Therapeutic Children’s Book Options:
Anxiety:
- “Don’t Feed the WorryBug” by Andi Green
- Ages 3-8
- Helps: describes anxiety and how it can grow, teaches how to take charge of anxiety
- “Hector’s Favorite Place” by Jo Rooks
- Ages 4-8
- Helps: illustrates how worry can impact daily life function and how to change this “little by little”
- “A Feel Better Book for Little Worriers” by Holly Brochmann
- Ages 3-6
- Helps: identify a worry and where it might come from, as well as provides them with helpful tools to reduce and cope with worries.
- Ages 6-10
- Helps: “cognitive behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of anxiety. A resource for educating, motivating and empowering kids to overcome their overgrown worries”
- “Breathe Like a Bear”
- Ages 4-10
- Helps: 30 breathing and mindfulness techniques for managing bodies, breath, and emotions.
- “Puppy Mind” by Andrew Jordan
- Ages 4-7
- Helps: Children identify when they’re getting anxious, out of focus or dysregulated and teaches them skills they can use to center themselves anywhere
- “Let’s Talk About Needing Attention” by Joy Berry
- Ages 3-6
- Helps: Identify when and why children might have disruptive or inappropriate behaviors around getting attention and how they can identify why they want the attention in the specific moment and address better ways of receiving it.
- “Interrupting Chicken” by David Ezra
- Ages 4-8
- Helps: Children understand and regulate their urges to interrupt.
Autism:
- “A Boy Called Bat” by Elana Arnold
- Ages 6-10
- Helps: Describes day-to-day experience of high-functioning children with ASD
- “A whole New Ballgame: A Rip and Read Book” by Phil Bildner
- Ages 8-12
- Helps: Per Child Mind Institute-not a book that is obviously about autism.
- “Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence” by Luke Jackson
- Ages 13+
- Helps: Parents of children with ASD and children/teens with ASD. Autoethnography: written by a 13 year-old with ASD talks about life and experience.
Bullying:
- “Am I a Bully” by Hope Gilchrist
- Ages 6-9
- Helps: distinguish between teasing and bullying
- “Tease Monster: A Book About Teasing vs Bullying” by Julia Cook
- Ages 5-10
- Helps: distinguish between teasing and bullying and teach strategies for responding to both good-natured teasing and bullying.
- “Warp Speed” by Lisa Yee
- Ages 8-12
- Helps: Discusses bullying, relatable story for kids who feel like outsider
Consent/Body Autonomy:
- “Consent (for kids)” by Rachel Brian
- Ages 5-10
- Comic book style book about consent and holding/respecting boundaries
- “I said No? A Kid-to-Kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private” by Zach and Kimberly King
- Ages 4-8
- Helps: understand boundaries, uses “red flag” and “green flag” language
Dyslexia:
- “Back to Front and Upside Down” by Claire Alexander
- Ages 4-8
- Helps: explains dyslexia and models how to ask for help
- “Fish in a Tree” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
- Ages 8-12
- Helps: explains dyslexia, models how to ask for help and captures how can impact self-esteem
Feelings:
- “In My Heart: A Book of Feelings” by Jo Witek
- Ages 3-6
- Helps: describes each emotion
- “After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)”, by Dan Santat
- Ages 4-8
- Book about overcoming fears, how does Humpty Dumpty get back up again?
- “I’m Happy-Sad Today”, by Lory Britain Ph.D.
