Best Books

The Best Books About Empathy Of All-Time

“What are the best books about Empathy?” We looked at 356 of the top Empathy books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 37 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Empathy” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 300+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!



Top 37 Empathy Books



37 .) A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead

Lists It Appears On:

  • Teacher Blog
  • We Are Teachers

Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, always made time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl. But one day—”Ah-choo!”—he woke up with the sniffles and the sneezes. Though he didn’t make it into the zoo that day, he did receive some unexpected guests. Philip C. Stead’s gently humorous tale of friendship and dedication is illustrated by his wife Erin E. Stead’s elegant drawings, embellished with subtle hints of color.

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36 .) Dear Mr. Rosenwald

Lists It Appears On:

  • FH
  • Michele Borba

Renowned illustrator Gregory Christie joins the Scholastic Press list with this empowering story about an African-American community who builds their own school. Based on the true story of the Rosenwald schools built in the rural African-American South in the 1920s, writer and poet Carol Boston Weatherford tells the lyrical story of third grader Ovella as her family and community help each other build a new, and much-prayed for, school. Inspired by Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, the son of an immigrant and the president of Sears, Roebuck and Co., donated millions of dollars to build schools for African-American children in the rural South.

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35 .) Each Kindness

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Pernillesripp

Each kindness makes the world a little better Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Maya is different–she wears hand-me-downs and plays with old-fashioned toys. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her gang, they reject her. Eventually, Maya plays alone, and then stops coming to school altogether. 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. 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.

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34 .) Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

Lists It Appears On:

  • iHome School Network
  • KQED

Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica. Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together.

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33 .) Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose

Lists It Appears On:

  • Self Sufficient Kids
  • Teacher Blog

What would you do if the ant you were about to step on looked up and started talking? Would you stop and listen? What if your friends saw you hesitate? That’s what happens in this funny, thought-provoking book. Originally a song by a father-daughter team, this conversation between two creatures, large and small, is bound to inspire important discussions. It might even answer that classic childhood question: To squish or not to squish?

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32 .) I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World

Lists It Appears On:

  • Readings
  • Teacher Blog

I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

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31 .) Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

Lists It Appears On:

  • Parents
  • Pernillesripp

In a spare, powerful text and evocative illustrations, the Newbery medalist Katherine Applegate and the artist G. Brian Karas present the extraordinary real story of a special gorilla. Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact. This is his true story and includes photographs of Ivan in the back matter.

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30 .) Malala, A Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, A Brave Boy from Pakistan

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Pernillesripp

Meet two heroes of Pakistan who stood up for the rights to freedom and education in these inspirational nonfiction tales from acclaimed author-illustrator Jeannette Winter. Two stories of bravery in one beautiful book! Meet two brave young heroes of Pakistan who stood up for the right to freedom and education in this inspirational nonfiction picture book from acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter. One country: Pakistan. Two children: Iqbal Masih and Malala Yousafzai. Each was unafraid to speak out. He, against inhumane child slavery in the carpet trade. She, for the right of girls to attend school. Both were shot by those who disagreed with them—he in 1995, she in 2012. Iqbal was killed instantly; Malala miraculously survived and continues to speak out around the world. The stories of these two courageous children whose bravery transcended their youth are an inspiration to all.

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29 .) Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya

Lists It Appears On:

  • FH
  • Pragmatic Mom

On market day, Mama Panya’s son Adika invites everyone he sees to a pancake dinner. How will Mama Panya ever feed them all? This clever and heartwarming story about Kenyan village life teaches the importance of sharing, even when you have little to give.

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28 .) Red – A Crayon’s Story

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Pernillesripp

A blue crayon mistakenly labeled as “red” suffers an identity crisis in the new picture book by the New York Times–bestselling creator of My Heart Is Like a Zoo and It’s an Orange Aardvark! Funny, insightful, and colorful, Red: A Crayon’s Story, by Michael Hall, is about being true to your inner self and following your own path despite obstacles that may come your way. Red will appeal to fans of Lois Ehlert, Eric Carle, and The Day the Crayons Quit, and makes a great gift for readers of any age! Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let’s draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can’t be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He’s blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone!

