Books to Help Kids Understand Their Emotional and Mental Health
Title: Maybe Tomorrow?
By: Charlotte Agell
Published: 2019
Elba carries the black block of grief and sadness wherever she goes--until Norris comes along and helps her to let go of the block and enjoy life again.
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Ages 4 - 8.
Title: Be Happy: A Little Book of Mindfulness
By: Maddy Bard
Published: 2023
In this guide for helping young children boost their self-confidence, canine best friends Hucky and Buzz share some tips on staying present and positive as they share thoughts, emotions, and feelings with each other.
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Ages 2-5.
Title: Balloons for Papa
By: Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia
Published: 2021
Arthur just wants a bright balloon from the park's vendor, but Papa always says no. One morning, the balloons magically appear at their doorstep, and Arthur figures out the perfect way to bring the sunshine out--and Papa's smile back--even if only for a few moments.
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Ages 4-8
Title: Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More
By: Mallika Chopra
Published: 2018
A meditation guide that offers specific mindfulness exercises to help deal with day-to-day challenges and includes tips to lead a happier, healthier, and more connected life.
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Ages 8 -12.
Title: Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems
By: Kate Coombs
Published: 2017
A collection of poems paired with imagery of the natural world reminds readers about the importance of staying calm, soothing emotions, and appreciating the world around them.
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Ages 4 - 8.
Title: When Sadness is at Your Door
By: Eva Eland
Published: 2019
A young child experiences sadness as if it were a visitor, acknowledging the emotion and suggesting activities to do with it.
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Ages 3 - 7.
Title: Mindfulness for Little Ones: Playful Activities to Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, and Joy in Kids
By: Heidi France
Published: 2020
This book helps children move toward healthy coping skills and behaviors with playful, developmentally appropriate activities.
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Ages 2 -5.
Title: How to Master Your Mood in Middle School
By: Lenka Glassman
Published: 2022
Middle schoolers learn how to identify, manage, and self regulate their emotions and moods.
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Ages 10-14.
Title: Puppy in My Head: A Book About Mindfulness
By: Elise Gravel
Published: 2021
I've got a puppy running around inside my head. His name is Ollie. Sometimes my puppy is quiet, curious, or scared. And sometimes he is excited . . . a little too excited! When that happens, I get overwhelmed. So, what's a puppy--and an anxious kid--to do?
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Ages 4 - 8.
Title: 12 Hacks to Beat Bullying
By: Honor Head
Published: 2023
Discover 12 simple steps to combat bullying and improve your emotional wellbeing. This short but essential book will quickly and clearly advise children on how to deal with bullies, including cyberbullies, being left out, frenemies and peer pressure.
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Ages 9- up.
Title: Why Do I Feel So Worried?: Follow the Arrows from Anxiety to Calm—A Guide for Kids and Parents
By: Tammi Kirkness
Published: 2021
An illustrated flowchart guides kids to the right calming activity for every kind of anxiety.
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Ages 7-12.
Title: Breathe with Art! Activities to Manage Emotions
By: Lauren Kukla
Published: 2023
How do you manage your emotions? Maybe you close your eyes and count to ten. Or maybe you go for a quiet walk in nature. In Breathe with Art! Activities to Manage Emotions, discover what emotional wellness looks like. Put your knowledge to practice with emoji pins, glitter jars, and more.
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Ages 7-10
Title: Taking Time
By: Jo Loring-Fisher
Published: 2020
A young girl takes time to celebrate the sights and sounds around her, including her dog's soft fur, a flock of birds that passes by, waving blossoms on a tree, and the sound of the sea in a seashell.
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Ages 5 - 8.
Title: The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions
By: Anna Llenas
Published: 2018
One day, Color Monster wakes up feeling very confused. His emotions are all over the place; he feels angry, happy, calm, sad and scared all at once! To help him, a little girl shows him what each feeling means through color.
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Ages 4 - 8.
Title: My Heart
By: Corinna Luyken
Published: 2019
From moments of great joy and exuberance to necessary times of quiet contemplation, your heart is your guide.
