MY FAVE SCHOOL COUNSELING BOOKS
COPING SKILLS
I love me a good classic and I LOVE using ”The Good Egg”, by Jory John and Pete Oswald, when I’m doing a classroom lesson on Coping Skills. “The Good Egg” is the story of an egg who cracks from the pressure of trying to be perfect. In order to put himself back together he embarks on a journey of self-healing. Not only is “The Good Egg” a recognizable face for students, it’s such a relatable story. Even my 2nd graders easily make the connection between the skills The Good Egg uses and their own coping skills. Bonus if you can get your hands on The Good Egg plushie. There’s something about having a tactile object that makes learning more engaging and fun.
KINDNESS
I read through A LOT of books and tried out some really amazing stories when teaching kindness to my students, but I constantly found myself reaching for the book “Be Kind”, by Pat Zietlow Miller. This book follows one small act of kindness that spreads through an entire town. The message- ANY act of kindness makes a difference. My students love the graphics and are able to follow along with the meaning. This book sparks some pretty amazing discussions about small ways they can show kindness!
SELF-LOVE
“The Reflection in Me”, by Marc Colagiovanni is such a beautiful story. The message? “You are perfectly perfect just the way you are”. While I love reading aloud to my students you can also find a wonderfully made narrated version of “The Reflection in Me” here. When reflecting on our lesson I ask students to draw a picture themselves, perfectly made, highlighting things about themselves that they love.
BULLY PREVENTION
I’m a big fan of using the crinkled heart activity to illustrate the lasting and powerful impact of words. I love using “Chrysanthemum”, by Kevin Henkes in conjunction with that activity. Children are able to make the connection between how words stick with, both themselves, and with others. If you’re not familiar with the crinkled heart activity, students are presented with a paper heart and asked to crinkle the heart each time someone says something unkind to Chrysanthemum. When the book is finished, students are asked to return the paper heart back it’s pristine condition. Students immediately recognize the moral of the story.
RESPECT
When I’m teaching a lesson on respect the main take-away I want to convey is respect for others. “All Are Welcome”, by Alexandra Penfold, follows a classroom of students who are all very different. The moral of the story- our individuals differences make us stronger together. I enjoy having a discussion with my students about their different strengths and how each of those strengths contribute to their classroom community.
EMPATHY
There are so many great books that teach empathy, but “I Walk With Vanessa”, by Keroscoeti, is one of my favorites. This picture book follows a new student, Vanessa, and a classmate who chooses to be an upstander. I was initially concerned about using a picture book for a classroom lesson, but found that it was able to elicit some really great conversations about feelings- both how the characters in the book feel and how my students would feel in the same situation. It allows them to use their own words regarding kindness and inclusion.
SELF-CONTROL
“Clark the Shark”, by Bruce Hale, is a classic! It’s a classic because it’s colorful, fun, and relatable. Every time I use “Clark the Shark” for a classroom lesson students are able to relate to a time that they, themselves, were Clark. Everyone struggles with self-control at times. “Clark the Shark” relays that it is possible to practice self-control by making positive choices and thinking about the impact of his actions on others.
RESPONSIBILITY
My students love Julia Cook books and so do I! They especially love Noodle! Noodle is the relatable character in the book “But It’s Not My Fault”. The humorous style of this book captures my students attention and allows them to relate. As we read the book, and stop throughout for discussion, I am always amazed about how much students still need to learn about being responsible.
ANGER MANAGEMENT
“Soda Pop Head” checks all of the boxes for me, in terms of important lessons about managing anger. Julia Cook does a great job of illustrating how to notice how your body feels when you are angry, how to recognize triggers, and how to cope with big emotions. Her message- “Be the boss of your anger instead of letting anger be the boss of you”.