Social Emotional Books for the Classroom: Friendship and Kindness

Fun dinosaur characters teach young children all about friendship--the value of friends, how to make friends, and how to be a good friend. With playful full-color illustrations, Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown help kids cope with everyday social situations and learn: Who can be your friend. How to show someone you would like to be friends. How to handle bosses and bullies. The best ways to be a friend and ways not to be a friend. Ways to settle an argument with a friend.

Being kind means... Smiling at the new student in class. Giving someone a compliment. Celebrating the differences in others. When the girl in the red hat finds the courage to be kind to the new student in class, her kindness spreads. Kind act by kind act, her whole community experiences the magical shift that happens when everyone understands--and acts on--what it means to be kind.

Idil has a problem. She loves hanging out with her friends Pete and Ben--but lately, Pete hasn't been very nice to Ben. Pete doesn't let Ben have a turn talking or playing. Can Idil help Pete see that the way he's treating Ben isn't right? Come along as Idil tries to help Pete learn that everyone has value--and deserves to be included and treated with respect.

Cheery persistence wears down a curmudgeonly bear in a wry comedy of manners that ends in a most unlikely friendship. Bear is quite sure he doesn't like visitors. He even has a sign. So when a mouse taps on his door one day, Bear tells him to leave. But when Bear goes to the cupboard to get a bowl, there is the mouse -- small and gray and bright-eyed. In this slapstick tale that begs to be read aloud, all Bear wants is to eat his breakfast in peace, but the mouse -- who keeps popping up in the most unexpected places -- just won't go away!

Brad has a lot of great things going on in his life, or at least that's what he tells all of his classmates! When one student wins a contest, Brad brags about how he won an even bigger contest. When another student breaks his arm, Brad blabs about how he broke BOTH his arms AND legs. Children and adults will get a real kick out of Brad's tall tales as he learns the difference between being a "pull-upper" and a "one-upper!"

Josh, a chronic tattler, is warned by his mother that he is going to develop a case of tattle tongue, but the lesson really hits home when the Tattle Prince pays him a visit and lays down some rules about tattling.

RJ says what he thinks ... no matter how it sounds or makes others feel. It's time RJ starts using a social filter when he speaks. With help from his parents, he learns he doesn't have to verbalize every thought that pops into his head. In fact, sometimes the less said the better.

There are many reasons why Annie is best friends with Lillemor, who is from Sweden -they're the same age ... they like the same colors ... they like - doing the same things. Annie and Lillemor like each other so much they play together every day. But then Lilianne, a new girl from France, arrives. Annie can't stand that Lillemor has become friends with Lilianne and that Lilianne seems to have more things in common with Lillemor than Annie does. This funny, honest picture book by Annika Dunklee perfectly captures the rhythms of youngsters' friendships and emotions, while also reminding them that there's always room for new people in their lives.

When Stick rescues Stone from a prickly situation with a Pinecone, the pair becomes fast friends. But when Stick gets stuck, can Stone return the favor? In this funny story about kindness and friendship, Stick and Stone join George and Martha, Frog and Toad, and Elephant and Piggie, as some of the best friend duos in children's literature.

Drum: Didn't I call this summer a bummer? All: Not anymore, not anymore. Drum: I was alone, and life was lonely. All: But not anymore, Drum: 'cause we're the Friendly Four! When Drum, Dorene, Louis, and Rae enter one another's lives unexpectedly, they embark on an unforgettable summer of discovery and creative play together. With individual poems and poems for multiple voices, Eloise Greenfield follows four children as they explore the bonds of friendship, family, and community.

Horace, Morris, and Dolores do everything together and know that they will be Friends Forever...until one day, when Horace and Morris become part of an exclusive boys' club and Dolores finds herself left out. Soon, she, too, finds her own club, where no boys are allowed and girls are supposed to have fun doing girl stuff. But after a while, Horace and Morris and Dolores realize they aren't happy at all doing what everyone in their clubs seems to enjoy. They miss each other. Is it too late to be friends again?