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27 .) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Lists It Appears On:

  • Michele Borba
  • Teacher Blog

Why is the land so important to Cassie’s family? It takes the events of one turbulent year—the year of the night riders and the burnings, the year a white girl humiliates Cassie in public simply because she’s black—to show Cassie that having a place of their own is the Logan family’s lifeblood. It is the land that gives the Logans their courage and pride—no matter how others may degrade them, the Logans possess something no one can take away.

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26 .) Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy

Lists It Appears On:

  • Family Education
  • Fractus Learning

How can Ralph be so mean? Lucy is one of a kind and Ralph loves to point that out. Lucy’s defining moment comes when Ralph truly needs help. Because she knows what she stands for, Lucy has the courage to make a good choice. This charming story empowers children to always do the right thing and be proud of themselves, even when they are faced with sticky situation.

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25 .) Stone Fox

Lists It Appears On:

  • Michele Borba
  • Teacher Blog

John Reynolds Gardiner’s classic action-packed adventure story about a thrilling dogsled race has captivated readers for more than thirty years. Based on a Rocky Mountain legend, Stone Fox tells the story of Little Willy, who lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. When Grandfather falls ill, he is no longer able to work the farm, which is in danger of foreclosure. Little Willy is determined to win the National Dogsled Race—the prize money would save the farm and his grandfather. But he isn’t the only one who desperately wants to win. Willy and his brave dog Searchlight must face off against experienced racers, including a Native American man named Stone Fox, who has never lost a race.

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24 .) The Boy On The Wooden Box: How The Impossible Became Possible On Schindler’s List by Leon Leyson

Lists It Appears On:

  • Fractus Learning
  • Michele Borba

Even in the darkest of times—especially in the darkest of times—there is room for strength and bravery. A remarkable memoir from Leon Leyson, one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list. Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto. With incredible luck, perseverance, and grit, Leyson was able to survive the sadism of the Nazis, including that of the demonic Amon Goeth, commandant of Plaszow, the concentration camp outside Krakow. Ultimately, it was the generosity and cunning of one man, a man named Oskar Schindler, who saved Leon Leyson’s life, and the lives of his mother, his father, and two of his four siblings, by adding their names to his list of workers in his factory—a list that became world renowned: Schindler’s List. This, the only memoir published by a former Schindler’s List child, perfectly captures the innocence of a small boy who goes through the unthinkable. Most notable is the lack of rancor, the lack of venom, and the abundance of dignity in Mr. Leyson’s telling. The Boy on the Wooden Box is a legacy of hope, a memoir unlike anything you’ve ever read.

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23 .) The Giving Tree

Lists It Appears On:

  • Michele Borba
  • Teacher Blog

“Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.” So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk…and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.

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22 .) The Journey

Lists It Appears On:

  • Colours Of Us
  • Readings

With haunting echoes of the current refugee crisis this beautifully illustrated book explores the unimaginable decisions made as a family leave their home and everything they know to escape the turmoil and tragedy brought by war. This book will stay with you long after the last page is turned. From the author: The Journey is actually a story about many journeys, and it began with the story of two girls I met in a refugee center in Italy. After meeting them I realized that behind their journey lay something very powerful. So I began collecting more stories of migration and interviewing many people from many different countries. A few months later, in September 2014, when I started studying a Master of Arts in Illustration at the Academy of Lucerne, I knew I wanted to create a book about these true stories. Almost every day on the news we hear the terms “migrants” and “refugees” but we rarely ever speak to or hear the personal journeys that they have had to take. This book is a collage of all those personal stories and the incredible strength of the people within them.

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21 .) The One and Only Ivan

Lists It Appears On:

  • Michele Borba
  • Pernillesripp

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

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20 .) Through Grandpa’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan

Lists It Appears On:

  • Michele Borba
  • Self Sufficient Kids

On John’s visits to Grandpa’s house, his blind grandfather shares with him the special way he sees and moves in the world.

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19 .) You, Me and Empathy: Teaching Children about Empathy, Feelings, Kindness, Compassion, Tolerance and Recognizing Bullying Behaviors

Lists It Appears On:

  • Colours Of Us
  • Dig books

One of the most important social skills a child can learn is empathy. Being able to understand how another person is feeling and recognizing their needs helps people to connect to one another across race, culture and the diversity that is ever-present and so important to our world. This charming story uses verse, beautiful illustrations and a little person called Quinn to model the meaning of empathy. Throughout the story, Quinn shows an abundance of understanding, compassion and kindness towards others. Showing empathy towards others is a learnt trait, and one to nurture and cherish with the children in our care.

