Big-Hearted Picture Books & Chapter Books
Recommended by Doing Good Together™
Enjoy great stories full of good ideas!
Making time and space to read together is the simplest, most effective way to nurture compassion in yourself and your children. A good book opens the door to a new perspective, creating a wonderful opportunity to teach empathy.
As a new school year begins, picture books can help children build empathy, welcome new friends, and create caring classroom communities. These stories encourage readers to notice others, celebrate differences, and discover how even small acts of kindness can make a big impact.
Spend lazy summer days curled up with a book! Summer is a chance to take a deep breath, even when the schedule can feel full with fun, camps, and vacation. Slow down and spend some time reading about kindness with these summer-themed chapter books about kindness.
Squeeze every last ounce of sunshine out of summer. The season is a chance to take a deep breath, even when the schedule can feel full with fun, camps, and vacation. Slow down and spend some time reading about kindness with these sweet, summer-themed stories.
As our nation — along with our global community — struggles with the complicated issues of crisis migration and immigration policy, great fiction can play an essential role in helping families understand the human story behind the headlines.
Whether gun violence has happened near home, or you’ve seen it in the news, the kids in your life have likely seen or heard about it, too. Children will feel a mix of confusion, sadness, and fear after these events, and most do not have the tools to process those emotions. When reading these books together, you can use them as a starting point for conversations about the hard emotions they’re feeling, and where there’s room for safety and hope.
When what’s on the news, either on TV, our computers, or our phones, feels overwhelming or scary, children are often picking up on more then we realize, even when they’re not directly taking in the information. The books on this list are gateways for helping kids understand what’s happening in the world, to help them ask their questions and process big emotions.
Family separation and deportation are difficult realities that many children encounter, whether in their own lives, their classrooms, or their communities. The books on this list offer gentle, age-appropriate ways to help kids understand these experiences and process big feelings.
Give thanks every day with this growing collection. Research shows that people who regularly express gratitude are happier and healthier than their counterparts, regardless of measurable wealth. Plus, regularly practicing gratitude shines a spotlight on the abundance of gifts in our lives, gifts we might otherwise overlook.
Shape hearts and inspire action with these read-aloud picks for elementary kids. Perfect for sparking meaningful conversations, whether you're starting a book club at home, reading together as a class, or simply looking to connect over a great story.
Explore history and get motivated to champion social justice. These fiction and nonfiction books will raise awareness about the history of the United States and the movements that are pushing us closer to equity. Scroll through our extensive list to find books on Civil Rights, Disability Rights, the LGBTQ Movement, Women's Rights, and the Native People's Movement.
Teach your child to be an "upstander,” not a bystander. The books on this list will give them the tools to take a stand.
What does it take to be an engaged, thoughtful, ethical citizen of the United States of America? This unique and evolving list of picture books will help your whole family answer that question.
Explore these complicated issues through the power of story, and get inspired for your next service project or kindness activity.
This growing collection sets the stage for big conversations about the differences and similarities between us all. It’s never too early - or too late - to encourage kids to start conversations about race, racism, and justice. These outstanding books will get you started!
This growing collection of resources provides the perfect starting place for a conversation about challenging social conflicts. Pick a book that interests your family. Read it together. Then, use the discussion questions to take the concepts further.
Honor the moms in your life through story and thank them for all they do. Whether you’re looking for a meaningful gift or a story to share together, these books capture the love, influence, and everyday magic of moms and families.
Nothing inspires wonder, cultivates mindfulness, and relieves stress as effectively and enjoyably as time spent in nature. Inspire the wilderness enthusiast in your child with this growing list of stories.
The plight of animals, from homeless cats and dogs to wild animals losing their wilderness, inspires profound empathy in people of all ages. These picture books will inspire the animal lover in your life to extend their compassion and kindness to the animal kingdom.
Books can help children become more empathetic to those who may be different from them and answer questions they may have about those with disabilities. Children who themselves have disabilities may find themselves represented in this evolving book list.
Reading with a child is itself an exercise in mindfulness, especially if you take care to notice each sentence and each illustration as the pages turn. This growing list of captivating stories offer incredible opportunities to encourage mindfulness.
Open an earnest conversation about loss. When children have questions about death and grief, let's do our best to answer them honestly and compassionately. Here are a few beautiful books to help your family begin a conversation about death, grief, and the cycles of life.
As a new school year begins, books can help children build empathy, welcome new friends, and create caring classroom communities. These stories encourage readers to notice others, celebrate differences, and discover how even small acts of kindness can make a big impact.