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Ages 4 - 8.
Title: Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
By: Dr. Laura Markham
Published: 2012
Based on the latest research on brain development and clinical experience with parents, Dr. Laura Markham's approach is as simple as it its effective. Her message: Fostering emotional connection with your child creates real and lasting change.
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Title: Super George and The Invisible Shield
By: Laurie P. Mendoza
Published: 2017
George learns how to stay in control when other kids upset him.
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Ages 7 - 10.
Title: The Monster Parade: A Book about Feeling All Your Feelings and Then Watching Them Go
By: Wendy O'Leary
Published: 2022
Watch as the anger monster passes and the sadness monster disappears--it's all part of the parade of feelings we experience every day. Instead of holding on to their emotions, kids can acknowledge them and let them go on their way.
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Ages 3-7.
Title: It's OK: Being Kind to Yourself When Things Feel Hard
By: Wendy O'Leary
Published: 2023
All too often kids get down on themselves when they experience things that make them sad, angry, guilty, or jealous. It's amazing how powerful it can be to move past a difficult emotion when we think about all the other people feeling that same way and show ourselves some much need kindness.
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Ages 3-7.
Title: The I'm Not Scared Book
By: Todd Parr
Published: 2011
Relates the things that can frighten children and how these fears may be overcome.
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Ages 3 to 6.
Title: The Goodbye Book
By: Todd Parr
Published: 2015
Illustrations and brief text relate how a person might feel when they lose someone they love.
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Ages 3 - 6.
Title: Ruby Finds A Worry
By: Tom Percival
Published: 2019
A young girl's sense of adventure and exploration vanishes when she discovers a Worry that grows and grows until she learns how to get rid of it.
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Ages 3 - 6.
Title: Niko Draws a Feeling
By: Bob Raczka
Published: 2017
No one understands the abstract pictures that Niko draws until a new friend sees the thought and feeling within his shapes and forms.
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Ages 5 - 9.
Title: I Remember My Breath: Mindful Breathing for All My Feelings
By: Lynn Rummel
Published: 2023
Provides a simple introduction to emotional awareness, mindful breathing, and mindfulness using visualization techniques
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Ages 4-8.
Title: Me And My Fear
By: Francesca Sanna
Published: 2018
When a young girl has to move to a new country and start at a new school, her fear tells her to be alone and afraid. How can she hope to make friends if she doesn't understand anyone? Surely no one else feels the same way...
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Ages 3 - 7.
Title: The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive
By: Daniel J. Siegel
Published: 2011
The authors explain the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures, along with advice on how to put this information to work in raising happier, calmer children.
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Title: Making memories
By: Amy Tangerine
Published: 2022
This book is a how-to guide to journaling, scrapbooking, and crafting. It shows you how to be calm, mindful, and appreciate all the amazing things in your life!
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Ages 7-9.
Title: A Blue Kind of Day
By: Rachel Tomlinson
Published: 2022
Coen is having a sniffling, sighing, sobbing kind of day. His family thinks they know how to cheer him up. His dad wants to go outside and play, Mom tells her funniest joke, and his little sister shares her favorite teddy. Nothing helps. But one by one, they get quiet and begin to listen. After some time, space, and reassurance, Coen is able to show them what he needs.
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Ages 4-8.
Title: I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness
By: Susan Verde
Published: 2017
A child starts to get carried away with worry and rushing thoughts before taking a breath, steadying, observing thoughts, feeling kindness, feeling thankful, and experiencing the world.
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Ages 4 - 8.
Title: The Three Little Yogis and the Wolf Who Lost His Breath: A Fairy Tale to Help You Feel Better
By: Susan Verde
Published: 2020
One morning, the wolf came upon a peaceful little yogi doing sun salutations. The wolf wanted to huff and puff and blow her hut down into a big pile of straw. But instead the yogi suggested, "Let's meditate on that!" Soon the wolf met a second yogi, and then a third. He may have lost his huff and puff -- but with the help of three new yogi friends, can the wolf find his breath?
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Ages 4 - 8.