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18 .) Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Pernillesripp
  • Self Sufficient Kids

Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Kitten’s First Full Moon, Chrysanthemum is a funny and honest school story about teasing, self-esteem, and acceptance to share all year round. Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect—until her first day of school. “You’re named after a flower!” teases Victoria. “Let’s smell her,” says Jo. Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?

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17 .) Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson

Lists It Appears On:

  • KQED
  • Teacher Blog
  • We Are Teachers

This picture book biography tells the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who bicycled across Ghana–nearly 400 miles–with only one leg. With that achievement he forever changed how his country treats people with disabilities, and he shows us all that one person is enough to change the world.

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16 .) Fly Away Home

Lists It Appears On:

  • FH
  • Michele Borba
  • Parents

Sometimes all you can do is fly away home . . . When Sylvie Serfer met Richard Woodruff in law school, she had wild curls, wide hips, and lots of opinions. Decades later, Sylvie has remade herself as the ideal politician’s wife-her hair dyed and straightened, her hippie-chick wardrobe replaced by tailored knit suits. At fifty-seven, she ruefully acknowledges that her job is staying twenty pounds thinner than she was in her twenties and tending to her husband, the senator. Lizzie, the Woodruffs’ younger daughter, is at twenty-four a recovering addict, whose mantra HALT (Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired?) helps her keep her life under control. Still, trouble always seems to find her. Her older sister, Diana, an emergency room physician, has everything Lizzie failed to achieve-a husband, a young son, the perfect home-and yet she’s trapped in a loveless marriage. With temptation waiting in one of the ER’s exam rooms, she finds herself craving more. After Richard’s extramarital affair makes headlines, the three women are drawn into the painful glare of the national spotlight.

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15 .) Night by Elie Wiesel

Lists It Appears On:

  • Michele Borba
  • Read Brightly
  • Real Simple

Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel’s memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man. This new translation by his wife and most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel’s testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again.

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14 .) Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Lists It Appears On:

  • iHome School Network
  • Michele Borba
  • Teacher Blog

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It’s now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are “relocated,” Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen’s life.

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13 .) One by Kathryn Otoshi

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Pernillesripp
  • Self Sufficient Kids

Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about accepting each other’s differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count.

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12 .) Sam and The Lucky Money

Lists It Appears On:

  • Colours Of Us
  • Colours Of Us
  • Parents

Sam can hardly wait to go shopping with his mom. It’s Chinese New Year’s day and his grandparents have given him the traditional gift of lucky money-red envelopes called leisees (lay-sees). This year Sam is finally old enough to spend it any way he chooses. Best of all, he gets to spend his lucky money in his favorite place — Chinatown! But when Sam realizes that his grandparents’ gift is not enough to get the things he wants, his excitement turns to disappointment. Even though his mother reminds him that he should appreciate the gift, Sam is not convinced — until a surprise encounter with a stranger. With vivid watercolor paintings, artists Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu celebrate the sights and sounds of festive Chinatown streets. In her picture book debut, author Karen Chinn tells the affecting story of a child who discovers that sometimes the best gifts come from the heart. Sam can hardly wait to go shopping with his mom. It’s Chinese New Year’s day and his grandparents have given him the traditional gift of lucky money-red envelopes called leisees (lay-sees).

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11 .) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Lists It Appears On:

  • Five Books
  • Michele Borba
  • Real Simple

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor’s dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is funny, poignant and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.

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10 .) The Other Side

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Indy PL
  • Pernillesripp

Once upon a time there was a man. He was handsome, successful, loved, and life was great. Time passed and he earned himself a nickname. They called him Midas because everything he touched turned to gold. He climbed ladders until he was staring down at the common person through glass ceilings. But you know what they say… The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And so he fell. Where he landed, no one knows. There once was a girl named Mac. She found a cold, hard stone and held it until it cracked. The closer she held it, the larger the cracks grew. She grew curious and peeked inside. Inside, she found a man…

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9 .) The Sneetches

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Indy PL
  • Michele Borba

Four funny easy-to-read stories all with subtly planted moral lessons.

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8 .) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Lists It Appears On:

  • Michele Borba
  • Read Brightly
  • The Guardians

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic. Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior – to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story.

