As humans, one of the things that we can do to change the world is to simply be of good character. We often learn how to be good people in early childhood through books. In this brief piece, I will discuss books that teach kids good character.
Books to Teach Children to be Kind
Elementary School
- Stand in My Shoes: Kids Learning About Empathy, by Bob Sornson; illustrated by Shelley Johannes
- Those Shoes, by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
- Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler, by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa
- What Does It Mean To Be Kind?, by Rana DiOrio, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch
- Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed, by Emily Pearson, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka
- Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
- The Invisible Boy, by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton
- Heartprints, by P.K. Hallinan
Middle School
- Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams
- Wonder, by RJ Palacio
- Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents, by Sarah Conover and Valerie Wahl
High School
- Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
- Rules, by Cynthia Lord
Books About Emotional Intelligence
Elementary School
- Moody Cow Meditates, by Kerry Lee MacLean
- That’s How I Feel (Asi Me Siento), by Rourke Publishing
- Have you Filled a Bucket Today?, by Carol McCloud, illustrated by David Messing
- What if Everybody Did That?, by Ellen Javernick, illustrated by Colleen M. Madden
- I Was So Mad, by Mercer Mayer
- Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners, by Laurie Keller
- My Many Colored Days, by Dr Seuss
Middle School
- Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake
- Queenie Peavy, by Robert Burch
High School
- Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, by Sheri Van Dijk
- A Still Quiet Place: A Mindfulness Program for Teaching Children and Adolescents to Ease Stress and Difficult Emotions, by Amy Saltzman MD
- Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance, by Patricia Broderick PhD
Books About Good Citizenship
Elementary School
- Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes
- The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes, Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
- Edwardo: the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World, by John Burningham
- Say Something, by Peggy Moss, Illustrated by Lea Lyon
- Babymouse: Queen of the World, by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
- Bully B.E.A.N.S., by Julia Cook, Illustrated by Anita DuFalla
- Confessions of a Former Bully, by Trudy Ludwig, Illustrated by Beth Adams
Middle School
- Stitches, by Glen Huser
- To This Day: For the Bullied and the Beautiful, by Shane Koyczan
- Understanding Buddy, by Marc Kornblatt
- Loser, by Jerry Spinelli
- Veronica Ganz, by Marilyn Sachs
- Blubber, by Judy Blume
High School
- Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories, by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
- Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Freak Show, by James St James
- Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
- 7 Days at the Hot Corner, by Terry Trueman
Books on Respecting the Viewpoints and Opinions of Others
Elementary School
- When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt, by Molly Bang
- I’m the Best, by Lucy Cousins
- Chocolate Milk, Por Favor, by Maria Dismondy, illustrated by Donna Farrell
- The Sandwich Swap, by Queen Rania of Jordan & Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Tricia Tusa
- Junkyard Wonders, by Patricia Polacco
- The Conquerers, by David McKee
Middle School
- Zero Tolerance, by Claudia Mills
- The Cat at the Wall, by Deborah Ellis
- The Three Questions, by Jon Muth
High School
- This Side of Home, by Renee Watson
Books About Diversity
Elementary School
- I Like Myself!, by Karen Beaumont, Illustrated by David Catrow
- Red: A Crayon’s Story, by Michael Hall
- Giraffes Can’t Dance, by Giles Andreae, Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
- Strictly No Elephants, by Lisa Mantchev, Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
- Two Speckled Eggs, by Jennifer K. Mann
- Willow, by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan, Illustrated by Cyd Moore
Middle School
- Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper
- Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai
- The Ordinary Princess, by M. M. Kaye
Books on Social Justice
Elementary School
- Grace for President, by Kelly DiPucchio, Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
- A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams
- Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation, by Edwidge Danticat, Illustrated by Leslie Staub
- House Mouse, Senate Mouse, by Peter W. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes
- Being Me, by Rosemary McCarney, Illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart
Middle School
- Zero Tolerance, by Claudia Mills
- Paper Things, by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
- The Kid’s Guide to Social Action, by Barbara A. Lewis
- Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen
- The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
High School
- The Great Greene Heist, by Varian Johnson
- The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
- The Plain Janes, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
- Samir and Yonatan, by Daniella Carmi
- The Lions of Little Rock, by Kristin Levine
- March: Book One, by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
