Friendships
Friendships
Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
Topics: resilience, emotions, feelings, jealousy, anger, hate, isolation, injustice, siblings, friendship.
Fiction
Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in his hair. His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV!
Age: 6 to 9 years.
YouTube reading - 4min 33sec (external link)Because it's my body!
Topics: protective behaviours, child abuse prevention, bodily autonomy, safety, art.
Fiction
Focusing on empowerment and prevention, this approachable book gives young children a way to reject unwanted, possibly harmful physical contact by adults and other kids.
Age: 4 to 7 years.
Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul
A collection of short stories, anecdotes, poems and cartoons which present a positive outlook on life (8 to 12 years). Topics: courage, hope, laughter.
Don't let the pigeon drive the bus
Topics: peer pressure, emotional literacy, positive coping strategies.
Fiction
When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place - a pigeon! The pigeon pleads and begs his way through the book offering lots of opportunity for audience participation.
Age: 2 to 6 years.
Horton hears a who!
Topics: friendships, kindness, trustworthiness, emotional literacy, perseverance, resilience.
Fiction
Horton, the loveable elephant, represents kindness, trustworthiness, and perseverance in his quest to protect tiny creatures on a speck of dust.
Ages 4 to 8.
How to be a friend: A guide to making friends and keeping them
Topics: friendships, conflict resolution, emotional literacy.
Fiction
This picture book contains many examples of how to be a friend and offers kids practical suggestions about resolving arguments, getting over being shy, handling bossy children and bullies, and more.
Agers 4 to 8 years.
How to take the grrr out of anger
Topics: emotional literacy, anger, coping strategies.
Non-fiction
This book combines information, jokes and funny cartoons to help children understand that anger is normal and can be expressed in many ways—some healthy, some not. It teaches them how to recognise anger in themselves and others, how to handle situations and emotions (loneliness, guilt, frustration, fear) that lead to anger, and how to deal with the anger they feel.
Ages: 8 to 11 years.
King of the playground
Topics: friendship, bullying, emotional literacy.
Fiction
Kevin loves to go to the playground, but not when Sammy is there. Sammy, who boasts that he is King of the Playground, is there most of the time. If he catches Kevin on the swings or the slide or the monkey bars, Sammy says, he will do awful, terrible things to him. A book about friendship and bullying.
Ages: 4 to 8 years.
No more teasing!
Topics: friendships, families, teasing, emotional literacy
Fiction
Mimi loves her cousin Momo but he teases her all the time and she doesn't like it. Grandma helps to make a cunning plan so that Momo soon realises that teasing isn't such a good idea.
Age: 4+ years.
The sex education answer book
Non-fiction
Age appropriate answers to all of the tough questions children ask parents about sex. Set out in ages 3 - 14.
Age: Parents and teachers of 3 to 14 year olds
The sissy duckling
Topics: emotional literacy, friendships, bullying, stereotypes, gender, families.
Fiction
A funny and touching story of a duckling who embraces his identity. Elmer is not like the other boy ducklings. While they like to build forts, he loves to bake cakes. While they like to play baseball, he wants to put on the halftime show. Elmer is a great big sissy. But when his father is wounded by a hunter’s shot, Elmer proves that the biggest sissy can also be the greatest hero.
Age: 5 to 8 years.
The Things I Love About Friends
There are so many things to love about friends — sharing ideas, interests, feelings, and fun times. It’s important to learn how to be a good friend.
The very cranky bear
Topics: emotional literacy, anger, friendships, strengths, thoughtfulness.
Fiction
In the Jingle Jangle Jungle on a wet and windy day, four little friends meet a very cranky bear. They try to cheer him up by giving the bear each of their strengths (antlers, stripes and a mane) so they can seek shelter from the rain. All the bear wanted was a quiet place to sleep so sheep gave him some wool for a pillow. A rhyming book.
Age: 3+
Winnie the Pooh
Topics: feelings, friendships, emotional literacy.
Fiction
The original Winnie the Pooh story book. An introduction to the characters of Pooh Corner, including Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin and Kanga.
Age: 4 - 8 years.
Wombat stew
Topics: friendships, problem solving.
Fiction
One day, on the banks of a billabong, a very clever dingo caught a wombat and decided to make a wombat stew. Wombats friends trick Dingo into adding lots of ghastly ingredients and tasting the stew. They save Wombat and Dingo runs away.
Age: 4+.