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7 .) The Name Jar

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Indy PL
  • Parents
  • Pernillesripp

The new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she? Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates are fascinated by this no-name girl and decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day of her name choosing, the name jar has mysteriously disappeared. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone pronounce it—Yoon-Hey.

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6 .) Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

Lists It Appears On:

  • Colours Of Us
  • FH
  • Parents
  • We Are Teachers

But all the kids are wearing them! Any child who has ever craved something out of reach will relate to this warm, refreshingly realistic story. “I have dreams about those shoes. Black high-tops. Two white stripes.” All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. But Jeremy’s grandma tells him they don’t have room for “want,” just “need,” and what Jeremy needs are new boots for winter. When Jeremy’s shoes fall apart at school, and the guidance counselor gives him a hand-me-down pair, the boy is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy comes to realize that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

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5 .) Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Lists It Appears On:

  • Fractus Learning
  • Michele Borba
  • Readings
  • Real Simple
  • The Guardians

This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children’s literature that is “just about perfect.” This high-quality paperback features vibrant illustrations colorized by Rosemary Wells! Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte’s Web, high up in Zuckerman’s barn. Charlotte’s spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur’s life when he was born the runt of his litter. E. B. White’s Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.

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4 .) Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book Riot
  • Colours Of Us
  • FH
  • KQED
  • We Are Teachers

Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book A 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book A New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of 2015 A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2015 Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share, and comes to life through Matt de la Pena’s vibrant text and Christian Robinson’s radiant illustrations.

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3 .) The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Lists It Appears On:

  • FH
  • Michele Borba
  • Parents
  • Real Simple
  • Self Sufficient Kids

Eleanor Estes’s The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn’t and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it’s too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda’s classmates, ultimately decides that she is “never going to stand by and say nothing again.

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2 .) Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Lists It Appears On:

  • Books For Keeps
  • Family Education
  • Michele Borba
  • Self Sufficient Kids
  • Teacher Blog

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

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1 .) The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

Lists It Appears On:

  • FH
  • Michele Borba
  • Pernillesripp
  • Self Sufficient Kids
  • Teacher Blog
  • We Are Teachers

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. From esteemed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and acclaimed illustrator Patrice Barton, this gentle story shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find The Invisible Boy a valuable and important resource.

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The 300+ Additional Best Books About Empathy



 

