Social-emotional learning helps students build the skills they need to understand emotions, develop empathy, make responsible decisions, and form positive relationships. Books play a powerful role in supporting these skills by helping students see themselves in stories, understand others’ perspectives, and talk about real-life challenges in meaningful ways.

Educators can explore a wide range of SEL titles in our catalog.

---

SEL Books for Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms

Younger students benefit from stories that help them identify emotions, practice kindness, and build confidence.

Teachers often use titles like:

• The Invisible Boy
• The Color Monster
• The Rabbit Listened
• When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry
• I Am Human
• My Mouth Is a Volcano

These books help students talk about feelings, friendship, and self-control in ways that feel accessible and engaging.

Browse more elementary SEL titles.

---

SEL Books for Upper Elementary and Middle School

As students grow, SEL conversations often focus on identity, belonging, resilience, and peer relationships.

Common classroom selections include:

• Wonder
• Restart
• Fish in a Tree
• New Kid
• A Kind of Spark
• Because of Mr. Terupt
  

These stories help students reflect on kindness, perseverance, and understanding differences.

Explore all SEL classroom novels.

---

SEL Books for High School Classrooms

High school students benefit from literature that explores identity, mental health, empathy, and decision-making.

Examples include:

• The Hate U Give
• Long Way Down
• The Book Thief
• Educated
• Just Mercy
• Speak
  

These books encourage students to consider complex emotions, personal growth, and social responsibility.

See our full SEL collection.

---

Using Books to Support Social-Emotional Learning

SEL books can be integrated into classrooms in many ways, including morning meetings, advisory periods, literature circles, counseling groups, and character education lessons. School-wide reading initiatives can also incorporate social-emotional learning themes to build empathy and connection across grade levels.

Providing enough copies for group reading, classroom libraries, or literacy programs ensures all students can participate in meaningful conversations.

Looking to bring social-emotional learning titles into your classroom or school program? Explore SEL books available in bulk for classrooms, counseling programs, and literacy initiatives.