Now, more than ever, we must help children learn crucial social and emotional skills so they can become caring citizens equipped to deal with life’s challenges. Social skills books for kids are a useful tool to help teach social skills and address social-emotional issues. That’s why we’ve rounded up 50 (yes, 50!) social skills books for kids that you can share to help kids of any age develop empathy, talk about their feelings, and empathize with others.
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You are reading: Social skills books for kids
books on managing fear and anxiety
1. there could be lobsters by carolyn crimi
There are many things on the beach that scare Sukie. a lot. because she’s just a little dog, and the stairs are big and sandy, and the waves are big and whispery, and the balls are big and beachy.
2. the what ifs by emily kilgore
Frightening “what ifs” follow Cora everywhere, and they only get worse as she prepares for her big piano recital. Her perspective changes when Stella challenges her to turn her bad things into good ones.
3. jabari jumps for gaia cornwall
jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. he finished his swimming lessons and passed his swimming test, and he is a great jumper, so he is not scared at all.
4. Jennifer K.’s Camping Trip man
ernestine is very excited to go camping for the first time with her aunt and cousin, until they get to camp of course. then everything feels scary and misses her father.
5. anita and the dragons by hanna carmona
fear of “dragons” almost overcomes anita as she and her family prepare to emigrate from their home in the dominican republic. her brother reminds her, “they aren’t real dragons. they are just planes in the sky.”
books on risk taking
6. the book of mistakes by corinna luyken
zoom meets beautiful oops! in this book about the creative process and how “mistakes” can become inspiration
7. everyone can learn to ride a bike by chris raschka
Learning to ride a bike is one of childhood’s most important milestones, and this book captures the emotional ups and downs of the experience.
8. the girl who never made mistakes by mark pett
meet beatrice bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake.
9. the point of peter h. reynolds
The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. but vasti doesn’t know how to draw, she’s not an artist.
books about friendship
10. playground rulers by joseph kuefler
One morning, Jonah decided to become the ruler of the playground. Everyone agreed to obey her rules to play in King Jonah’s kingdom…everyone except Lennox…because she wanted to rule the playground too.
11. a friend for henry by jennifer bailey
henry, who has autism, longs for a new friend. but many of his classmates don’t quite fit in as he imagines. he then he builds blocks with katie, and his tower is perfect.
12. jessica bailey daisy
teasing makes daisy feel terrible. She spends much of her time alone, collecting treasures, until she realizes that someone else is adding to her shelf of treasures.
13. the invisible child by trudy ludwig
meet brian, the invisible boy. no one seems to notice or think to include him in their group, game or birthday party…until a new kid comes to class.
14. stick and stone by beth ferry
When Stick rescues Stone from a sticky situation with a pineapple, the pair quickly become friends. but when the stick gets stuck, can the stone return the favor?
books about identity
15. I am a girl! by yasmeen ismail
meet a girl who is spontaneous, fast and strong and loves to win. sometimes she is mistaken for a boy, but she is definitely not!
16. last stop on market street by matt de la peña
every sunday after church, cj and his grandmother ride the bus around town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t have a car like his friend Colby’s. Why doesn’t he have an ipod like the guys on the bus? how come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town?
17. those Maribeth Boelts shoes
all jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to wear. Although Jeremy’s grandmother says they don’t have room to “want”, only “need”, when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a couple of thrift stores that it’s too small.
18. home is in the middle of mitali perkins
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If you’re looking for children’s social skills books related to code-switching (navigating multiple cultures), shanti is a positive role model for students. When she and her family move to the United States from India, the world inside her home and the community at large feel very different.
19.my own space by pippa goodhart
a bunny is trying to read his book in peace, but so much is going on around him! maybe he needs some space just for himself…
20. my shadow is pink by scott stuart
This boy’s family is sure his shadow is blue, but it’s not, it’s pink. and the shadow loves dresses and dancing, and definitely wants to be seen for who she really is.
21. corner kissing eyes by joanna ho
This young lady is very proud of her “eyes that kiss at the corners and sparkle like hot tea.” she also loves that her sister, her mother and her grandmother share the same special characteristic.
22. millie fierce by jane manning
millie is calm, sweet and gentle. but the kids at school don’t listen to her.
books on how to overcome challenges
23. the older schoolgirl : how mary walker learned to read by rita lorraine hubbard
mary walker was born a slave and persevered through challenges all her life. At age 114, she finally fulfilled her lifelong dream of learning to read. she is an inspiration to all of us.
24. diamond fox by marie letourneau
argyle fox, in his trademark style, wants to play outside on a spring day, but the wind is taking its toll on his fun and games. As soon as he builds a tower of cards, climbs on a giant spider web, or picks up his pirate sword, here comes the wind: woosh!
25. Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson
the inspiring true story of emmanuel ofosu yeboah is extraordinary. born in ghana, west africa, with a deformed leg, most people dismissed him, but not his mother, who taught her to achieve his dreams.
26. nadia: the girl who couldn’t sit still by karlin grey
Nadia Comaneci was a fearless, feisty little girl who went from climbing trees in the forests of Romania to making history at the 1976 Olympics, where she received an unprecedented seven perfect scores in gymnastics.
27. life by cynthia rylant
There are so many wonderful things in life, both in the good times and in the struggles.
books about kindness
28. satoshi kitamura’s smile shop
Disappointment sets in for a little boy when he pours the money he’s saved down the drain. a stranger in a photography studio decides to make an unexpectedly kind gesture.