# Books Authors Lists
(Books Appear On 1 List Each)
38 13 Reasons Why Readings
39 A Color of His Own Book Riot
40
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love
Parents
41 A is for Activist Book Riot
42
A Lesson Before Dying,
Michele Borba
43 A Long Walk to Water Linda Sue Park
iHome School Network
44 A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman The Good Trade
45 A New Coat for Anna Michele Borba
46 A Special Trade Michele Borba
47 Adventures of Huckleberry Fin Mark Twain Rise And Converge
48
Affective Ecologies: Empathy, Emotion, and Environmental Narrative
Dig books
49
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Childrens Hospital
50 All Kinds of Families Indy PL
51
All Quiet on the Western Front
Read Brightly
52 All the World Book Riot
53 Amazing Grace Mary Hoffman Self Sufficient Kids
54 America the Anxious: How Our Pursuit of Happiness is Creating a Nation of Nervous Wrecks Ruth Whippman Yes Magazine
55
Angel Child, Dragon Child,
Michele Borba
56 Animals in Translation Temple Grandin Five Books
57 Apt.3 Colours Of Us
58 Arctic White Danna Smith and Lee White Literat iBooks
59 Argyle Fox Marie Letourneau We Are Teachers
60 Art Detective: Spot the Difference! Doris Kutschbach and Julia Durr Literat iBooks
61 Baby Faces Parents
62
Baby Faces Peekaboo!
Parents
63 Be a Friend Teacher Blog
64 Beatrice’s Goat FH
65 Beautiful Oops Barney Saltzberg Fractus Learning
66 Because Amelia Smiled David Ezra Stein We Are Teachers
67 Becoming Aurora Readings
68 Beryl: a Pig’s Tale Indy PL
69 Big Questions from Little People and Simple Answers from Great Minds compiled Gemma Elwin Harris Literat iBooks
70 Big Tree is Sick: A Story to Help Children Cope with the Serious Illness of a Loved One Nathalie Slosse We Are Teachers
71 Black Like Me, Michele Borba
72 Blubber Michele Borba
73 Bluebird Pernillesripp
74 Brain Gender Melissa Hines Five Books
75
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
Pragmatic Mom
76 Building Blocks, Michele Borba
77 Cheri Meiners
Education and Behavior
78 Chicken in the Kitchen Pragmatic Mom
79 Children of the River Michele Borba
80
Chocolate Milk, Por favor!
Colours Of Us
81 Clark the Shark Bruce Hale We Are Teachers
82 Cloud Busting Books For Keeps
83 Commonwealth Ann Patchett The Good Trade
84 Confessions of a Former Bully Trudy Ludwig Family Education
85
Cornelia Maude Spelman
Education and Behavior
86
Counting On Community
Book Riot
87 Crabby Pants Julie Gassman We Are Teachers
88 Cry, Heart, But Never Break Glenn Ringtved We Are Teachers
89 David Gets In Trouble David Shannon We Are Teachers
90
Desmond and the Very Mean Word
Colours Of Us
91 Don’t Need Friends Carolyn Crimi Fractus Learning
92 Don’t Think About Purple Elephants Susanne Merritt We Are Teachers
93 Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music Margarita Engle We Are Teachers
94 El Deafo Readings
95
Empath: A Guide To Understanding, Defending & Nurturing Your Precious Gift (Empath, Intuitive, Psychic, Empathy)
Dig books
96 Empathy Dig books
97
Empathy – Harvard Business Review
Hub Spot
98
Empathy (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series
Dig books
99 Empathy: Why It Matters, and How to Get It Roman Krznaric Hub Spot
100 Enemy Pie Derek Munson We Are Teachers
101 Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle Chris Raschka We Are Teachers
102 Everywhere Babies Parents
103 Exit West Mohsin Hamid The Good Trade
104 Extraordinary Jane Hannah E. Harrison We Are Teachers
105 Farewell to Manzanar, Michele Borba
106 Fat, Fat Rose Marie, Michele Borba
107 Finding Perfect Childrens Hospital
108
Finding the Lost Art of Empathy: Connecting Human to Human in a Disconnected World Hardcover
Dig books
109 Fish in a Tree Childrens Hospital
110 Follow My Leader James B. Garfield
iHome School Network
111 Freak the Mighty Parents
112 Freedom Summer Indy PL
113 Full Cicada Moon KQED
114
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras
KQED
115 Gabe & Izzy: Standing Up for America’s Bullied Gabrielle Ford Family Education
116 George KQED
117 Gilead Marilynne Robinson Rise And Converge
118 Giraffes Can’t Dance Giles Andreae We Are Teachers
119
Gone Crazy in Alabama
KQED
120
Good People Everywhere
Colours Of Us
121 Goodnight Mister Tom Michelle Magorian The Guardians
122 Great Expectations, Michele Borba
123
Grover Finds a Home (Grover McBane, Rescue Dog Book 1)
Readings
124
Growing Peace: A Story of Farming, Music, and Religious Harmony
Pragmatic Mom
125 Hallelujah Anyway Anne Lamott The Good Trade
126 Happy In Our Skin Book Riot
127 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone JK Rowling The Guardians
128 Heather Foudy Teacher Blog
129
Hello My Name is Octicorn
Indy PL
130 Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why Paul Tough Yes Magazine
131 Horton Hears a Who! Teacher Blog
132 How Are You Peeling: Foods With Moods Saxton Freymann and Joost Elfers Fractus Learning
133
How Books Can Teach Your Child to Care
Indy PL
134
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Read Brightly
135 I Want My Hat Back Jon Klassen We Are Teachers
136 I’m New Here KQED
137 I’m a Girl! Yasmeen Ismail We Are Teachers
138 I’m Here, Pernillesripp
139 I’m New Here Colours Of Us
140 If you could be mine Books For Keeps
141
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse
KQED
142 Introducing Teddy Book Riot
143 Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior Jonah Berger Yes Magazine
144 Jabari Jumps Gaia Cornwall We Are Teachers
