Books and stories can help us understand our experiences. Bibliotherapy, or reading therapy, uses stories to develop empathy, insight, and self-compassion. Here is a list of books on various topics which you may find helpful and can enhance discussions at home. Many of these books are also used in Dr. Hiday’s office with her clients.

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Body Boundaries:

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Amazing You!: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts; Gail Saltz

Changing You; Gail Saltz 

Do You Have A Secret? (Let’s Talk About It!) Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids; Kristen Jenson and Gail Poyner

I Said No; Zack King and Kimberly King 

I Said No! A kid-to-kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private; Kimberly and Zack King

It’s My Body; Lori Freeman 

My Body Belongs To Me From My Head To My Toes; Pro Familia 

My Body Is Private; Linda Walvoord Girard

My Body's Mine: A Book on Body Boundaries and Sexual Abuse Prevention (Can-Do Kids Series 1); Kayla Marnach

No Means No: Teaching children about personal boundaries, respect and consent; empowering kids by respecting their choices and their right to say, 'No!'; Jayneen Sanders

Some Parts Are NOT for Sharing; Julie K. Federico

Your Body Belongs To You; Cornelia Maude Spelman 

 

Cultural/Diversity Issues:

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Abiyoyo; Pete Seeger 

I Am Jazz; Jessica Herthel  

Mixed Me;Taye Diggs 

My Princess Boy; Cheryl Kilodavis  

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference; Katie Smith  Milway 

The Barefoot Book of Children; Tessa Strickland, Kate DePalma and  David Dean 

The Crayon Box That Talked; Shane Derolf

The Story Of Ruby Bridges; Robert Coles  

Worm Loves Worm; J. J. Austrian 

 

Divorce:

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Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families; Laurene Krasny Brown and Marc Brown

I Don’t Want To Talk About It; Jeanie Franz Ransom 

I Have Two Homes; Marian DeSmet 

It’s Not Your Fault, Koko Bear: A Read-Together Book for Parents and Children During Divorce; Vicki Lansky

Let’s Talk About It: Divorce; Fred Rogers 

Mom And Dad Don’t Live Together Anymore; Kathy Stinson 

My Family’s Changing; Pat Thomas 

Please Come Home; Doris Sanford

Stepfamilies; Fred Rogers 

Two Homes; Claire Masurel

Was It the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids About Divorce; Sandra Levins

When My Parents Forgot How to Be Friends; Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

 

Domestic Violence:

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A Terrible Thing Happened Margaret Holmes

Hear my Roar: A Story of Family Violence Gillian Watts

The Day My Daddy Lost His Temper: Empowering Kids That Have Witnessed Domestic Violence (The Empowering Kids Series) Carol Santana McClearly

The Words Hurt: Helping Children Cope with Verbal Abuse Chris Loftis

 

Family Relationships:

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A Safe Circle For Little U Paris Goodyear-Brown

Always Mom, Forever Dad by Joanna Rowland 

Casey’s Greatness Wings: Teaching Mindfulness, Connection & Courage to Children Tammi Van Hollander Stefanie Sherbon, M.S., LMFT- 2018

Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long 

I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse 

Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse Owl Babies by Martin Waddell 

No Matter What by Debi Gliori 

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst 

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn 

There’s Going To Be A Baby by John Burningham  

Who’s In A Family? by Robert Skutch  Happy Mamas by Kathleen T. Pelley 

With My Daddy: A Book of Love and Family by Jo Witek 

 

Foster Care/Adoption:

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A Different Home: A New Foster Child’s Story by John DeGarmo and  Kelly DeGarmo  

A Family for Sammy by Kate Gaynor  

A Mother For Choco by Keiko Kasza 

Billy Had to Move by Theresa Ann Fraser, CYW, B.A. 

Foster Care: One Dog’s Story of Change by Julia Cook 

I Feel Different: A Book About Being Adopted by Kathy Stinson  

Kids Need To Be Safe by Julie Nelson  Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born Jamie Lee Curtis

Let’s Talk About It: Adoption by Fred Rogers  Love You From Right Here: A Keepsake Book for Children in Foster Care Jamie Sandefer

Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care Jenn Wilgocki

On the Night You Were Born Nancy Tillman

The Invisible String Patrice Karst

You Belong Here by M.H. Clark 

Zachary’s New Home by Geraldine Molettiere Blomquist and Paul B.  Blomquist 

 

Feelings:

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A Boy and a Bear: The Children’s Relaxation Book; Lori Lite

