Unusual and visually compelling picture book from an author who tackles other sensitive topics with similar aplomb and grace (she has books on death, divorce and race, too). Written in a voice that honors the kinds of real thoughts and questions kids actually have.
SEL Home » Resources with tag: self-awareness
“How to Teach Consent to Kids in 5 Simple Steps” by Michelle Dominique Burk, Everyday Feminism
A few rules you can discuss with kids that can help them understand the basics of consent and help them react appropriately when faced with new situations
“Let’s Talk: Tips for Talking With Your Children about Sexuality” by Planned Parenthood
A 3-page tip sheet on talking with kids about sexuality
The Period Book by Karen Gravelle (ages 8 and up)
This best-selling book has been around for a while. It’s practical, answers lots of questions, and has been recently updated to feel somewhat more current.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos (ages 8-12)
In this antic yet poignant new novel, Jack Gantos has perfect pitch in capturing the humor, the off-the-wall intensity, and the serious challenges that life presents to a kid dealing with hyperactivity and related disorders.
I Am Kind by Suzy Capozzi (ages 3-6)
I Am Kind follows a little girl who sees kindness all around her. The little girl realizes that she, too, has the power to be kind, and that even small actions can have a big impact.
Peace Path (PDF)
Used at PS 321 and many schools, the Peace Path is a framework for addressing a myriad of interpersonal conflicts such as feeling left out of a group, having problems sharing or taking turns, physical altercations, or other words or actions that lead to hurt feelings.
Yoko by Rosemary Wells (ages 3 to 6)
Mmm, Yoko’s mom has packed her favorite for lunch today-sushi! But her classmates don’t think it looks quite so yummy. “Ick!” says one of the Franks. “It’s seaweed!” They’re not even impressed by her red bean ice cream dessert. Of course, Mrs. Jenkins has a plan that might solve Yoko’s problem. But will it work with the other children in class?
The Judgmental Flower by Julia Cook (ages 4-8)
A timely and important tale teaching the skill of valuing the differences of others.
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julie Cook (ages 5 to 8)
Every adult that desires to help children understand the differences between unnecessary tattling and the necessity of warning others about important matters needs this book! Are you trying to help a friend or get them in trouble?
Love by Matt de la Peña (ages 4 to 10)
“[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child’s life . . . eloquent and moving.”—People Magazine “Everything that can be called love — from shared joy to comfort in the darkness — is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book.”—The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice / Staff Picks From the Book Review
One by Kathryn Otoshi (ages 4-6)
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.
The Monster Who Lost His Mean by Tiffany Strelitz Haber (ages 4-8)
“Readers will chime in with the ‘hip, hip hooray’ this cuddly-looking creature earns when he finally embraces and celebrates his differences.” —Kirkus
Amos and Boris by William Steig (ages 5-8)
Amos the mouse and Boris the whale: a devoted pair of friends with nothing at all in common, except good hearts and a willingness to help their fellow mammal.
What Does a Princess Really Look Like? by Mark Loewen (ages 5 to 8)
What Does a Princess Really Look Like? is part of the Brave Like A Girl Series. Chloe loves princesses and ballerinas, but she also wants to create a Princess Ballerina that mirrors herself. When Chloe is finished creating her strong, smart, and kind princess, Chloe’s dads pop in to see the final product. They celebrate the girl, their daughter, who is being represented through paper, glue, and jewels.
Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty (ages 4-6)
“This picture book is filled with wit and musings on what it means for a young girl to be beautiful. The illustrations evoke a feeling of uniqueness, independence, and strength, defining beauty through diversity, talents, and passions.” —School Library Journal
I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont (ages 4-6)
High on energy and imagination, this ode to self-esteem encourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves—inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath? So what! Here’s a little girl who knows what really matters.
How Big is My Problem Chart? (PDF)
A great chart to help kids determine the scale of their problems and put their issues into perspective, perfect to tape on the refrigerator at home.
Zones of Regulation by Leah Kuypers MA Ed., OTR/L.
The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum geared toward helping students gain skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem solving abilities. Using a cognitive behavior approach, the curriculum’s learning activities are designed to help students recognize when they are in different states called “zones,” with each of four zones represented by a different color. In the activities, students also learn how to use strategies or tools to stay in a zone or move from one to another.
No Fits Nilson by Zachariah OHora (ages 3-5)
The tables are turned when a tantrum-prone little girl must try to keep her big, temperamental friend from throwing fits throughout the day. A nice way for preschoolers to see tantrum behavior from a different perspective without the message feeling forced.
When Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry by Molly Bang (ages 4-8)
Everybody gets angry sometimes. For children, anger can be very upsetting. Parents, teachers, and children can talk about it. People do lots of different things when they get angry. In this Caldecott Honor book, kids will see what Sophie does when she gets angry. What do you do?
Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too) by Keith Negley (ages 3-5)
A boldly illustrated picture book read-aloud about how everyone gets sad—ninjas, wrestlers, knights, superheroes, everyone . . . even daddies have emotions!