145 Joy on Demand: The Art of Discovering the Happiness Within Chade-Meng Tan Yes Magazine
146 Juna’s Jar KQED
147 June and August Indy PL
148 Just Grace Charise Mericle Fractus Learning
149 Just Kidding Trudy Ludwig Family Education
150
Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Education and Behavior
151 Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker Christianne C. Jones We Are Teachers
152 Let’s Talk about Race Indy PL
153 Life Cynthia Rylant We Are Teachers
154 Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse Kevin Henkes We Are Teachers
155 Listen, Slowly KQED
156 Little Elliot, Big Fun Parents
157 Little Sweet Potato Indy PL
158 Llama Llama and the Bully Goat Anna Dewdney Family Education
159 Looking After Louis Indy PL
160 Lord of the Flies, Michele Borba
161
Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush’s Incredible Journey
Colours Of Us
162 Lots of Feelings Shelley Rotner Fractus Learning
163 Love That Dog Books For Keeps
164 Lying Up a Storm Julia Cook We Are Teachers
165 Maddi’s Fridge FH
166
Mama’s Nightingale : A Story of Immigration and Separation
KQED
167
Manchild in a Promised Land,
Michele Borba
168
Mango, Abuela, and Me
KQED
169 Maria Dismondy
Education and Behavior
170 Marlene, Marlene, Queen of Mean Jane Lynch Family Education
171 Migrant Book Riot
172 Millie Fierce Jane Manning We Are Teachers
173 Mindsight: Transform Your Brain with the New Science of Empathy Daniel J. Siegel Hub Spot
174 Mirror Books For Keeps
175 Missing Mommy: A Book About Bereavement Rebecca Cobb We Are Teachers
176 Molly’s Pilgrim, Michele Borba
177 Moo, Baa, La La La! Parents
178 Moo! Parents
179
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
Book Riot
180 Mr. Ferris and His Wheel Kathryn Gibbs Davis Literat iBooks
181 My Grandma’s a Ninja Indy PL
182 My Mouth Is a Volcano! Julia Cook We Are Teachers
183 My Princess Boy Book Riot
184 My Very Own Space Pippa Goodhart We Are Teachers
185 Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still Karlin Gray We Are Teachers
186
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed
Book Riot
187 Ninth Ward Parents
188 Nita Everly
Education and Behavior
189 No Longer at Ease Read Brightly
190 No, No, No! Marie-Isabelle Callier Fractus Learning
191 Noughts and Crosses Malorie Blackman and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry The Guardians
192 Of Mice and Men, Michele Borba
193 Old Henry, Michele Borba
194 One Family KQED
195 One Green Apple Indy PL
196
One Word From Sophia
KQED
197 Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed Emily Pearson We Are Teachers
198 Orion and the Dark Emma Yarlett Literat iBooks
199 Out of My Mind Teacher Blog
200 Paperboy Vince Vawter Fractus Learning
201 Pass It On Sophy Henn We Are Teachers
202 Pete & Pickles Pernillesripp
203
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
Parents
204
Please Stop Laughing At Me!: One Woman’s Inspirational Story,
Michele Borba
205 Poetry Emotion Books For Keeps
206 Presto Changeo: Book of Animal Magic Edouard Manceau Literat iBooks
207 Pride and Prejudice, Michele Borba
208 Ramona the Pest Beverly Cleary Real Simple
209 Rude Cakes Parents
210 Rulers of the Playground Joseph Kuefler We Are Teachers
211 Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie Laura Rankin We Are Teachers
212 Same Sun Here Silas House and Neela Vaswani Fractus Learning
213 Separation John Bowlby Five Books
214 Shades of People Indy PL
215
Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book
Colours Of Us
216
Sitting Bull : Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People
KQED
217 Small Great Things Jodi Picoult The Good Trade
218
Some Monsters are Different
Indy PL
219
Somebody Loves You, Mr
Michele Borba
220 Something Else Books For Keeps
221 Speak, Michele Borba
222 Splashdance Indy PL
223 Spork Book Riot
224 Spot Goes to the Farm Parents
225 Stand in My Shoes Bob Sornson, Ph.D. Family Education
226 Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon Patty Lovell Fractus Learning
227 Stand Up for Yourself & Your Friends Patti Kelley Criswell Family Education
228 Star of Light Patricia M. St. John
iHome School Network
229
Start With Sorry: A Children’s Picture Book With Lessons in Empathy, Sharing, Manners & Anger Management
Dig books
230 Stellaluna Janell Cannon Real Simple
231 Stevie Parents
232 Stick and Stone Beth Ferry We Are Teachers
233 Stone-Faced Boy, Michele Borba
234 Stoner John Williams Rise And Converge
235 Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right Arlie Hochschild Yes Magazine
236 Strictly No Elephants Indy PL
237 Success and Luck: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy Robert Frank Yes Magazine
238
Sumi’s First Day of School Ever
Colours Of Us
239 Sunday Chutney Aaron Blabey We Are Teachers
240 Superhero Dad Timothy Knapman Literat iBooks
241 Take A Deep Breath Sue Graves Fractus Learning
242 Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success Jessica Tracy Yes Magazine
243 Tashi Barbara and Anna Fienberg Literat iBooks
244 Teammates, Michele Borba
245 That’s Not Fair! Colours Of Us
246 The Age of Empathy: Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society Frans De Waal Hub Spot
247 The Answer Book Riot
248 The Art of Empathy: A Complete Guide to Life’s Most Essential Skill Karla McLaren Hub Spot
249 The Awakening Read Brightly
250 The Bear’s House Michele Borba
251 The Bedspread, Michele Borba
252 The BFG Roald Dahl The Guardians
253 The Bone Sparrow Readings
254 The Book of Mistakes Corinna Luyken We Are Teachers
255 The Book Thief Real Simple