29. because amelia smiled by david ezra stein
because amelia smiles while skipping down the street, her neighbor mrs. Higgins also smiles and decides to send a package of cookies to Ella Lionel’s grandson in Mexico.
30. pass it by sophy henn
when you see something great, smile and pass it on. if you come across a laugh, heh heh heh and pass it on. if you see something wonderful, jump for joy and pass it on!
31. we are all wonders of r. J. palace
Now, younger readers can meet Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, and his beloved dog, Daisy. choose type.
32. the invisible rope by patrice karst
a story that teaches the bond that really unites. the invisible cord reaches from heart to heart. Does everyone have an invisible string? How far does it go, anyway? does it ever go away?
books on grief
33. evelyn del ray moves in for meg medina
Equal parts affirmative and hopeful, if you need social skills books for kids to help you cope with a friend’s move, this is the one. Daniela can’t believe that Evelyn won’t be living across the street anymore. But focusing on cherished memories and keeping in touch helps her cope.
34. oliver jeffers heart and bottle
There is a wonder and a magic in childhood. we don’t realize it at the time, of course. . . however, the adults in our lives do. They encourage us to see things in the stars, to find joy in colors and laughter as we play. But what happens when that special someone who fosters so much wonder and magic is no longer around?
35. the memory chain by eve bunting
each button on laura’s memory chain represents a part of her family history. The buttons Laura cherishes most belonged to her mother: a button from her graduation dress, a white button from her wedding dress, and a small button from the nightgown she was wearing on the day she died.
36. the big tree is sick: a story to help children cope with the serious illness of a loved one by nathalie slosse
snibbles and big tree are best friends! they have always been together, and snibbles loves big trees very much. When a large tree unexpectedly gets sick with woodworm, Snibbles is very upset and angry.
books about feelings
37. big feelings for alexandra penfold
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An energetic group of young friends have big plans for the day, until big resentments get in the way. it will be necessary to talk about it and be flexible to get the day back on track.
38. when sophie gets mad-really, really mad at molly bang
everyone gets angry sometimes.
39. julie gassman moody pants
When things don’t go his way, Roger gets cranky. however, roger thinks he has found a solution to being so moody.
40. the way i feel for janan cain
feelings are neither good nor bad; they just are. children need words to name their feelings, just like they need words to name all the things in their world.
41. the shadow elephant by nadine robert
The elephant is feeling very depressed. all of his friends keep trying to distract him, but it turns out that what he really needs is a friend to be with him and the resentments of him until they disappear. This is one of our new favorite social skills books for kids with the message that it’s okay to just sit through difficult emotions.
books on honesty
42. lying up a storm by julia cook
a storm is brewing… every time levi doesn’t like the truth, he makes up other things to say.
43. ruthie and laura rankin’s (not so) tiny lie
ruthie loves little things – the smaller the better. so when she finds a tiny camera in the schoolyard one afternoon, she can hardly believe her luck. she wants to keep the camera in the worst way, but there is a small problem: it is not hers.
44. i want my hat back by jon klassen
The bear’s hat is gone and he wants it back. patiently and politely, she asks the animals she meets, one by one, if they have seen him. every animal says no.
books on self-control
45. lilly purple plastic purse by kevin henkes
Lilly loves everything about school, especially her awesome teacher, Mr. slinger but when she lilly brings her purple plastic bag and her treasures to school and she can’t wait until sharing time, mr. slinger confiscates her prized possessions.
46. david gets in trouble by david shannon
“when david gets into trouble, he always says . . . ‘No! it’s not my fault! It was not my intention! It was an accident!’”
47. my mouth is a volcano by julia cook
all thoughts of louis are very important to him. in fact, his thoughts are so important to him that when he has something to say, his words begin to tremble, and then jerk, then his tongue pushes all his important words against his teeth, and he snaps, or interrupts others.
47. you will be my friend! by peter brown
Today is the day that lush Lucy is going to make a new friend! But she finds out it’s harder than she thought: she accidentally ruins the giraffe’s breakfast and it’s too big for the frog pond.
48. clark the shark by bruce hale
clark is a shark with a zing, bang and boom. he sprints into the school, runs through the classroom, and is noisy during recess.
books on resilience
49. giraffes can’t dance by giles andreae
Gerald the tall giraffe would love to join the other animals in the jungle dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can’t dance. . . or can they?
50. milo imagines the world by matt de la peña
Milo feels like a “stirred drink” when he takes the subway to visit his mother, who is incarcerated. he confronts his feelings by imagining the lives of his fellow travelers and imagines the time when his family will be together again.
Use this four-step process when reading these children’s social skills books to reinforce the skills highlighted:
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Describe: Talk to your students and ask them to talk to each other about what they think was the main point of the story. What social skills did the story define? how do you know? why are these skills important? Can you make a connection to your own life story? make a poster together, or have students write or draw in their journals about these social skills.
Demonstrate: Ask a few students to act out what social skills look and feel like. Role-playing the different ways students can demonstrate these skills will help reinforce the behavior.
Practice: Plan activities where each child has to take turns practicing the social skills highlighted.
promote: promote, support, and encourage children as they initiate and engage in behaviors that demonstrate these social skills. catch them being kind, flexible, honest, trusting, etc.!
Looking for more social skills books for kids? don’t miss:
- 15 Books To Teach Kids About Mindfulness
- 24 Picture Books To Teach Students About Kindness
- 23 Must-Read Anti-Bullying Books For Kids
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See Also: 30 good nonfiction books about espionage | Mal Warwick Blog on Books
