The Top Social Emotional Learning Books for Kids – Lucky Little Learners

Social emotional learning books should be a requirement in every classroom. Children love to read aloud and when an important life skill can be incorporated with a good story, this is when the magic happens!

Social emotional learning is the process in which kids are learning how to understand and manage their emotions, set goals, show empathy for others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

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The following list of books is organized by character trait. Also, be sure to check out the character traits units in our social-emotional curriculum!

respect

  • a chair for my mother by: vera b. williams
  • everyone is welcome here by: alexandra penfold
  • be bigger by: colleen doyle bryant
  • berenstain bears show some respect by: jan & mike berenstain
  • the bike man by: allen say
  • going to the otters by: laurie keller
  • great joy by: kate dicamillo
  • how full is your kids bucket by: tom rath & mary reckmeyer
  • can’t believe you said that by: julia cook
  • just don’t like the sound of no by: julia cook
  • interrupting chicken by: david ezra stein
  • kindness begins with you by: jacquelyn stagg
  • matilda by: roald dahl
  • recess queen by: alexis o’neill
  • playground rulers by: joseph kuefler
  • that rule doesn’t apply to me by: julia cook
  • the way i act by: steve metzger

responsibility

  • alexander who used to be rich last saturday by: judith viorst
  • arthur’s pet business by: marc brown
  • the berenstain bears and the messy room by: stan &amp ; jan berenstain
  • berenstain bears: blame game by: stan & jan berenstain
  • but it’s not my fault by: julia cook
  • the emperor’s egg by: martin jenkins
  • how do dinosaurs clean their rooms? by: jane yolen
  • forgot by: mercer mayer
  • just wanna do it my way by: julia cook
  • not my fault by: nancy carlson
  • miss nelson is missing by: harry allard
  • the paperboy by: dav pilkey
  • dove wants a puppy by: mo willems
  • pigsty by: mark teague
  • responsibility by: cynthia roberts
  • saving the shadow by: sanders dokas & dara lynn
  • stanley and the class pet by: barney saltzberg
  • strega nona by: tomie depaola
  • what should danny do? by: ganit & adir levy
  • william and the guinea pig by: gill rose

honesty

  • a bike like sergio’s by: maribeth boelts
  • berenstain bears and the truth by: stan & jan berenstain
  • the big fat lie by: marjorie weinman shamat & david mcphail
  • the boy who cried bigfoot by: scott magoon
  • doug-dennis and the flying lie by: darren farrell
  • edwurd fudwupper lies big by: berkeley breathed
  • eli’s lie meter: a story about telling the truth by: patricia mckissack
  • the empty pot by: demi
  • the honest-a – oh my god right by: patricia mckissack
  • howard wigglebottom and the monkey on his back by: howard binkow
  • i want my hat back by: jon klassen
  • jackalope by : janet stevens & susan stevens crummel
  • let’s be honest by: p.k. hallinan
  • liar, liar by: gary paulsen
  • liar in a storm by: julia cook
  • molly the great tell the truth by: shelley marshall and ben mahan
  • pinky promise: a book about telling the truth by: valiant vanita
  • ruthie and the (not so) little lie by: laura rankin
  • sam says stories by: thierry roberecht
  • vault of victory by: jake maddox
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kindness

  • a sick day for amos mcgee by: philip c. stead
  • be nice by: pat zietlow miller
  • because amelia smiled by: david ezra stein
  • the man with the bike by: allen say
  • grumpy bird by: jeremy tankard
  • how do dinosaurs play with their friends? by: jane yolen
  • how full is your kiddie bucket by: tom rath & mary reckmeyer
  • how nice by: mary murphy
  • joining vanessa by: kerascoet
  • if you plant a seed by: kadir nelson
  • the invisible rope by: patrice karst
  • the difference of the jelly doughnut by: maria dismondy
  • mine by: shutta crum
  • the extraordinary action of mary ordinary by: emily pearson
  • pass it by: sophy henn
  • stick and stone by: beth ferry
  • superhero club by: madeleine sherak
  • we’re all wonders by: r. J. palace
  • super bows by: diane kredensor

