35 Must-Have Social Emotional Learning Books For Teachers And Students

February 28, 2025

Looking for the perfect social emotional learning books for teachers to use in you elementary classroom? You came to the right place. As teachers, we know that academic achievement isn’t the only goal in the classroom. Building social-emotional skills is just as important! Social emotional learning books are a great resource to help young learners develop empathy, self-awareness, and positive relationships – skills that are so necessary for student success in the classroom. Whether you teach kindergarten or fifth grade, this list of social emotional learning books for teachers will give you powerful tools to reinforce SEL competencies in a fun and relatable way.

Read on for the best social emotional learning books for teachers in elementary school to read to their students!

social emotional learning activities for students

Want to teach social emotional learning to your students, but not sure where to start? Check out these done-for-you lessons, complete with age appropriate and research based crafts and activities!

The Importance of Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning (SEL) plays a vital role in helping young children develop essential skills like self-awareness, problem solving, and conflict resolution. When children learn how to manage their emotions and interact positively with others, it strengthens their ability to build strong relationships and succeed academically.

Many school districts now integrate SEL curriculum into their daily routines, recognizing that emotional intelligence is just as critical as math and reading skills. Research shows that fostering social-emotional learning leads to increased student well-being and creates a positive school community.

However, it can be so hard to know where to start with teaching this, especially if you don’t have resources from your district or school. Read alouds are a wonderful way to teach these topics to students of all ages. These social emotional learning books for teachers are the perfect place to start your social emotional learning instruction!

Using Books to Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills

Books are one of the best ways to introduce and reinforce SEL competencies. Stories allow young learners to see characters experiencing emotions, making choices, and developing positive relationships. By discussing picture books in book clubs or as part of read-aloud sessions, teachers can guide deep reflection and provide evidence-based advice for handling real-life situations.

Using children’s books in the classroom is a great way to promote social awareness and encourage thoughtful conversations about emotions, friendships, and personal growth.

I’ve gathered up the best social emotional learning books for teachers to use with their students for the major SEL topics you might be interested in teaching.

Social Emotional Learning Books For Teachers

Growth Mindset

Developing a growth mindset is an essential skill for young people. Books that teach perseverance and resilience help elementary students understand that mistakes are part of learning. A strong foundation in growth mindset helps students embrace challenges and develop confidence in their abilities. Some social emotional learning books for teachers in this category include:

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is a great book for explaining the science behind our brains and what happens to them when we persevere and learn new things.

The Magical Yet is a beautifully illustrated book shows the magic of trying new things that are still out of your reach. You can’t do it YET, but with practice and time, you’ll get there!

In The Most Magnificent Thing, a young girl works hard on creating a magical invention using her imagination. Along the way, she learns about anger, frustration, and patience.

I Can Do Hard Things is a wonderful book that provides lots of positive affirmations that children can tell themselves. It explores doubts that we face in different situations, and offers helpful strategies.

In Butterflies For Kiri, Kiri wants to make an origami butterfly, but it’s harder than she expects. She experiences frustration and wants to give up, but she learns that practice pays off.

Looking for crafts and activities to complement these growth mindset books? Check out these growth mindset lessons!

Mindfulness

Mindfulness books teach young children how to stay present and manage their emotions in a healthy way. Incorporating mindfulness into the school day can improve student well-being and help create a calm learning environment. Here are some social emotional learning books for teachers to teach about mindfulness:

My Magic Breath is a great book for helping students visualize calm breathing and using it in difficult situations.

Mindful Movements contains ten easy exercises that are great for brain breaks and for practicing moving mindfully with your body. This is perfect to use during transitions between lessons or as a movement break during the school day.

What Does It Mean To Be Present? provides a great introduction to the concept of being present in each moment – a key foundation of mindfulness that can be hard to explain.

I Am Peace examines what it means to go through life with mindfulness, being present in each moment.

Meditate With Me is a sweet book walks through the steps to get your body and mind ready for meditation. This social emotional learning book is a great introduction to meditation for younger children.

Looking for crafts and activities to complement these mindfulness books? Check out these mindfulness lessons!

