Williams and Khadra Mohammed
The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi
Pink and Say, by Patricia Polacco
Sitti’s Secret, by Naomi Shihab Nye
Sumi’s First Day of School Ever, by Soyung Pak
Responsible Decision Making
I Did It, I’m Sorry by Caralyn Buehner (PreK-3)
The Decisive Dolphin by Efrat Haddi (PreK-3)
Someday by Eileen Spinelli (PreK-3)
A Chair for my Mother, by Vera B. Williams
Crow Boy, by Taro Yashima
First Day in Grapes, by L. King Perez
Freedom Summer, by Deborah Wiles
Grandmama’s Pride, by Becky Birtha
Hello Universe, by Erin Entrada Kelly
King for a Day, by Rhuksana Khan
Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice, by Sylvia Rosa-Casanova
My Heart Will Not Sit Down, by Mara Rockcliff
The One Day House, by Julia Durango
Sam and the Lucky Money, by Karen Chinn
Say Something, by Peggy Moss
Wings, by Christopher Myers
Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate
CARES
Cooperation
Swimmy, by Leo Lionni
The Crayon Box That Talked, by Shane DeRolf
Stone Soup, by Ann McGovern
Why Should I Share? by Mike Gordon
Assertion
Bad Case of The Stripes, by David Shannon
A Weekend with Wendell by Kevin Henkes (K)
The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others by Bob Sornson (Grade 1)
One by Kathryn Otoshi (Grade 2)
Say Something by Peggy Moss (Grade 3)
Giraffes Can't Dance, by Giles Andreae
I Like Myself, by Karen Beaumont
I'm Gonna Like Me, by Jamie Lee Curtis
Responsibility
David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon (Kindergarten)
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, by Mo William
Franklin Forgets by Paulette Bourgeois
Empathy
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Erin E. Stead (Kindergarten)
Hey Little Ant by Phillip Hoose (Grade 1)
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (Grade 2)
How Do I Stand in Your Shoes? By Susan DeBell (Grade 3)
The English Roses by Madonna (Grades 3-5)
Those Shoes, by Maribeth Boelts
Hugs From Pearl by Paul Schmid
How Full is Your Bucket, by Tom Rath
Diary of a Real Bully, by Melody Arabo
The Brand New Kid, by Katie Couric
Just Kidding, by Trudy Ludwig
Moonbeam the Little Elephant, by Dr.G. Sivakumar
The Bully Blockers Club, by Teresa Bateman
Stand In My Shoes - Kids Learn About Empathy, by Bob Sornson
Chocolate Milk, Por Favor! Celebrating Diversity with Empathy, by Maria Dismondy
The Bad Seed by Jory John
Self-Control
What Were You Thinking? by Bryan Smith (ages 5+)
Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl
It's Hard to Be Five by Jamie Lee Curtis
When Sophie Gets Angry, by Molly Bang
Decibella, by Julia Cook
Cool Down and Work Through Anger, by Cheri Meiners
Manners at School, by Carrie Finn
Talk and work It Out, by Cheri Meiners
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes
Billy the Bully, by Alvaro Galan
My Mouth is a Volcano, by Julia Cook
Secret of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman (Grades 3-5)
Other Areas of Social Emotional Learning
Celebrating Diversity and Uniqueness
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Only One You by Linda Kranz
You Be You by Linda Kranz
Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey
The Crayon Box That Talked, by Shane DeRolf
Yoko by Rosemary Wells
We’re All Wonders by RJ Palacio
Chocolate Milk, Por Favor! Celebrating Diversity with Empathy, by Maria Dismondy
The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio
I Am Important by Margaret Wise Brown
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees (PreK-2)
Spoon by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Scott Magoon
My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams
The Colors of Us by Karen Katz ( ages 5+)
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (ages 5+)
Zilly: A Modern Day Fable by Kelly Parks Snider (ages 5+)
Kindness & Respect
Zero by Kathryn Otoshi (PreK-5)
The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane DeRolf (PreK-2)
I’m Here by Peter Reynolds (PreK-5)
How Full is Your Bucket? By Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer (K-5)
Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler (K-5)
Gifts from the Enemy by Trudy Ludwig (Grade 5)
One by Kathryn Otoshi (PreK-5)
Peace Begins with You by Katherine Scholes (Grades 3-5)
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson ( Grades 2-5)
Pink Tiara Cookies for Three by Maria Dismondy
Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
Good People Everywhere by Lynea Gillen
Beautiful Hands by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten (PreK-5)
Kindness Starts with you-At School by Jacquelyn Stagg
Seeds and Trees by Brandon Walden
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Mille
Friendship
Forget Me Not: Friendship Blossoms by Michael Broad (K-2)
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (K-5)
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Making Friends is an Art by Julia Cook
Do Unto Otters: A Book about Manners by Laurie Keller
Friendshape by Amy Krause Rosenthal
I’m Here by Peter Reynolds
Tattling vs Reporting
Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal by Jeanie Franz Ransom & Jackie Urbanovic (Grades K-2)
Tattlin' Madeline by Carol Cummings (Grades K-3)
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook (Grades K-3)
Armadillo Tattletale by Helen Ketterman (Grades K-3)
Gossip & Rumor Spreading
Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna (Grade 4)
Trouble Talk by Trudy Ludwig (Grades 3-5)
Books Related to Academic Competencies
Perseverance
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of His Dream by by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn Jordan
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
The Kid From Diamond Street by Audrey Vernick
Be Where Your Feet Are by Julia Cook
The OK Book by Amy Krause Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld
Bounce Back by Cheri J. Meiners (ages 5+)
Academic Mindset
Bubble Gum Brain: Ready, Get Mindset...Grow! by Julia Cook
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak, PHD
The Dot by Peter Reynolds (ages 5+)
When I Grow Up, I Want to Be by Sandra Magsamen (ages 5+)
True You: Authentic Strengths for Kids by Kristen Walton (ages 5 +)
Bubble Gum Brain : Ready, Get Mindset, Grow! by Julia Cook
Study Skilled...Not! by Julia Cook
I Think, I Am: Teaching Kids the Power of Affirmations by Louise Hay
Not Yet by Lisa Cox
Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? By Tanya Lee Stone
Penelope’s Amazing Imperfect Purple People Eating Machine by Amanda Copper
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
The OK Book by Amy Krause Rosenthal
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein by Don Brown
Someday by Eileen Spinelli
Thanks for the Feedback, I Think by Julia Cook
The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkney (based on Aesop’s fable)
What Do You Do With an Idea? By Kobi Yamada