Through my experiences with elementary school students, I have com to learn the power of books when counselling young kids. They love reading stories about characters who are experiencing the same challenges as they are, and seem to really take the advice in these stories seriously. For some reason, if it’s in a book, they really seem to buy into it. Because of this, I am always looking for new books to grow my collection, and my library of character education and social-emotional learning books has grown quite a bit since my last post on book recommendations for kids, so I thought I’d write another post to share a few more gems that I have found since then.
Sometimes I’m Bombaloo
This book is definitely one of my new favourites. It pairs really well with my lessons on Big Brain, Little Brain and I use it regularly with my own kids, as well as my students when they’re dysregulated. It tells the story of Katie Honours who loses her temper and becomes Bombaloo, and what she does to self-regulate. This is not a book to borrow for one time reading. If you’re working regularly with young kids who are still working out how to control their emotions, you’ll definitely want your own copy of this one.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
This particular book is an oldie but a goodie. My dad often read this to me when I was a kid and it stayed in my favourites pile for years. Naturally, when I had my own kids, I had to get a copy for them. We hadn’t read it for a long time, but I was recently reminded of it when one of my Grade 1 students stated that he was having a “little brain kind of a day.” It immediately took me back to this book. Since then, I have added it to my counselling collection for when kids are having a tough day, because, as those who know this book will know, “Some days are like that, even in Australia!”
David and the Worry Beast – Helping Children Cope With Anxiety
After missing a shot and losing a basketball game, David’s worry beast grows and grows. This a great little story for kids about how our worries can spiral out of control. David’s worries make him feel physically sick until he learns how to face his worries. The book also includes coping strategies for kids, as well as tips for parents who are dealing with an anxious child.
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch it, Shape it
Those who know me even just a bit, know how much I love teaching kids about the brain! This book is a great resource for doing just that and not surprisingly, it has one many awards. The book also touches on having a growth mindset (in kid friendly terms of course) and shares how through practice and trying new things, we can continually grow our brain.
What Does it Mean to Be Kind?
This is a nice little story about how easy it is to be kind. It shares the message that through simple acts of kindness everyday, we can make the world a happier place. The illustrations are adorable in this book too! My 6 year old daughter really loves this one!
What Does it Mean to Be Present?
When you find a good book, you buy others from the same collection! This one, just like What Does it Mean to Be Kind?, shares a great message and also has nice illustrations. It is a book about mindfulness and the importance of living in the here and now.
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
This is a cute little story about perfectionism, learning from your mistakes, and letting go. It teaches kids that nobody is perfect and that it’s okay to make mistakes.
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