self-control & self-regulation

  • clark the shark by: bruce hale
  • click, clack, quack to school by: doreen cronin
  • david gets in trouble by: david shannon
  • i can handle it by: laurie wright
  • it’s hard to be a verb by: julia cook
  • katie loves kittens by: john himmelman
  • lacey walker, nonstop talker by: christianne c. jones
  • lilly purple plastic bag by: kevin henkes
  • my mouth is a volcano by: julia cook
  • no, david by: david shannon
  • of course it’s a big deal by: bryan smith
  • oh no george by: chris haughton
  • percy gets mad by: stuart j. murphy
  • sometimes i’m bombaloo by: rachel vail
  • the bad seed by: jory john
  • throwing tantrums by: joy wilt berry
  • tyrannosaurus shipwrecks by: sudipta bardhan-quallen
  • we don’t eat our classmates by: ryan t. higgins
  • will you be my friend by: peter brown

perseverance

  • after i fell by: dan santat
  • alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day by: judith viorst
  • argyle fox by: marie letourneau
  • the book of mistakes by: corinna luyken
  • dog’s breath by: dav pilkey
  • emmanuel’s dream by: laurie ann thompson
  • giraffes i can’t dance by: giles andreae
  • i’m so brave by: steven krensky
  • i’ll be fine by: ms. laurie n. wright
  • jabari jumps by: gaia cornwall
  • jonathan james and the whatif monster by: michelle nelson-schmidt
  • let’s go for a ride by: mo willems
  • life by: cynthia rylant
  • most magnificent by: ashley spires
  • nadia: the girl who couldn’t sit still by: karlin grey</li
  • pete the cat- i love my white shoes by: eric litwin
  • get out in his shoes by: deloris jordan
  • sunday chutney by: aaron blabey
  • el point by: peter h. reynolds
  • there could be lobsters by: carolyn crimi
  • what lou couldn’t do by: ashley spires
  • too shy to show and tell by: beth bracken
  • when charlie mcbutton lost power by: suzanne collins
  • wilma jean the worry machine by: julia cook

empathy

  • all are welcome by: alexandra penfold & suzanne kaufman
  • amazing grace by: mary hoffman
  • chocolate milk please by: maria dismondy
  • chrysanthemum by: kevin henkes
  • hey little ant by: philip and hannah hoose
  • the hundred dresses by: eleanor estes
  • i am human- a book of empathy by: susan verde
  • the invisible child by: trudy ludwig & patrice barton
  • last stop on market street by: matt de la pena
  • madeline finn and the library dog ​​by: lisa papp
  • the monster who lost her medium by: tiffany strelitz ha
  • my many colorful days by: dr. seuss
  • stick and stone by: beth ferry
  • those shoes by: maribeth boelts
  • through grandpa’s eyes by: patricia maclachlan
  • the wall by: eve bunting
  • what’s wrong with timmy by: maria shriver

cooperation

  • a house in the woods by: inga moore
  • the great bat game by: margaret read macdonald
  • the brownstone by: paula scher
  • colors versus shapes by: mike boldt
  • duck and goose by: tad hills
  • duck in the truck by: jez alborough
  • frankie by: mary sullivan
  • franklin plays the game by: paulette bourgeois
  • little red fort by: brenda maier
  • little red hen by: lucinda mcqueen
  • mine by: jeff mack
  • no, david by: david shannon
  • buckle officer and glory by: peggy rathman
  • please oblige the bees by: gerald kelley
  • prince and pirate by: charlotte gunnufson
  • red & loud night of yellow by: josh selig

