Kind Action Read Alouds And Resources
Listening with my Heart
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?
Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed
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.
Each Kindness
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.
Superbuns: Kindness is her Superpower
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.
Paulie Pastrami Achieves World Peace
By James Proimos
Through simple acts of kindness–from reading to the trees and being nice to his little sister to cheering up the school principal and sharing cupcakes with strangers–Paulie learns that spreading peace isn’t that hard after all.
Be Kind
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.
I Walk with Vanessa
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.
What Does It Mean to Be Kind?
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.
I'm New Here
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.
Someone New
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.
The PeaceBook
by Todd Parr
The Peace Book delivers positive and hopeful messages of peace in an accessible, child-friendly format featuring Todd Parr’s trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes. Perfect for the youngest readers, this book delivers a timely and timeless message about the importance of friendship, caring, and acceptance.
The Thankful Book
by Todd Parr
The Thankful Book celebrates all the little things children can give thanks for. From everyday activities like reading and bathtime to big family meals together and special alone time between parent and child, Todd inspires readers to remember all of life’s special moments. .
Miles of Smiles
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.
If the World were a Village (P,J)
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.
It Takes a Child, (J)
by Craig Kielburger
It was an ordinary morning like any other. Twelve-year-old Craig Kielburger woke to his alarm clock and hurried downstairs to wolf down a bowl of cereal over the newspaper’s comics before school. But what he discovered on the paper’s front page would change his life—and eventually affect over a million young people worldwide. It Takes a Child is a fun, colourful look back at Craig’s adventures in taking global actions.
Malala's Magic Pencil
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.
Water Walkers
by Carol Ann Trembath
Water Walkers is the story of an Ojibway girl named Mai. Her family members are walking around Lake Superior to raise awareness about the harm that is being done to the Great Lakes. At first, Mai is told she is too little to go, but her grandmother says, “Even little people can do big things.” As Mai walks along the lakeside path, she tries to find ways to help. Will the secret messages from the animals she sees on her journey show her how to help the water and Mother Earth? Will Mai prove that she is a clever coyote girl and can become a good water walker?
The Water Walker
by Joanne Robertson
The story of a determined Ojibwe Grandmother (Nokomis) Josephine Mandamin and her great love for Nibi (water). Nokomis walks to raise awareness of our need to protect Nibi for future generations, and for all life on the planet. She, along with other women, men, and youth, have walked around all the Great Lakes from the four salt waters, or oceans, to Lake Superior. The walks are full of challenges, and by her example Josephine invites us all to take up our responsibility to protect our water, the giver of life, and to protect our planet for all generations.
You Hold Me Up
by Monique Gray Smith
This vibrant picture book encourages children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other’s well-being in their everyday actions. Monique Gray Smith wrote You Hold Me Up to prompt a dialogue among young people, their care providers and educators about reconciliation and the importance of the connections children make with their friends, classmates and families. This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.
I Like, I Don't Like
by Anna Baccelliere
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child in the world has the right to play. Unfortunately, that universal right is not always respected. I Like, I Don’t Like presents this reality to readers by showing how children in varying circumstances can see the same object very differently.I Like, I Don’t Like will inspire meaningful discussions about privilege and poverty.
The Carpet Boy’s Gifts (J, I)
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?
Gifts from the Enemy
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.
I Am Human
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.