Children’s Books Addressing Friendship, Self-Regulation , Emotion, and Problem-Solving Skills

A series of books that is very useful when teaching about feelings, friendship, self-regulation and problem-solving are written by Elizabeth Crary and published by Parenting Press, SeattleWA.  Titles include:  I Can’t Wait, I’m Frustrated, I’m Mad, I’m Furious, I Want to Play, I’m Scared, I’m Frustrated, I’m Excited, I Want It, Mommy Don’t Go, I’m Lost, and I’m Proud.

 

A series of books addressing feelings by Marcia Leonard (2002) include How I Feel Frustrated, Sad, Proud, Jealous, Scared, Angry, Silly and Happy.

 

A series of books written by Cornelia Maude Spelman (2000) with others and published by Albert Whitman & Co. are great for teaching about emotions and self-regulation. Titles include:  When I Care About Others, When I Feel Angry, When I Feel Scared, When I Feel Jealous, When I Feel Scared, and When I Feel Sad.

 

Four books written by Cheri Meiners and published by Free Spirit publishing address social play and empathy. Titles include: Join In and Play, Share and Take Turns, Be Polite and Kind, and Understand and Care.

More Books on Friendship and Feelings:

 

Aliki. (1987).  We Are Best Friends. Harper Trophy.

Bang, M.  (1999).  When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry. Scholastic Publisher.

Berry, Joy. (1996). Let's Talk AboutSeries...Feeling Sad, Feeling Angry, Feeling Afraid, Saying No, Being Helpful, Needing Attention

Bishop, B.  (2002).  My friend with Autism.  Order at www.futurehorizons-autism.com

Borba, Michele. Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me: The Top 25 Friendship Problems and How to Solve Them

Brown, L.  (2001).  How To Be a Friend: A guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them.  Little Brown

Cain, J.  (2000).  The Way I Feel.  Seattle, WA:  Parenting Press.

Cain, B. & Patterson, A.  (2001).  Double-dip Feelings.  Magination Press.

Curtis, J.  (1998).  Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods. Joanna Cutler Publisher.

Buron, K. D. (2003).  When My Autism Gets Too Big:  A Relaxation Book for Children with Autism Spectrum disorders.  Kansas:  Autism Asperger Publishing Co.

Havill, J.  (1993).  Jamaica and Brianna.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Co.

Jones, R.  (1991).  Matthew and Tilly.  Puffin Books.

Lite, L.  (2001).  The Goodnight Caterpillar:  The Ultimate Bedtime Story.  Litebooks.net

Lite, L. (2001).  The Boy and a Turtle:  The Children’s Visualization Book.  Litebooks.net

Lite, L.  (1996).  A Boy and a Bear:  The Children’s Relaxation Book.  Litebooks.net

O’Neill, C.  (1993).  Relax.  Child’s Play publishing.

Schnurr, R.  (2002).  Asperger’s huh?  Order at www.futurehorizons-autism.org.

Shapiro, L. & Brenna, C. (1994).  The Very Angry Day That Amy Didn’t Have.  Childwork/Child’s Play. 

Thomas, P. (2000).  My Friends and Me.  Hodder & Stoughton Childrens Division.

Thompson, M., Cohen, L.J., et al. Mom, They're Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems

Udry, J. (1961). Let’s Be Enemies.  Harper Trophy.

Viorst, J. (1972).  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. NY:  Aladdin Paperback.

Williams, M. L.  (2005). Cool Cats Calm Kids:  Relaxation and stress management for young people.  CA:  Impact Publishers.

Reading List on Bullying

Capote, Truman. “The Thanksgiving Visitor.” NewYork: Knopf: Distributed by Random House, 1996. (Illustrated by: Beth Peck) A boy recalls his life with an elderly relative in rural Alabama in the 1930s and the lesson she taught him one Thanksgiving Day about dealing with a bully from school.

 

Clements, Andrew. “Jake Drake, Bully Buster” NewYork: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers,2001. (Illustrated by: Lynn Munsinger)

 

Duffey, Betsy. “How to Be Cool in the Third Grade.”New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Viking, 1993. (Illustrated by:Janet Wilson)

When Robbie York is marked as a target by a bully at school, he decides that the only way to survive the third grade is by being cool.

 

Hazen, Barbara Shook. “The Knight Who Was Afraid of the Dark.” New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1989. (Pictures by: Tony Ross and Barbara Shook Hazen)

When the castle bully discovers bold Sir Fred is secretly terrified of the dark, he tries to stir up trouble between that brave Knight and his Lady Wendylyn. 

 

Lester, Helen. “Hooway for Wodney Wat.” Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

All his classmates make fun of Rodney because he can’t pronounce his name, but it is Rodney’s speech impediment that drives away the class bully.

 

Lovell, Patty. “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.” New York: Putnam’s, 2001. (Illustrated by: David Catrow) Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.

 

Smallcomb, Pam. “CampBuccaneer.” New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2002.  After spending summer vacation learning to be a real pirate at CampBuccaneer, Marlon feels much better prepared to return to school and face Carla, the bully who has pestered her since kindergarten.

 

O’Neill, Alexis. “The Recess Queen.” New York: Scholastic, 2002. (Illustrated by: Laura Huliska-Beith)  Mean Jean is the biggest bully on the school playground until a new girl arrives and challenges Jean’s status as the Recess Queen.

 

Polacco, Patricia. “Mr. Lincoln’s Way.” New York:  Philomel Books, 2001. 

When Mr. Lincoln, “the coolest principal in the whole world,” discovers that Eugene, the school bully, knows a lot about birds, he uses this interest to help Eugene overcome his intolerance.

 

Shreve, Susan. “Joshua T. Bates in Trouble Again.”

New York: Knopf, 1997. (Illustrated by: Roberta Smith) After finally being promoted to fourth grade in the middle of the year, Joshua is so worried about the bully who rules the fourth grade boys that he makes some unwise decisions.

 

Stine, Megan and William. “How I Survived Fifth Grade.” Mahway, N.J.: Troll Associates, 1992.

Elliot doubts that he will survive the fifth grade, because the obnoxious class bully has selected him as his own special victim.

 

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