But It’s Not My Fault (ages 5-8)
All about turning the blame game into the responsibility challenge for kids
My Mouth Is a Volcano! (ages 5-8)
An empathetic approach to the habit of interrupting that teaches children a witty technique to help them manage their rambunctious thoughts and words and teaches the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak
Personal Space Camp (ages 5-8)
Personal space camp addresses the complex issue of respect for another person’s physical boundaries. Told from Louis perspective, this story is a must-have resource for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to communicate the idea of personal space in a manner that connects with kids.
You Are a Social Detective (age 5-10)
An entertaining comic book that offers different ways, that can be reviewed repeatedly, to teach kids how to develop their own social detective skills
Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum (ages 5-10)
A fun and motivating way to build social thinking skills. Students learn how each of them have Superflexible capacities in their brains that can overcome a Team of Unthinkables, such as Rock Brain, Topic Twister Meister and Mean Jean.
Raising Resilience, A Workshop for Parents with Christopher Willard at P.S. 321, December 2018 (video)
Raising Resilience: The Wisdom and Science of Happy Families and Thriving Children by Christopher Willard PsyD
In every spiritual tradition, we find teachings on the virtues and qualities that we most want to pass on to our kids—such as generosity, kindness, honesty, determination, and patience. Today, a growing body of research from neuroscience and social psychology supports these teachings, offering insights into cultivating these virtues in ourselves and in our families. Raising Resilience is a practical guide for parents and educators of children from preschool through adolescence, detailing ten universal principles for happy families and thriving children.
Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience by Christopher Willard, PsyD
Growing Up Mindful helps parents, educators, and counselors learn how to embody and share the skills of mindfulness that will empower our children with resilience throughout their lives. With more than 75 accessible exercises and practices, along with adaptations for the individual needs of a wide range of children and teens
Alphabreaths: The ABC’s of Mindful Breathing by Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen (ages 4-8)
Children learn both their ABCs and the basics of mindfulness through playful exercises and vivid illustrations. Each letter of the alphabet teaches a simple mindfulness or compassion-based practice.
Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee MacLean (ages 4-7)
A meditation therapist’s case for deep relaxation in terms pitched straight at kids with suggestions like visualizing the quieting of one’s mind as the settling of particles in a muddied jar of water.
It’s Hard to be a Verb by Julia Cook (ages 5-8)
Louis is a verb! He has a lot of trouble focusing and he is always doing something, but the problem is usually it’s the wrong something. Louis mom teaches him how to focus by showing him a few hands on ideas that anyone can try. A must have book for all who struggle with paying attention!
Be Where Your Feet Are! by Julia Cook (ages 5-8)
Each day, there are so many things to think about. Getting ready for school, turning in homework, taking a math test, band solo tryouts, soccer practice…and it is a long way from your head to your feet. Be Where Your Feet Are! reinforces the concepts of mindfulness and being present in a fun way children will remember, and shows what can happen when we learn to appreciate the world—and people—around us.
A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles by Thich Nhat Hanh (ages 5-9)
A Handful of Quiet presents one of the best known and most innovative meditation practices developed by Thich Nhat Hanh as part of the Plum Village community’s practice with children. Pebble meditation is a playful and fun activity that parents and educators can do with their children to introduce them to meditation. It is designed to involve children in a hands-on and creative way that touches on their interconnection with nature. Practicing pebble meditation can help relieve stress, increase concentration, nourish gratitude, and can help children deal with difficult emotions.
A Pebble for Your Pocket: Mindful Stories for Children and Grown-ups by Thich Nhat Hanh (ages 8-12)
Written in a highly accessible style that doesn’t rely on lot of jargon or difficult vocabulary requiring breaks for explanation, Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes the importance of the present moment through vivid metaphors, original allegories, and colorful stories. Young readers will learn about handling anger, living in the present moment, and “interbeing” — the interconnectedness of all things. Thich Nhat Hanh offers various practices that children can do on their own or with others that will help them to transform anger and unhappiness and reconnect to the wonders of nature and the joy of living in the present moment.
Headspace App (all ages)
Fun, engaging activities that teach kids and parents the basics of mindfulness. Breathing exercises, visualizations and focus-based meditation.
Plum Village
Mindfulness practices for children and adults
Growth Mindset Chart (PDF)
A chart that uses the language of growth mindset to encourage children to love effort and change negative language and attitudes toward difficult tasks
How Big is My Problem? (PDF)
A great chart to help children differentiate big problems from little ones.
A Mindset for Learning by Kristi Mraz and Christine Hertz
Kristi Mraz and Christine Hertz provide practical and powerful strategies for cultivating optimism, flexibility, and empathy alongside traditional academic skills. Great lessons on teaching kids, or adults, how to become lifelong learners.
Growth Mindset Toolkit for Parents
TransformEd supports educators and education systems in equipping students with the Mindsets, Essential Skills, and Habits (MESH) they need to succeed in college, career, and life.
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (ages 3-7)
For the early grades’ exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity.
The I’m Not Scared Book by Todd Parr (ages 4-6)
With his signature blend of playfulness and sensitivity, Parr explores the subject of all things scary and assures readers that all of us are afraid sometimes.