256 The Border Trilogy Cormac McCarthy Rise And Converge
257
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Read Brightly
258
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Pragmatic Mom
259 The Bronze Bow Elizabeth George Speare
iHome School Network
260 The Bully Blockers Club Teresa Bateman Family Education
261 The Butter Man Pragmatic Mom
262 The Can Man Colours Of Us
263 The Cay Theodore Taylor
iHome School Network
264
The Chickens Build a Wall
Indy PL
265 The Color of Water, Michele Borba
266 The Colors of Us Indy PL
267 The Colour of Home Books For Keeps
268 The Crayon Box that Talked Shane Derolf We Are Teachers
269 The Dark Lemony Snicket We Are Teachers
270
The Day No One Was Angry
Readings
271
The Diary of Anne Frank,
Michele Borba
272 The Diddakoi Books For Keeps
273
The Distance Between Us
Read Brightly
274 The Dot Peter H. Reynolds We Are Teachers
275
The Empathy Guidebook: Honoring, Understanding, and Listening to the People Around Us
Dig books
276
The Empathy Instinct: How to Create a More Civil Society Hardcover
Dig books
277
The Face At The Window
Colours Of Us
278 The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children Alison Gopnik Yes Magazine
279 The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes Mark Pett We Are Teachers
280 The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck Real Simple
281 The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success Emma Seppälä Yes Magazine
282 The Hard-Times Jar FH
283 The Hate Crime, Michele Borba
284 The Hate U Give Readings
285 The Heart and the Bottle Oliver Jeffers We Are Teachers
286
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Read Brightly
287 The Invisible String Patrice Karst We Are Teachers
288 The Invisible Thread, Michele Borba
289 The Juice Box Bully Bob Sornson, Ph.D. Family Education
290 The Jumbies KQED
291 The Karamazov Brothers (also known as The Brothers Karamazov) Fyodor Dostoevsky Rise And Converge
292 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini Rise And Converge
293 The Language Instinct Steven Pinker Five Books
294
The Little Bit Scary People
Indy PL
295 The Little Prince, Michele Borba
296 The Lord of the Flies William Golding Rise And Converge
297 The Memory String Eve Bunting We Are Teachers
298 The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Kate DiCamillo
iHome School Network
299 The One Day House Colours Of Us
300 The Ostrich and Other Lost Things Beth Hautala
iHome School Network
301 The Other Bears Indy PL
302 The Other Son Real Simple
303 The Outsiders, Michele Borba
304 The Peace Book Indy PL
305
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Read Brightly
306 The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence Dacher Keltner Yes Magazine
307 The Protected Readings
308
The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle
Pragmatic Mom
309
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Read Brightly
310
The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm
Parents
311 The Road Cormac McCarthy Rise And Converge
312 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett The Guardians
313 The Sellout Paul Beatty The Good Trade
314
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade
Book Riot
315
The Song from Somewhere Else
Readings
316 The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen The Good Trade
317 The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien Rise And Converge
318
The Things We Promise
Readings
319 The Underground Railroad Colson Whitehead The Good Trade
320 The Wall Eve Bunting Self Sufficient Kids
321 The War of Art Steven Pressfield The Good Trade
322
The War That Saved My Life
Childrens Hospital
323 The Water Princess Pragmatic Mom
324
The Way Home Looks Now
KQED
325 The Way I Feel Janan Cain We Are Teachers
326
The Witch of Blackbird Pond,
Michele Borba
327 There Might Be Lobsters Carolyn Crimi We Are Teachers
328 This One Summer Readings
329
Tilt Your Head, Rosie Red
Indy PL
330 Too Shy for Show-and-Tell Beth Bracken We Are Teachers
331 Twelve Angry Men Reginald Rose Rise And Converge
332 Twenty and Ten Claire Huchet Bishop
iHome School Network
333 Two White Rabbits Colours Of Us
334 Waiting For Wings Lois Ehlert Fractus Learning
335
Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees
Pragmatic Mom
336 Warriors Don’t Cry, Michele Borba
337 We Came to America Indy PL
338 We’re All Wonders R. J. Palacio We Are Teachers
339 Well-Designed: How to Use How to Use Empathy to Create Products People Love Jon Kolko Hub Spot
340 Weslandia Paul Fleishman Fractus Learning
341 What’s Wrong with Timmy? Maria Shriver Self Sufficient Kids
342 When Breath Becomes Air Paul Kalanithi The Good Trade
343
When Michael Met Mina
Readings
344 When Pigasso Met Mootisse Nina Laden Literat iBooks
345 When Sophie Gets Angry–Really, Really Angry Molly Bang We Are Teachers
346
Where the Red Fern Grows
Teacher Blog
347 Who We Are Indy PL
348 Whoever You Are Indy PL
349
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge,
Michele Borba
350 Winnie the Pooh AA Milne and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Guardians
351 Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy Dev Patnaik Hub Spot
352 Wolfie the Bunny Pernillesripp
353
You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World
Indy PL
354
You are Stardust: Our Amazing Connections With Planet Earth
Readings
355 YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! Peter Brown We Are Teachers
356
Yuko-Chan and the Daruma Doll
Colours Of Us