A girl from a faraway place begins her first day at school. She doesn't speak the language and she looks different. She just doesn't fit in. But one day, she makes an unexpected friend--a squirrel! Then a rabbit joins them. Soon the girl's fuzzy woodland friends are followed by human ones and school becomes more fun! When a surprising new student joins the class, the girl and her new friends know just how to make him feel at home.

Sophie can't wait to share some great news with her friend Jacob! But she's so excited that she doesn't notice he has something to tell her too. When Sophie accidentally misses out on Jacob's important news, she realizes she wasn't really thinking of others in her excitement. Find out how Sophie learns about empathy as she tries to consider others' feelings.

Justin is his group leader for a research project in the library! He has a lot of ideas in mind, but he quickly learns that being a good leader means being fair to everyone in his group. Justin must figure out how to make sure everyone can work together. Find out how Justin learns about fairness to help his group complete their project.

Miles McHale is a tattletale. And everybody knows it. But he's not the only one who needs help, so his teacher decides: it's time to fight the Tattle Battle! But will Miles figure out the right time to tell a grown-up about another person's behavior, or is he doomed to be a tattletale forever?

This simple yet powerful picture book tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. Inspired by real events,  I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.

Jack's friend Charlie seems to know how to get away with just about anything. Adults always back down when you say you're sorry. But does an apology count if you don't really mean it? Jack learns that the path to forgiveness isn't always the easiest.

Maya's friend Bailey loves to talk about everything and everyone. At first, Maya thinks Bailey is funny. But when Bailey's talk leads to harmful rumors and hurt feelings, Maya begins to think twice about their friendship. Trudy Ludwig acquaints readers with the damaging consequences of "trouble talk"-talking to others about someone else's troubles in order to establish connection and gain attention.

Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.

It's the first day of school, and Ruby is new. When her classmate Angela wears a red bow in her hair, Ruby comes back from lunch wearing a red bow, too. When Angela wears a flowered dress, suddenly Ruby's wearing one, too. Fortunately, Ruby's teacher knows a better way to help Ruby fit in--by showing how much fun it is to be herself!

Ever since Unicorn moved into the neighborhood, Goat has been feeling out of sorts. Goat thought his bike was cool-until he saw that Unicorn could fly to school! Goat made marshmallow squares that almost came out right, but Unicorn made it rain cupcakes! Unicorn is such a show-off, how can Goat compete?

Third-grader Braden loves to be the center of attention. His comic genius, as he sees it, causes his friends to look at him in awe. But some poor decision-making, like ill-timed jokes in class and an impulsive reaction during gym that left a classmate teary-eyed and crumpled on the floor, forces the adults in Braden's life to teach him about impulse control. But will the lessons shared by his teachers and his mom really help Braden manage his impulses?

What happens when a bossy new girl tries to make everyone play by her rules? Ally-saurus and her friends always have lots of fun playing pretend. They stomp, they roar, they dance, each in their own way. But new girl Maddie wants everyone to play by HER rules. "Monsters can't be dinosaurs or dancers," she insists. Worst of all, she won't let little Petey have his teddy bear! Can Ally-saurus help Maddie understand that bossiness is no fun at all?  With charm and humor, Richard Torrey teaches a gentle lesson in respecting each other's differences . . . and playing nice.

Who knew that cakes were so rude?! In this deliciously entertaining book, a not-so-sweet cake--who never says please or thank you or listens to its parents--gets its just desserts.Mixing hilarious text and pictures, Rowboat Watkins, a former Sendak fellow, has cooked up a laugh-out- loud story that can also be served up as a delectable discussion starter about manners or bullying, as it sweetly reminds us all that even the rudest cake can learn to change its ways.

Each kindness makes the world a little better This unforgettable book is written and illustrated by the award-winning team that created The Other Side and the Caldecott Honor winner Coming On Home Soon. With its powerful anti-bullying message and striking art, it will resonate with readers long after they've put it down. Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she'd shown a little kindness toward Maya.

Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where kids in patkas, hijabs, and yarmulkes play side-by-side with friends in baseball caps. A school where students grow and learn from each other's traditions and the whole community gathers to celebrate the Lunar New Year. All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school.