self-confidence

  • a bad case of stripes by: david shannon
  • the book of mistakes by: corinna luyken
  • calvin can’t fly: the story of a mousebird by library by : jennifer berne
  • the point by: peter h. reynolds
  • giraffes can’t dance by: giles andreae
  • the girl who never made mistakes by: mark pett
  • i’m enough by: grace byers
  • i am so brave by: steven krensky
  • i can handle it (mindful mantras) by: ms laurie wright and ms ana santos
  • i like myself by: karen beaumont
  • jonathan james and the whatif monster by: michelle nelson-schmidt
  • the kissing hand by: audrey penn
  • not quite narwal by: jessie sima
  • pete the cat: i love my white shoes by: eric litwin
  • the sparkly bee who felt out of place by: natalie meraki
  • get up molly lou melon by : patty lovell
  • tacky the penguin by: helen lester
  • feeling silly today, and other moods that make my day by: jamie lee curtis
  • wemberly worried by: kevin henkes
  • when you’re brave by: pat zietlow miller
  • wilma jean the worry machine by: julia cook, illust Rated by Anita Dufalla

compassion

  • a sick day for amos mcgee by: philip c. stead
  • arnie and the new guy by: nancy carlson
  • be nice by: pat zietlow miller
  • come with me by: holly m. mcghee
  • every kindness by: jacqueline woodson
  • emma and the whale by: julie case
  • firenze’s light by: jessica collaço and angela li
  • the puzzle of friendship by: julie l. coe
  • hooway for wodney wat by: helen lester
  • horace and morris but above all sorrows by: james howe
  • the invisible boy by: trudy ludwig</ li
  • little blue truck by: alice schetyle
  • cat lost and found by: doug kuntz and amy shrodes
  • my brother charlie by: holly robinson peete and ryan elizabeth peete
  • my many colorful days by: dr. seuss
  • otis and the scarecrow by: laren long
  • heard the rabbit by: cori doerrfeld
  • save me a seat by: sarah weeks
  • sumi’s first day of school by: soyung pak
  • under the lemon moon by: edith hope well
  • we are all wonderful by: r.j. palace
  • wonder by: r.j. palace
  • yoko by: rosemary wells

thanks

  • everyone by: liz garton scanlon
  • an amazing thank you book by: dan clayton
  • bear says thank you by: karma wilson
  • did I ever tell you how lucky you are? by: dr. suess
  • the giving tree by: shel silverstein
  • grateful: a song of thanks by: john buccino
  • soup of gratitude by: olivia rosewood
  • i am thankful for: terri-sue hill
  • i am thankful every day! by: pk hallinan
  • could always be worse by: margot zamach
  • very grateful to: mercer mayer
  • last stop on market street by: matt de la pena
  • let us be grateful for: p.k. hallinan
  • rubber shoes by: gladys barbieri
  • secret to saying thank you by: douglas wood
  • should i share my ice cream? by: mo willems
  • splat says thanks! by: rob scotton
  • sylvester and the magic pebble by: william steig
  • the thank you book by: mo willems
  • grateful for: eileen spinelli</li
  • the grateful book by: todd parr
  • berenstain bears count their blessings by: stan berenstain
  • those shoes by: maribel boelts

modals

  • ahoo! by: mij kelly
  • clifford manners by: norman bridwell
  • do with the otters by: laurie keller
  • dude, that’s rude! by: pamela espeland
  • can I have a cookie? by: jennifer morris
  • the monster of monsters by: patrick mcdonnell
  • penguin says please by michael dahl
  • rude pies by: rowboat watkins
  • rules of the wild by: bridget levin
  • time to say please by: mo willems

friendship

  • a sick day for amos mcgee by: philip c. stead
  • grumpy bird by: jeremy tankard
  • how do dinosaurs play with their friends? by: jane yolen
  • how to lose all your friends by: nancy carlson
  • the invisible child by: trudy ludwig
  • llama llama time to share by: anna dewdney
  • playground monster by: shira potter
  • rainbow fish by: marcus pfister
  • playground rules by: joseph kuefler
  • stick and stone by: beth ferry

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See Also: Sylvia Browne – Book Series In Order

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