A Handful Of Quiet; Thich Nhat Hanh  

A Terrible Thing Happened; Margaret Holmes 

Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; Judith Viorst 

Brave As Can Be; Jo Witek 

Boom the Anger Tamer: An Emotes Book About Anger; Matt Casper and Ted Dorsey

Calming Communities: Standing Tall Togethe;r Robyn Rausch

David and the Worry Beast: Helping Children Cope with Anxiety; Anne Marie Guanci

Double Dip Feelings Barbara Crain and Anne Patterson

Even Superheroes Have Bad Days; Shelly Becker 

Focus on Feelings: Learning about my Feelings; Carmen Jimenez-Pride

Glad Monster, Sad Monster; Ed Emberley 

Grumpy Gloria; Anna Dewdmey

How Are You Peeling; J. Elffers and Saxton Freymann  

How Zac Got His Z’s; Kerri Golding Oransky 

In My Heart; Jo Witek  

Is a Worry Worrying You?; Ferida Wolff, Harriet May Savits, and Marie Le Tourneau

Listening to My Body; Gabi Garcia

Millie Fierce; Jane K. Manning 

My Many Colored Days; Dr. Seuss 

My Mouth Is A Volcano; Julia Cook 

My Mouth Is A Volcano (Activity Book); by Julia Cook 

No, No Elizabeth; Carmen Jimenez-Pride

On Monday When It Rained; Cherryl Kachenmeister 

Please Explain Anxiety To Me; Jordan Zelinger and Laurie Zelinger 

Riley the Brave; Jess Sinarski  

Scaredy Cats; Audrey Wood

Sometimes I’m Bombaloo; Rachel Vail 

Steps and Stones: An Ahn’s Anger Story; Gail Silver

The Blue Day Book For Kids; Bradley Trevor Greive 

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes; Gary Rubinstein and Mark Pett 

The Grouchies; Debbie Wagenback and Steve Mack

The Magic Rainbow Hug: A fun Interactive Storyteller- Child Activity; Janet Courtney

The Way I Act; Steve Metzger 

The Way I Feel; Janan Cain 

The Worry Wars: An Anxiety Workbook for Kids and Their Helpful Adults!; Paris Goodyear-Brown

Toby The Tiger Tamer; Amy Johnson Reamer 

Today I Feel…; Madalena Moniz 

Today I Feel Silly; Jamie Lee Curtis  

Train Your Angry Dragon: Teach Your Dragon To Be Patient. A Cute Children Story To Teach Kids About Emotions and Anger Management; Steve Herman

Up and Down the Worry Hill: A Children’s Book About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Its Treatment;  Aureen Pinto Wagner and Paul Jutton

When I Feel Jealous; Cornelia Maude Spelman 

When I Feel Worried; Cornelia Maude Spelman 

When I Feel Scared; Cornelia Maude Spelman  

Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You; Nancy Tillman 

What To Do When Bad Habits Take Hold; Dawn Huebner 

What To Do When It’s Not Fair; Claire A. B. Freeland and Jacqueline  B. Toner 

What To Do When Mistakes Make You Quake; Claire A. B. Freeland  and Jacqueline B. Toner 

What To Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck; Dawn Huebner 

What To Do When You Dread Your Bed; Dawn Huebner 

What To Do When You Feel Too Shy; Claire A. B. Freeland and  Jacqueline B. Toner

What To Do When You Grumble Too Much by Dawn Huebner 

What To Do When You Worry Too Much; Dawn Huebner 

When Sophie Gets Really Angry-Really Really Angry; Molly Bang

Wilma Jean, The Worry Machine; Julia Cook 

Wemberley Worried; Kevin Henkes

 

Friendship/Social Skills:

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A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue; Julia Cook and Anita DuFalla

Augie the Nearsighted Snail; Sandy Meyer 

Baditude: What To Do When Your Life Stinks!; Julia Cook 

Best Friends For Frances; Russell Hoban 

Bernstein Bears and The Truth  Making Friends; Fred Rogers 

Bubble Gum Brain; Julia Cook 

Bully Beans; Julia Cook 

But It’s Not My Fault; Julia Cook 

Cheaters Never Prosper by Julia Cook 

Diapers Are Not Forever; Elizabeth Verdick 

Elizabeth Makes a Friend; Carmen Jimenez-Pride

Enemy Pie; Derek Munson 

Feet Are Not For Kicking; Elizabeth Verdick  

Germs Are Not For Sharing; Elizabeth Verdick 

Hands Are Not For Hitting; Martine Agassi 

Have You Filled Your Bucket Today?; Carol McCloud and David Messing

How to Lose All Your Friends; Nancy Carlson

I Can’t Believe You Said That!; Julia Cook 

I Just Want to Do It My Way!; Julia Cook 

Jessica’s Box; Peter Carnavas 

Ladybug Girl And The Bumblebee Boy; Jacky Davis 

Lying Up A Storm; Julia Cook 

Magic Seeds Of Patience; Efrat Haddi 

Mind Your Manners; Nicola Edwards 

Noses Are Not For Picking; Elizabeth Verdick

Odd Velvet; Mary E. Whitcomb 

Pacifiers Are Not Forever; Elizabeth Verdick 

Personal Space Camp; Julia Cook 

Sorry I Forgot To Ask; Julia Cook 

Tails Are Not For Pulling; Elizabeth Verdick  

Teamwork Isn’t My Thing, and I Don’t Like to Share!; Julia Cook 

Teeth Are Not For Biting; Elizabeth Verdick 

Thanks for the Feedback; Julia Cook 

That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me; Julia Cook 

The Invisible Boy; Trudy Ludwig 

The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others; Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy

The Procrastinator; Julia Cook 

The Recess Queen; Alexis O'Neil  

The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade; Justin Roberts 

The Strange Journey of Byron and Cyrus; Sandy Meyer 

The Worst Day of My Life Ever!; Julia Cook 

The Velveteen Rabbit; Margery Williams 

Unlikely Friendships; Jennifer Holland  

When I Care About Others; Cornelia Maude Spelman 

Words Are Not For Hurting; Elizabeth Verdick 

Unlikely Heroes; Jennifer Holland 

Unlikely Loves;  Jennifer Holland  

You’re Not My Friend But I Miss You; Daniel Kirk 

 

Grief/Loss:

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Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying; Joyce Mills

Half a World Away (friends who are not reunited); Libby Gleeson

I Miss You; Pat Thomas 

I Miss You: A First Look at Death; Pat Thomas

Lifetimes; Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen

My Heart Hurts; Karen Jaggers, LPC 

Owen; Kevin Henkes 

Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss; Michaelene Mundy

Sally Goes To Heaven; Stephen Huneck 

Samantha Jane’s Missing Smile: A Story About Coping with Loss of a Parent; Julie Kaplow and Donna Pincus

Saying Goodbye To Lulu; Corinne Demas 

Someone I love just died: What happens now?; Jill Johnson-Young

Someone I Love Died (workbook); Wendy Deaton

Someone is sick: How do I say goodbye?; Jill Johnson-Yppung

The Boy Who Didn’t Want to be Sad; Rob Goldblatt

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages; Leo Buscaglia

The Heaven Of Animals; Nancy Tillman 

The Invisible String; Patrice Karst

The Memory Box; Joanna Rowland

The Night Dad Went To Jail; Melissa Higgins 

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney; Judith Viorst 

Tough Boris (expressing sad feelings); Mem Fox

What Is Jail, Mommy?; Jackie A. Stanglin  

When A Pet Dies; Fred Rogers

When Dinosaurs Die; Laurie Krasny Brown 

When I Miss You; Cornelia Maude Spelman 

When Someone Has a Very Serious Illness: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief; Marge Heegaard

When Someone Very Special Dies; Marge Heegaard

Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You; Nancy Tillman

 

Nightmares/Feeling Scared:

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Darkness Slipped In (scared of dark); Ella Burfoot

Jessica and the Wolf; Ted Lobby

Jumpi Goes to Camp; Matt Casper and Ted Dorsey

Pretty Little Lily and the Land of Sweet Dreams Ashley Hornsby

Sailing Through the Storm; Edie Julik

The Invisible String; Patrice Karst

There’s a Nightmare in My Closet; Mercer Mayer

 

Self Esteem:

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Annie’s Plaid Shirt; Stacy B. Davids 

Blueberry Girl; Neil Gaiman 

Chrysanthemum; Kevin Henkes  

Cordelia; Michelle Nelson-Schmidt 

Giraffes Can’t Dance; Giles Andreae  

Growing Up with a Bucket Full of Happiness; Carol McCloud 

Have Fun Molly Lou Melon; Patty Lovell 

Have You Filled A Bucket Today?; Carol McCloud 

How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids; Tom Rath 

I Like Myself; Karen Beaumont 

Jane, The Fox And Me; Fanny Britt 

Janine; Maryann Cocca-Leffler 

Oliver Button Is A Sissy; Tomie dePaola 

Rosie Revere, Engineer;  Andrea Beaty 

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun; Maria Dismondy 

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon; Patty Lovell  

The Many Colors Of Me; Clair Mellenthin, LCSW, RPT-S 

When I Feel Good About Myself; Cornelia Maude Spelman 

You’re Here For A Reason; Nancy Tillman 

 

Separation Anxiety:

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I Love You All Day Long; Francesca Rusackes

The Runaway Bunny; Margaret Wise Brown

When Fuzzy Was Afraid of Losing His Mother; Inger Maier

Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You; Nancy Tillman

The Kissing Hand; Audrey Penn

 

Mindfulness:

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Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere; Kira Willey

Casey’s Greatness Wings: Teaching Mindfulness, Connection & Courage to Children; Tammi Van Hollander

Cool Cats, Calm Kids: Relaxation and Stress Management for Young People; Mary Williams

When My Worries Get Too Big!: A Relaxation Book for Children Who Live with Anxiety;  Kari Dunn Buron

Visiting Feelings; Lauren Rubenstein

 

Military:

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A Paper Hug (military families/deploying parents); Stephanie Skolmoski

Daddy’s Boots; Sandra Miller Linhart

Deployment, One of Our Pieces is Missing; Julia Cook

H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet; Devin Scillian

Hero Mom; Melinda Hardin

Sometimes I Want A Hug; Erin Winters

When You Are Away; Dominique James, EdD.

 

New Experiences:

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Alexander Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going To Move; Judith Viorst 

Amelia Bedelia’s First Day Of School; Herman Parish 

Be The Change, Make it Happen; Bernadette Russell 

Going To The Dentist; Jess Stockham 

Going To The Doctor; Anne Civardi 

Going To School; Anne Civardi

No Room For Baby by Emile Jadoul 

The New Baby; Anne Civardi 

The New Baby; Fred Rogers 

The Night Before Preschool; Natasha Wing 

The Night Before Kindergarten; Natasha Wing 

The Night Before First Grade; Natasha Wing 

What To Expect When You Go To The Doctor by Heidi Murkoff 

What To Expect At A Playdate by Heidi Murkoff 

Oh The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss 

 

Neurodiversity:

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All Dogs Have ADHD; Kathy Hoopman

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome; Kathy Hoopman

Ferdinand the Bull; by Munro Leaf 

Nathan’s Autism Spectrum Superpowers; Lori Leigh Yarborough

My Brother Charlie; Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete 

My Mouth is a Volcano; Julia Cook

Where The Wild Things Are ; Maurice Sendak 

 

Problem Solving TRAUMA:

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Brave Bart; Caroline H. Shepphard

Gabby the Gecko; Paris Goodyear-Brown

Penelope the Peacock;  Paris Goodyear-Brown

What Do You Do With A Problem?; Kobi Yamada PTSD/Trauma

 

Self Harm/Suicide:

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A Bad Case of the Stripes (“fitting in”); David Shannon

It’s Okay to Be Different; Todd Parr

Overcoming Self-harm and Suicidal Thinking: A practical guide for the adolescent years; Liz Quish

 

Self-Esteem:

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Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon; Patty Lovell

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage to Be Who You Are; Maria Dismondy

The Adventures of Sandi and Clammy; Dora Henderson

You Are Special; Max Lucado

You Belong Here; M.H. Clark and Isabelle Arsenault

 

Toilet Training/ Enuresis:

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Clouds and Clocks: A Story for Children Who Soil; Matthew Galvin

Everyone Poops; Tarō Gomi  

Going To the Potty; Fred Rogers 

Goldilocks and the Just Right Potty; Leigh Hodgkinson 

Super Pooper!: A cute story on how to bring fun and laughter to potty training; Monica Sloan

The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts; Shinta Cho 

Walter The Farting Dog; William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray 

Whose Poop Is That?; Darrin Lunde 

 

Miscellaneous:

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A Birthday For Frances; Russell Hoban  

A Chair For My Mother; Vera Williams 

Amelia Bedelia; Peggy Parish 

Bedtime For Frances; Russell Hoban 

Chicken Soup With Rice; Maurice Sendak 

Click Clack Moo Cows That Type; Doreen Cronin 

Dragons Love Tacos; Adam Rubin 

Dragons Love Tacos; Adam Rubin  

Five Monkeys Jumping On The Bed; Eileen Christelow 

I Don’t Like The Sound Of No; Julia Cook 

I’d Really Like To Eat A Child; Sylviane Donnio 

Little Tree: A Story for Children with Serious Medical Problems; Joyce C. Mills 

Miss Rhumphius; Barbara Cooney 

On the Night You Were Born; Nancy Tillman

Red or Blue, I Like You (prejudice/for young children); Sarah Albee

Stars; Mary Lyn Ray 

The Knowing Book; Rebecca Dotlich

The Paper Bag Princess; Robert Munsch

The Rabbit Who Wanted To Fall Asleep; Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin 

The Runaway Orange; Felicity Brooks and Jo Litchfield  

What Do You Do With A Problem?; Kobi Yamada 

What Do You Do With An Idea?; Kobi Yamada 

Wee Sing Songs; Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp 

Where Do Balloons Go?; Jamie Lee Curtis 

You Belong Here; M.H. Clark and Isabelle Arsenault

You And Me And The Wishing Tree; Nancy Tillman