Age range: Preschool through Kindergarten.

Recommended for: This story is excellent for a child who feels ashamed of their temper and would benefit from a reminder that lots of very good, very loving children say and do things they regret when their temper gets the best of them. It ends with an understanding mother who gives Katie a hug and helps her to clean up the mess her temper made. This story doesn’t teach any specific anger management strategies, but it could be a start to conversations about what it’s like for a child when they turn into their own version of Bombaloo, which in turn could motivate a child’s openness to discussing anger management strategies.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book is a really fun read for a child who has a fear of monsters under the bed or in the closet, but who knows (at least on some level) that monsters aren’t real. It helps a child to shift their view on monsters from dangerous to silly and innocuous. It’s also just a very adorable book.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Age range: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: Children who struggle to tolerate making mistakes may be inspired by this book to see mistakes as opportunities. It’s a beautiful book about art, and creativity, and being a work-in-progress. Therapists and/or caregivers may enjoy using this book to segue into an art activity that plays with mistakes.

Age range: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: This book helps a child to shift their relationship with the dark from foe to friend. It is best for a slightly older child who will tolerate or even enjoy the book’s creepiness (e.g., kids who like ghost stories) and who will understand the ending–it’s a bit subtle. It’s a great story.

Age range: Preschool through Kindergarten.

Recommended for: This book is a lovely read for caregivers and their children who have recently developed some separation anxiety or who are anxious about an anticipated separation (e.g., a first day of school). It won’t be enough to fully address significant separation anxiety, but it provides a sweet visualization to help children cope with missing a loved one.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: Great for a kid whose days are often ruined by worry. It’s cute and non-threatening, and has a relatable dinosaur protagonist. Worrysaurus promotes insight into the way that worry ruins days (by making bad outcomes seem more likely or real than they probably are), encourages the creation of a coping box of favorite items to help a child to feel better when they’re worried, and gently introduces the idea that focusing on the present is an antidote to worries about the future.

Age range: Preschool through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: This adorable story is great for young children to read with a parent or caregiver who is struggling with their mood. This book is reassuring for both children and their parents–it teaches children that their parent’s depression isn’t the child’s fault, that their parent still loves them, and that there’s help to be had; it reminds parents that depression isn’t their fault either and that their child will continue loving them.

Age range: Preschool through elementary school. It’s simple on the surface but the message is profound.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book uses animal metaphors to help a child who doesn’t want to talk express their painful feelings about their parents’ divorce. It’s best for children who already have a basic understanding of divorce and the changes that will be happening or have recently happened in their family. This book is exclusively for families with divorcing/ separating parents who are planning to share custody.

Age range: 1st grade through 5th grade.

Age range: 1st grade through 4th grade.

Recommended for: This book is great for kids with dyslexia who have lost sight of their strengths and need a reminder that they, too, are brilliant (“bright and radiant…the opposite of dull”). This story celebrates teachers who see students’ strengths, and it highlights the importance of accommodations (in this book, a tape recorder) to help kids become “who [they] are meant to be.” The text is written in a dyslexia-friendly font (EasyReading).

Age range: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: This book helps children to name the feeling of “missing,” which many children frequently feel following parents’ separation or divorce. It suggests journaling (drawing and/or writing) as a strategy to cope with this feeling. It’s best read after parents’ separation has already occurred and a child has a working understanding of separation/divorce. This book features a grandfather confidante and would be great if read with an extended family member or therapist, particularly if paired with a gift of a small journal or notebook.

Age range: Kindergarten through 4th grade.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This story is a good read for a child who is ambivalent about learning to manage their anger. For some children, temper can feel powerful (if also a bit scary), and they’re reluctant to give this up. This story walks a child through the consequences of their temper being in control, and it models an effective apology.

Age range: Toddler through Kindergarten.

Recommended for: This story is really excellent for soothing a young child who has been woken up by a loud noise. It’s particularly relevant for a child who lives in a city. The Red Brick Building is an apartment building, and a car alarm is featured prominently. It’s a fun story with repetitive onomatopoeias that really sing, and it encourages a child to listen to the quiet sounds of a city night as they fall back asleep.

Age range: Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This story is an excellent read for a child who gets stuck on a creation needing to be perfect. It encourages children to create (i.e., draw, write) without focusing on getting something “right” by showing the value of imperfection (“ish”). It can also start a conversation about how the exact same creation can be criticized by one person and loved by another, so one shouldn’t put too much weight in someone’s negative opinion.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.