by Emily Pearson
When Mary decides to pick blueberries for her neighbor, she starts a chain reaction that multiplies around the world. This beloved storyline promotes the theme of random acts of kindness and the idea that one child’s compassion and empathy really can change the world.
by Emily Pearson
Join Ordinary Mary and the kindness crew on their quest to change the world, one school at a time. Mary inspires others with positivity and kindness through a variety of ordinary deeds! Including examples that happened at schools as a result of using the first book, this book focuses on the ability kindness has to change an entire school. Can one child’s good deed change the world?
by Jacqueline Woodson
Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness.s.
by Diane Kredensor
Some superheroes can leap tall buildings in a single bound, some can crawl up a wall, some grow wolfsharp claws, and some have superhuman speed. And Superbuns? Her superpower is being kind. Super kind. She can’t help but be kind.
By Ibathaj Muhammad
It’s picture day and Faizah can’t wait to wear her special red dress with matching hair ribbons, passed down from her mother and sister. Faizah’s teacher starts the day by asking her students to envision the kind of world they want, inspiring Faizah and her friends to spend the day helping one another in ways large and small. But when it’s time for sibling pictures, Faizah realizes that she and her older sister, Asiya, don’t match like her classmates do with their siblings. With help from her classmates inspired by Asiya’s hijab, Faizah finds that acts of kindness can come back to you in unexpected ways.
by Pat Zietlow Miller
From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving story explores what kindness is, and how any act, big or small, can make a difference―or at least help a friend.
by Kerascoët
This book tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. Inspired by real events, I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help.
by Gabi Garcia
When Esperanza finds a heart-shaped rock, she sees it as a reminder to spread kindness and love in the world. But when the school play doesn’t go the way she’d imagined, will she remember to give it to herself?
by Anne Sibley O’Brien
Three students are immigrants from Guatemala, Korea, and Somalia and have trouble speaking, writing, and sharing ideas in English in their new American elementary school. Through self-determination and with encouragement from their peers and teachers, the students learn to feel confident and comfortable in their new school without losing a sense of their home country, language, and identity.
by Anne Sibley O’Brien
In I’m New Here and Someone New, young readers explore the immigrant experience through both “windows” and “mirrors.” In I’m New Here, readers meet three recent immigrants trying to adjust to a new country and school. In Someone New, the same story is told from the perspective of the students who welcome the newcomers. An honest and heartwarming look at diversity, inclusion, and friendship.
by Trudy Ludwig
Nobody ever seems to notice Brian or think to include him . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.
by Todd Parr
With his trademark bright colors and bold lines, Todd Parr takes on a topic more important than ever: being kind to each other. This idea is a perfect fit for Todd’s cheerful, child-friendly positivity and incredibly close to Todd’s own heart. No matter what other people choose to do, you can always choose to be kind — and what a wonderful thing to be!
by Karen Kaufman Orloff
Baby smiles at Mommy, Mom keeps it for a while . . . and then passes it on. As the smile begins its joyful journey—moving from a first-grade class to a soccer team, from Gran to a garbage man, even to a puppy—it spreads happiness throughout the community, bringing everyone together.
by David J. Smith
This eye-opening book promotes “world-mindedness” by imagining the world’s population , all 6.8 billion of us, as a village of just 100 people. By exploring the lives of the 100 villagers, children will discover that life in other nations is often very different from their own.
by Rana Diorio
When the girl in the red hat finds the courage to be kind to the new student in class, her kindness spreads. Kind act by kind act, her whole community experiences the magical shift that happens when everyone understands-and acts on-what it means to be kind.
by Malala Yousafza
“Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafza has carefully crafted the story of her childhood for an elementary school audience. Malala’s Magic Pencil is inspirational and a wonderful conversation starter in classroom about equity and activism.
by Pegi Deitz Shea
Leadership comes easily for Nadeem, but how can he lead the other child laborers to freedom after he’s been shamed and beaten for his first attempt?One day a former carpet boy named Iqbal Masih leads a parade in the village. New laws have abolished bonded labor! Iqbal urges Nadeem to fight for freedom and to lead the children to a new school in town. Can Nadeem summon the courage to try again?
by Trudy Ludwig
A story based on From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography by This picture book tells one moving episode during Alter’s imprisonment, when an unexpected person demonstrates moral courage in repeated acts of kindness to young Alter during his imprisonment.
by Susan Verde
A hopeful meditation on all the great (and challenging) parts of being human, I Am Human shows that it’s okay to make mistakes while also emphasizing the power of good choices by offering a kind word or smile or by saying “I’m sorry.” This book is a celebration of empathy and compassion that lifts up the flawed fullness of humanity and encourages children to see themselves as part of one big imperfect family—millions strong.
by Ilene Cooper
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – everybody knows the Golden rule. But where does it come from and why is it important? It’s easy to say, but what does it mean? Why is it called Golden? Here, a grandfather explains to his grandson the importance and universality of this simple rule and demonstrates the wonderful effect following it.