29 Best Empathy Book Sources/Lists



Source Article
Book Riot 25 Picture Books That Promote Empathy and Respect – Book Riot
Books For Keeps Children’s Books – Articles – Ten of the Best Books to boost empathy …
Childrens Hospital Books that teach empathy and kindness – Boston Children’s Hospital …
Colours Of Us 19 Multicultural Children’s Books teaching Kindness & Empathy
Dig books Top 10 Empathy Books of 2017 – Best Book Recommendations, Best …
Education and Behavior 5 Great Books to Teach Young Children About Empathy …
Family Education 11 Children’s Books About Bullying, Teasing & Empathy …
FH 10 Children’s Books to Help You Teach Empathy on International …
Five Books The Best Books on Empathy | Five Books
Fractus Learning The Best 15 Books to Raise Children’s Emotional IQ and Teach Empathy
Hub Spot 7 Books That Will Help You Develop More Empathy – HubSpot Blog
iHome School Network 10 Books to Inspire Compassion and Empathy in Homeschooled …
Indy PL Empathy, kindness & Respecting Others – Ready To Read
KQED 20 Books Featuring Diverse Characters to Inspire Connection and …
Literat iBooks In Defense of Monsters: What Dark Books Teach Children About …
Michele Borba 50 Books for Kids and Teens That Teach Empathy | Dr Michele Borba
Parents 20 Books That Encourage Empathy | Parents – Parents Magazine
Pernillesripp 10 Picture Books that Spark Empathy – Pernille Ripp
Pragmatic Mom 10 Picture Books About Africa That Teach Empathy – PragmaticMom
Read Brightly 11 Touching Books to Boost Empathy in Teen Readers | Brightly
Readings Blog: Children’s books that teach empathy · Readings.com.au
Real Simple 14 Books and Movies to Teach Kids About Empathy | Real Simple
Rise And Converge 11 fictional books than can improve empathy – RISE AND CONVERGE
Self Sufficient Kids 10 Children’s Books That Teach Empathy – Self-Sufficient Kids
Teacher Blog Top 15 books that teach empathy and kindness to children |
The Good Trade 10 Must-Read Books To Inspire Empathy & Joy This … – The Good Trade
The Guardians Reading a book is best for empathy | Children’s books | The Guardian
We Are Teachers 50 Must-Have Picture Books About Emotion – WeAreTeachers
Yes Magazine The Science of Creating a Compassionate World: 10 Best Books of …

 

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