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain (ages 4-8)
This fun and engaging introduction to the anatomy and functions of the brain will empower each young reader to S-T-R-E-T-C-H and grow their Fantastic, Elastic Brain!
What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada (ages 5-10)
A story for anyone, at any age, who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away. It’s a story to inspire you to look closely at that problem and to find out why it’s here. Because you might discover something amazing about your problem…and yourself.
It’s OK to Make Mistakes by Todd Parr (ages 5-6)
Embraces life’s happy accidents, the mistakes and mess-ups that can lead to self discovery. Makes readers feel good about themselves, encouraging them to try new things, experiment, and dare to explore new paths.
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beatty and David Roberts (ages 5-8)
A hilarious, irreverent book about doing your own thing. Meet Iggy Peck—creative, independent, and not afraid to express himself! Iggy Peck will delight readers looking for irreverent, inspired fun.
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beatty and David Roberts (ages 5-8)
When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal—to fly—Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt’s dream come true. But when her contraption doesn’t fly but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose insists that Rosie’s contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.
Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beatty and David Roberts (ages 5-8)
Champions girl power and women scientists, and brings welcome diversity to picture books about girls in science. Touching on themes of never giving up and problem solving, Ada comes to learn that her questions might not always lead to answers, but rather to more questions. She may never find the source of the stink, but with a supportive family and the space to figure it out, she’ll be able to feed her curiosity in the ways a young scientist should.
Superfail by Max Brenner (ages 8-11)
Twelve-year-old Marshall wants to be a superhero, but his powers always go wrong. He can shoot lasers from his eyes, but they either miss the target or cause more damage. And when you have severe motion sickness, flying is no fun. Marshall and others like him are referred to as “defectives.” But when the villainous Man With No Name tries to destroy the city again, Marshall and The Night Owl, a retired crime fighter, must team up to work with the powers they have, redeem themselves, and save the day.
Emotional Intelligence- Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman
Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart.
Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships, Daniel Goleman
Our reactions to others, and theirs to us, have a far-reaching biological impact, sending out cascades of hormones that regulate everything from our hearts to our immune systems, making good relationships act like vitamins—and bad relationships like poisons. We can “catch” other people’s emotions the way we catch a cold, and the consequences of isolation or relentless social stress can be life-shortening.
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, Dr. Laura Markham
Fostering emotional connection with your child creates real and lasting change. When you have that vital connection, you don’t need to threaten, nag, plead, bribe—or even punish.
Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive, Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D
The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth.
Raising Human Beings, Dr. Ross Greene
“I wrote Raising Human Beings because, for a very long time, it’s been clear that kids who aren’t classified as ‘behaviorally challenging’ benefit tremendously from being involved in the process of solving the problems that affect their lives. And because I’ve been really concerned about societal trends that have caused many kids to focus a lot more on ‘me’ than on ‘we’…the problems that affect us all are going to require that we proceed in ways that are for the collective good rather than solely for individuals.” —Ross Greene
The Explosive Child, Dr. Ross Greene
Explosive kids are lacking some crucial skills in the domains of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving, and they require a different approach to parenting.
How to Talk so Kids Can Learn at Home and at School, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
This breakthrough book demonstrates how parents and teachers can join forces to inspire kids to be self-directed, self-disciplined, and responsive to the wonders of learning.
Love Your Family Again by Marcie Beigel
Love Your Family Again is filled with concrete, action-based strategies that truly work. Within these pages you will learn how to: 1. Stop negotiating with your children 2. Raise kids that listen 3. Identify the actions needed to combat problem behavior 4. Build more happiness within your family 5. Take small steps each day that lead to big changes.
The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children by Alison Gopnik
“Deeply researched . . . [Gopnik’s] approach focuses on helping children to find their own way . . . She describes a wide range of experiments showing that children learn less through ‘conscious and deliberate teaching’ than through watching, listening, and imitating.” ―Josie Glausiusz, Nature
“We Must Teach Emotional Literacy to Boys” by Lily Howard Scott, The Washington Post
A moving and brilliant piece exploring the flip side of gendered empowerment and the importance of cultivating emotional awareness in boys from former 321 teacher.
Friends: Making Them and Keeping Them by Patti Kelley Criswell (ages 9 to 12)
Part of the American Girl Smart Girl’s Guide series, this book is written by a social worker and does a great job at teaching self-respect, confidence, and respect for others. Perfect for boys too.
Drama, Rumors and Secrets by Nancy Holyoke (ages 9 to 12)
Part of the very well-done American Girl Smart Girl’s Guide Series, this book offers insight into drama, from jealousy to gossip to cyberbullying, and how to deal with it. Kids (yes, boys too!) can learn why drama exists, how it starts, what keeps it going, and how to cool it down.
Kindness and Community at PS 321
The 2019 5th grade students on our No Place for Hate committee documented some classroom practices that promote kindness and inclusion at PS 321 so that parents and teachers might learn about some of the ways we are teaching the whole child here at 321. Have a look!