- Ages 3-8
- Book to help explore feelings
- The Color Monster
- Ages 3-7
- Helps Children Identify and describe feelings
https://www.amazon.com/Sense-Self-Workbook-Managemnant-Emotional/dp/1943825033
Friendship:
- “Real Friends” by Shannon Hale
- Ages 8+
- Helps: describe changes in friendship, bullying, childhood anxiety
Grief and Loss:
- “I Miss You: A First Look at Death” by Pat Thomas
- Ages 4-8
- Helps: explains why people die and how hard it can be to say goodbye
- “One Wave at a Time: A Story About Grief and Healing” by Holly Thompson
- Ages 4-8
- Helps: show change from struggling to recovery and emphasizes using support networks
- “The Rabbit Listened” by Holly Thompson
- Ages 3-5
- Helps: describe feelings around loss, does not describe death
- The Invisible String
- Ages 3 and up
- Helps: a child feel connected to a loved one who cannot be with them
Identity:
- “Red: A Crayon’s Story” by Michael Hall
- Ages 5-10
- Helps: describes labeling
- It Feels Good to be Yourself, by Theresa Thorn
- Ages 4-8
- Picture book for children about non-binary gender identities
- Julian is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love
- Ages 4-8
- Short, subtle but lovely and sweet picture book about a child who is non-gender conforming
- The Day You Begin, by Jacqueline Woodson
- Ages 4-8
- Picture book about diversity and difference
Mindfulness:
- Helps: explains simple mindfulness techniques
Neglect:
- “Somebody Cares: A Guide for Kids Who Have Experienced Neglect” by Susan Farber Straus. PhD
- Ages 6-12
- Helps: explain how neglect can feel and describes how social worker and therapist may intervene
-“You Weren’t With Me” by Chandra Ghosh Ippen
- Ages 3-12
- Helps parents and children talk about difficult separations to help them reconnect and how they can find their way back to each other.
OCD:
- “Finding Perfect” by Elly Swartz
- Ages 9-14
- Helps: describe OCD tendencies and how support could be provided
- “Mr. Worry: A Story About OCD” by Holly L. Niner
- Ages 7-12
- Helps: describe OCD tendencies and how support could be provided
Puberty/Development:
- “Celebrate your Body”, by Sonya Taylor
- Ages 8-11,
- Body positive, empowering book for girls that informs about puberty, emotions and relationships
Responsibility:
- “But It’s Not My Fault” by Julia Cook
- Ages 5-8
- Helps: accepting responsibility for own behavior
Self-Esteem:
- “What I Like About Me!” by Allia Zobel Nolan
- Ages 3-7
- Helps: describe diversity and differences
- Helps: describe differences, compassion and supporting those with differences
Selective Mutism:
- “Lola’s Words Disappeared” by Elaheh Bos
- Ages 5-8
- Helps: describes how kids can be verbal at home but not in public
Sensory Processing:
- “Stanley Will Probably Be Fine” by Sally J. Pla
- Ages 8-12
- Helps: explain how sensory sensitivities and anxiety can impact daily life function
Tourette’s Syndrome:
- “Forget Me Not” by Ellie Terry
- Ages 8-12
- Helps: explains tourette’s syndrome and how it can impact self esteem
- “Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus” by Dusti Bowling
- Ages 12+
- Helps: give insight into living with disability, discusses syndrome and types of treatments
Trauma:
- “A Terrible Thing Happened” by Margaret M. Holmes
- Ages 5-9
- Helps: discusses trauma and the importance of talking about traumatic things
Anger:
- Anh’s Anger
- Ages: 4-7
- Helps: Personifies and identifies feelings of anger and works on calming skills.
- When Miles Got Mad
- Ages: 3-8
- Helps: Similar to above, Identifying and labeling feelings to help move forward in coping skills
- When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really, Angry…
- Ages: 3-6
- Helps: Children identify positive coping mechanisms
- A Little Spot of Anger
- Ages: 4-8
- Helps Children calm down when they feel angry
Divorce:
It's Not Your Fault, Koko Bear
- Ages 3-7
- Helps: Children identify the emotions and experiences associated with divorce.
- Helps: Parents advice on ways to explain these emotions to children
Parent with Depression:
- Why Are You So Sad?
- Ages 3-8
- Helps: Children understand their parent’s depression in an age appropriate manner. It reassures that the child is still loved and depression isn’t their fault. It also goes over and explains some of the symptoms that they might be able to see like loss of appetite or sleep.
- Mommy’s Going to the Hospital
- Ages 2-5
- Helps: Children understand why their parent might be away from home and in a hospital for any chronic illness.
- Worried (Dealing with Feelings…)
- Ages 5-6
- Helps: Children who are worried about their parent’s chronic illness or mental health and how to identify and be with those feelings surrounding the situation.
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