Social Skills

Building strong relationships and developing social skills is a key part of social emotional learning. Books that highlight emotional recognition, cooperation, self-regulation, and relationship skills are perfect for SEL curriculum in elementary schools. Some favorite books for teaching social skills include:

Big Feelings acknowledges the hard feelings that can come up during our day, and offers some ways to express them and move on.

When I Feel Worried teaches children there are ways to calm and soothe themselves when big feelings come up.

I Can Say No emphasizes the choice children have to say “no” – in situations of safety, but also in situations with friends.

That’s Wrong! talks about how to respectfully disagree with our peers and friends. It breaks it down into four clear steps that are easy for children to understand and follow.

How To Apologize is full of examples of when and how to apologize, emphasizing the importance of an apology that comes from your heart.

Looking for crafts and activities to complement these social skills books? Check out these social skills lessons!

Friendship

Teaching young learners about friendship helps foster positive relationships and a sense of belonging. Picture books about friendship can help children understand how to navigate challenges and maintain strong relationships. Some great social emotional learning books for teachers to read about friendship include:

How To Have Friends contains lots of helpful, actionable strategies for kids on how to be a good friend.

Let’s Play! This book shares the story of a new girl who is nervous about making friends. Luckily, her classmates know just how to make her feel welcome! This book is great to read to help your students with making new friends.

The Invisible Boy is a classic story about a new boy at school. It shows the power we have to make people feel seen and included.

social emotional read alouds for teachers

My New Friend Is So Fun! is a helpful book to talk about friendship conflicts that can arise. Piggie and Gerald learn to navigate some friendship bumps when Piggie finds a new friend to play with.

In Teach Your Dragon To Make Friends, Dragon learns different ways to be a good friend.

Looking for crafts and activities to complement these friendship books? Check out these friendship lessons!

Self-Love

Helping students develop self-love and confidence is crucial for their emotional intelligence. Social emotional learning books for teachers that promote self-acceptance and self-worth are a great resource that every elementary classroom should have. Some must-read social emotional learning books for teachers in this category include:https://amzn.to/3MYpQDhhttps://amzn.to/3MYpQDh

I Am Me is a joyful book reminding us that we don’t have to change ourselves to fit in. Instead, we can celebrate what makes us special and unique.

I Am, I Can provides examples daily affirmations for students, along with some activities you can do to go with them.

How Full Is Your Bucket? Students have probably heard about filling each other’s buckets to spread kindness. This book reminds them that we have to fill our own buckets too!

Sometimes I Need is a great book for helping students understand how to take care of their feelings. This wonderful book provides lots of strategies students can use for identifying what they need when they’re having a hard time.

I Am Enough is a powerful book about accepting ourselves and others with loving kindness.

Looking for crafts and activities to complement these self love books? Check out these self love lessons!

When to Read Social Emotional Learning Books

If you’re ready to try out these social emotional learning books for teachers, there are many opportunities throughout the school day to incorporate SEL books into your routine. Here are a few best practices for using children’s books to support social emotional learning:

Morning Meeting – Start the day with a read-aloud that sets a positive tone.
Book Clubs – Use SEL books for small group discussions that encourage deep reflection.
Restorative Practices – Read books that reinforce conflict resolution strategies and problem solving skills.
Transitions and Breaks – A short read-aloud can be a great way to refocus and calm students.
Professional Development – Teachers can explore SEL books, such as Social-Emotional Learning Playbook by Michelle Trujillo, to gain practical strategies for fostering emotional intelligence in young children.

Social Emotional Learning Books For the Classroom

Integrating social-emotional learning books into the classroom is a simple yet powerful way to help elementary students develop the essential skills they need to thrive. Whether focusing on relationship skills, mindfulness, or social awareness, picture books offer young learners a fun way to explore emotions and practice problem solving. By using SEL books as part of your curriculum, you can create a supportive school community that fosters strong relationships and lifelong social-emotional growth!

Want to teach social emotional learning to your students, but not sure where to start? Check out these done-for-you lessons, complete with age appropriate and research based crafts and activities!