Expert-Approved Books to Get Through Tough Stuff

Books for Ages 0-4

Dealing With Feelings or Tantrums:

• Red Red Red
• I Love You When You’re Angry
• Tiger Days: A Book of Feelings  
• The Feelings Book
• In My Heart: A Book of Feelings 

Bullying, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• I’ll Walk With You
• Just Ask! Be Brave, Be Different, Be You
• Everywhere Babies
• Hair Like Mine 
• The Rainbow Fish  

Health Challenges:

• Zip-Line (scars; heart surgery)
• Daniel Visits the Doctor (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood—book about regular doctor’s visit)
• Franklin Goes to the Hospital (surgery) 

Building Resilience:

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld: 9780735229358 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books feelings
• Waiting is Not Easy!
• I’m a Big Brother or I’m a Big Sister (new baby)
• Giraffes Can’t Dance  

Embracing Autism and Neurodiversity:

• We’re Amazing, 1, 2, 3! (available for free online: We’re Amazing, 1, 2, 3! | Sesame Street and Autism)
• The Boy with the Big, Big Feelings  
• What’s My Superpower?

Books for Pre-K through Second Grade

Dealing with Transitions:

• Daniel Tiger Goes to School
• Nothing Stays the Same, But that’s Okay: A Book to Read When Everything (or Anything) Changes
• Owen  
• The Kissing Hand  

Bullying, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• My Friend Maggie
• Stick and Stone (series)
• Last Stop on Market Street
• It’s Okay to be Different 

Health Challenges:

• The Lion Who Had Asthma
• When a Kid Like Me Fights Cancer
• The Perfect Shelter (for siblings of oncology patients)
• Taking Asthma to School
• My Friend Jen: A Little Different (blood disorder)

Building Resilience:

• The Invisible String (loss, separation and staying connected)
• Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere 
• Ruby Finds a Worry
• Ida, Always  (grief and bereavement)

Embracing Autism and Neurodiversity:

• A Friend for Henry
• My Brother Charlie
• All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism  

Books for Grades 3-5

Bullying, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
• Alma and How She Got Her Name 
• The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
• When We Were Alone 

Health Challenges:

• Ghosts (cystic fibrosis, graphic novel)
• What Happens When Someone I Love Has Cancer  
• Mostly Monty (asthma)
• See Inside Your Body

Building Resilience:

• A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma
• It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Adults Get Big Feelings Too
• A Last Goodbye (grief/bereavement)
• Listening to My Body
• After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)

Embracing Autism and Neurodiversity:

• The Girl Who Thought in Pictures 
• Noah Chases the Wind

Books for Grades 6-8

Dealing with Transitions:

• The 47 People You’ll Meet in Middle School 
• Planet Middle School  

Bullying, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• When You Trap a Tiger
• Fish in a Tree (dyslexia, embracing strengths and different ways of learning)
• The Crossover  
• Each Tiny Spark 

Embracing Autism and Neurodiversity:

• The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism
• Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
• Not If I Can Help It  

Relationships:

• The One and Only Ivan
• All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team  
• Hello, Universe  

Health Challenges:

• Wonder  (also a major motion picture)
• Soar  (heart condition)
• Halfway Normal (cancer)
• Out of My Mind (cerebral palsy)

Building Resilience:

• The Usborne Unworry Book
• New Kid  
• When Stars are Scattered

Books for Grades 9-12

Dealing with Transitions:

• This Will be Funny Later
• Letting Go! (activity book)

Embracing Autism and Neurodiversity:

• The Asperkid’s (Secret) Book of Social Rules: The Handbook of Not-so-obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens and Teens with Asperger Syndrome
• Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s 

Relationships:

• The Circles All Around Us
• What to Say Next

Health Challenges:

• The Fault in Our Stars (cancer)
• Chemo, Craziness & Comfort  
• Five Feet Apart (cystic fibrosis)
• Breathing for a Living (cystic fibrosis)

Building Resilience:

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse  
• Digging Deep: A Journal for Young People Facing Health Challenges
• The Survival Guide to Bullying: Written by a Teen  

Mental Health:

• Mind Your Head
• Just Feel: How to be Stronger, Happier, Healthier and More  

Books for Parents

For Surviving the Toddler Years:

• The Emotional Life of the Toddler
• Hunt, Gather, Parent
• 1-2-3 Magic  

For Surviving the School-Aged Years:

• The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk (The How To Talk Series)

Bullying, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Ryan’s Story: A father’s hard-earned lesson about cyberbullying and suicide 

Embracing Autism and Neurodiversity:

• The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed
• Far from the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity 

Mental Health:

• Atlas of the Heart  
• Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others  
• The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma