Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
There's a Children's Book for that!
117
items Whenever parents ask me how to navigate a new milestone or tricky situation with their kids, my answer—as both a psychologist and a mom—is always the same: 'There’s a children’s book for that!' This is a curated list of my absolute favorites. These a...
Sections
16
Cancer & Chronic Illness
Emotions
Puberty
Relationships
Social Justice & Activism
Gender & Sexuality
Cancer & Chronic Illness
My mom and stepdad were both diagnosed with cancer (stage IVb and stage III respectively) around the same time, and as soon as I knew, I started looking for children's books to start to explain everything to my then 9 yo twins. Children's books are a...
A Kids Book About Cancer
Another book I bought for my kids to learn more about cancer, blood, etc. when my mom and stepdad were both diagnosed with cancer. I have a very inquisitive "why" asking twin, so I knew having a lot of books to answer all of their questions would be ...
Hematology & Oncology for Kids: Fun Picture Book
This one has been read multiple times in our household since their grandma is a cancer fighting queen. It's got super cute and friendly illustrations and colors, plus a gentle, regulating and predictable rhythm to the read.
My Grandma is a Cancer Fighting Queen
This one was super helpful in answering all the questions my twins had about cancer in general and what it mean for their manga (grandma) and papa T to have cancer.
I Have a Question about Cancer: Answers for Kids
A book that is part silly fun and part science to explain cancer to younger kids while stressing that the doctors are doing everything they can and cancer is NOT THE FAULT of the person who gets it or the child.
Cancer Party!: Explain Cancer, Chemo & Radiation to Kids
Part of the Books about Cancer for Kids series (written by a 2x cancer survivor who has children), this was a great overview and introduction to chemotherapy. This allowed us to talk about what they could expect, what it meant when we talked about ma...
Chemotherapy 101 For Kids: Easy Guide by 2X Survivor
Kids deserve the respect of having the reality of what's happening in their world explained to them in developmentally appropriate ways and terms. This book, part of the Books about Cancer for Kids series, was a great way to introduce cancer to my ch...
Ask Puff! Kid's Guide to Understanding Cancer
Luckily we haven't had to use this book yet, but it's part of the "What about me?" series and is a great companion and guide for having the conversation with a child when someone they love is moving to hospice care and/or is dying.
What Happens When Someone I Love Can't Get Better
This book from the "What About Me?" series was helpful in thinking about and talking about the impacts to one's daily life when a loved one has cancer.
What Happens When Someone I Love Has Cancer?
This is a helpful book for kids of a parent or loved one who is terminal, as well as those that live with a chronic illness. I found it helpful for my kids in helping them to understand my invisible disabilities and chronic illnesses as well as the i...
What Happens When Someone I Love Is Ill
Fun board book for babies and toddlers introducing them to the language of the different branches of science.
My First 100 Science Words: Early Learning
When my twins were newly 8, their dad's spouse had a hemorrhagic stroke, so what did I do to start explaining the situation and changes to my children - I turned to children's books, and this was one of them. It helps them to learn more about aphasia...
Why Is Papa Talking Funny? Children's Book
When my twins were newly 8, their dad's spouse had a hemorrhagic stroke, so what did I do to start explaining the situation and changes to my children - I turned to children's books, and this was one of them. It sparked some great conversations and t...
Mom Had a Stroke
When my twins were newly 8, their dad's spouse had a hemorrhagic stroke, so what did I do to start explaining the situation and changes to my children - I turned to children's books, and this was one of them. It was empowering for them to know the wh...
Mommy Had A Stroke
When my twins were newly 8, their dad's spouse had a hemorrhagic stroke, so what did I do to start explaining the situation and changes to my children - I turned to children's books, and this was one of them. Super easy to understand, and made for ve...
What Happened? A Child's Book About Stroke
When my twins were newly 8, their dad's spouse had a hemorrhagic stroke, so what did I do to start explaining the situation and changes to my children - I turned to children's books, and this was one of them. They had lots of questions - lots that we...
My Grandpa Had a Stroke
Emotions
a Big Bright Feelings book that helps kids talk about disappointment, having fun even when things don't go as planned, and psychological flexibility, which can be a challenge and take more time for some children - especially neurodivergent kiddos.
Bea's Bad Day (Big Bright Feelings)
I LOVE the Anger Shield book (I even have one in my therapy office and use it to illustrate the concept to adults!), and this journal is a great companion to help kiddos explore their anger triggers and learn more about how they can better manage the...
A Little SPOT's Anger Shield Journal
As a psychologist (and a typical millennial who wasn't taught how to feel and name my emotions until I went to therapy lol), it was important to me that my twins learned about their emotions from a young age. The Little Spot books have been PERFECT f...
A Little Peaceful SPOT Activity Book
Such a great evolution to the Little Spot series - focuses on handling anger and frustration as you navigate the whirlwind of new experiences that is middle school!
A Little SPOT of Anger Goes To Middle School
This has become one of my go to baby shower gifts - a colorful, fun board book all about emotions - perfect entry point to start the SEL learning from a very young age!
A Little SPOT: My First Emotions
I love this metaphor of coaching your emotions and feelings spots - and this book lives in our calm down area with all the other Little Spot books and plushes!
A Little SPOT Emotion Coach
Like the title suggests, it's important to impart to kids that even when emotions are uncomfortable - they are temporary - they won't last forever. This book is great for this!
No Feeling Lasts Forever: Recognizing Emotions
We've read this book a lot in my household as my children struggle with change, especially unexpected change! This book is perfect for "when everything (or anything) changes!"
Nothing Stays the Same, but That's Okay
Helps to introduce the idea that not everything we think is based in fact/reality and in a developmentally understandable way.
Don't Believe Everything You Think: Teach Kids Cognitive Distortions & Emotions
The title is a great way to describe what is happening in our bodies when our big emotions of fear, anxiety, etc. take over - our body is acting as if there is a huge threat that isn't actually there.
The Bear is Not There: Nervous System & Coping
This book - part of the Emotions: Identifying, Understanding, Managing, & Regulating series - uses colors and the "ups and downs" of daily life to talk about identifying emotions and where they are in the body.
Up and Down, Round and Round: Emotions Book
Another great addition to your Little Spot collection!
A Little SPOT Feelings Island: Emotional Adventure
This Little Spot book focuses on giving the gifts that keep on giving - kindness and compassion!
A Little SPOT of Giving: Sharing & Generosity
These are a staple in our calm down area as it includes books on a lot of different feelings - especially when combined with the emotions boxed set!
A Little SPOT Emotional Regulation Box Set 49-56
A great book to help our little ones learn the value of compromise and gives them a framework (the 5 C's of Compromise) to help them remember.
A Little SPOT Learns to Compromise Story
Accepting "no" is hard for a lot of kids - this book has been very helpful in my kids' understanding and acceptance of "no."
I Just Don't Like the Sound of NO: Kids Story
We all want our kids to have confidence and not rely on external validation/reassurance, and affirmations can be a great way of working on that.
My Magical Words: Positive Affirmations for Kids
I literally have a copy at home in our calm down area for my kids AND a copy at work in my office for my work with adults - because the concept of anger as a shield for other emotions is so essential!
A Little SPOT's Anger Shield: Story on Anger
Shyness isn't inherently bad - it's often misunderstood and there are lots of positives. Here is a great book for the shy kiddo in your life!
Shy and Mighty: Your Shyness is a Superpower
One of my twins used this with their OT when they were working on increasing their emotional regulation skills and toolbox.
The Kids' Guide to Staying Awesome & In Control
Great resource for fun activities and engaging, hands-on exercises to help younger kiddos to increase their kindness towards themselves and others.
Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids: Mindfulness & Kindness
Learning anything new actually requires a lot of emotion regulation, and this Little Spot book touches on just that.
A Little SPOT of Learning: Managing Emotions
We have this Little Spot Activity Book plus all the Feeling Plushes next to their corresponding Little Spot of Feelings books in our calm down area. That way if they can't share verbally how they're feeling, they can go and grab the plush to show it!
A Little SPOT of Feelings 9 Plush Toys Set
Such a great workbook that gives lot of activities and suggestions for how to teach children mindfulness and emotional awareness - perfect for parents, teachers, and therapists alike!
Mindful Monsters Therapeutic Workbook
This book (the companion to the workbook of a similar name listed here as well) - uses a cute story about monsters to illustrate emotional awareness and regulation through mindfulness. Useful for parents, teachers, and therapists.
Be Mindful of Monsters: Helping Kids Accept Emotions
Another box set of Little Spot books that we have in our calm down area that touch on the SEL and emotional life skills we want to equip our twins with before they're adults.
A Little SPOT of Life Skills 8 Book Set
We love this set of Little Spot Emotion plushies - and these plus the Little Spot Feeling plushies set is perfect in our calm down corner for them to help pick out their emotion - even when they don't feel like talking about it!
A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Plush Toys Set
The kids LOVE thinking of themself as an "emotion detective" and it becomes a great framework for discovering what emotions they're feeling in the moment.
A Little SPOT of Feelings: Emotion Detective
If you're a Star Wars family, this is a perfect way of introducing emotions using the stories, scenes, and characters that your little one already loves!
Star Wars: Search Your Feelings
This is a great resource for helping your kids learn to handle and adjust to change!
I Can Handle Change: Child's Guide to Challenges
Lots of different activities that can help kids learn about anger, what it feels like in their bodies, and what to do when they're feeling angry!
Anger Management Workbook for Kids: 50 Activities
I have been using these books with my twins since they were in preschool, and we still use them and the concepts now at age 10!
A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Book Set
Cute boxed set that includes books on kindness, patience, responsibility, and more!
A Little SPOT Takes Action! 8 Book Set
Puberty
Love this teen and pre-teen "guide to sex, relationships, and being a human." I love the graphic novel style - which makes it approachable for a wide range of ages, developmental and reading levels, and is super engaging. It's sex positive, non-shami...
Let's Talk About It: Teen's Guide to Sex & Relationships
Rebel Girls make tons of great books and this one is no exception! It covers all of the typical growing up and puberty topics while also directly tackling confidence, power, mental health, and how to be boldly you in an incredibly difficult time in y...
Growing Up Powerful: Guide to Confidence
Another great puberty book for all kids - great for pre-teens and beyond to learn about the changes that all bodies go through as they grow and develop. It's a non-shaming, non-stigmatizing, non-gendered, beautifully inclusive of all body types and a...
You-ology: A Puberty Guide for EVERY Body
This book capitalizes on the time of the fart jokes and poop humor, mixing jokes, tons of facts, and talks about the good and the bad of growing up and puberty - plus it's inclusive!
Puberty Is Gross but Also Really Awesome
Great resource for kids and caregivers alike all about menstruation - for anyone with or who cares about someone with a uterus!
Period.: The Quick Guide to Every Uterus
We love this series from Cory Silverberg as it grows with the kids. This one is a comic book style explanation of bodies, feelings, sexuality, puberty, and relationships (and more) geared toward kids ages 8-10 yo.
Sex Is a Funny Word: About Bodies & You
This colorful, bright, graphic book from Cory Silverberg is geared toward middle schoolers and focuses on the things that matter most to them during these difficult years: hormones, reproduction, and development—but also power, pleasure, and how to b...
You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty
Inclusive, non-shaming, compassionate guide to all things tween and puberty - changing bodies, relationships, gender, mental health, anxieties, insecurities, hair, and more
Growing into You!: Inclusive Guide to Body & Mind
AASECT Book Award Winner - inclusive, honest, non-shaming book on puberty, bodies, sex, relationships, and more!
It's Totally Normal!: LGBTQIA+ Guide
Relationships
Great for teaching kids how to have all kinds of conversations and how to navigate situations in which they may know what they want to do but don't know HOW to do it/WHAT to say. It's a great example of how books can be perfect jumping off points for...
What Can I Say?: Kid's Guide to Social Skills
While my kids each have their own blank notebooks to write me something and stick it under my pillow when they have something to share but don't want to talk about it verbally, this provides regular, structured prompts and questions that make it a bi...
Stuff We Should Maybe Talk About: Journal for Parents & Teens
Helping our kids be aware of their feelings, recognize the behaviors that makes someone a good friend or a "not-so-good friend," and how to set boundaries are key/essential skills that they will need in their relationships moving forward.
The Not-So-Friendly Friend: Set Boundaries
This American Girl book gives girls insight into how to navigate drama, rumors, secrets, jealousy, and more without losing themself and their values.
A Smart Girl's Guide: Drama & Secrets
Love these interactive doodle books - each of my twins has their own with me. Each one has prompts for the mom and the kid - you pass it back and forth & you both get to work on the same drawing! A great way to increase your connection and commun...
Draw with Mom!: Two-Person Doodle Book
Cute and sweet book that gives us the opportunity to remind our kids that we will always be proud of them - sometimes we forget to actually tell them this (even if we know it in our heads), and if we don't say it out loud, they can question it.
I Will Always Be Proud of You (Unconditional Love)
This book is another great opportunity to remind your children that your love is unconditional and you'll love them no matter how they're feeling - which they need to hear explicitly to understand - and this is a great way to do just that!
I Love You When You're Angry - HeartHug Series
Cute, non-gendered parent & child collaborative journal with prompts to answer.
The Us Journal: Parent-Child Journey
Relatable, cute, and funny - enough to make even the grouchiest mom laugh!
The Grouchy Mom
Another book I've gifted to my twins' classrooms & teachers - as it is a lovely story about the sense of community and belonging created in a class over the course of a school year!
Our Class is a Family - Classroom Collection
Social Justice & Activism
Beautiful illustrations and artwork plus a lot of fun pictures and rhymes, with a touch a social justice. Another one of my baby shower and/or first birthday go-to gifts!
A is for Activist
PERFECT for the kid who asks all the "Why?" questions. Written by the fabulous author of The Body is Not an Apology, this book tackles all those questions that kids have about the world around them that often make grownups uncomfortable.
The Book of Radical Answers: Real Kids Q&A
My children have been attending protests since they were 3 months old, and it's important that they learn about the history, utility, and meaning of different movements and protests. Here is a beautiful book about powerful American protests. The move...
Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History
Super cute story about a school where students from all different backgrounds are welcomed, celebrated, and included. I've given copies of these to my twins' classroom teachers!
All Are Welcome (An All Are Welcome Book)
Just because they're children doesn't mean they're not capable of understanding concepts such as privilege - and it's important that we teach them how to understand it and how to talk about it. This is a great starting point to read with your child (...
What is Privilege?: Inspiring Little Minds
Gender & Sexuality
The gorgeous illustrations enhance this book that celebrates 20 amazingly brave and unique nonbinary, gender diverse, genderqueer, fluid, and two-spirit folx who blazed new trails and changed our worlds.
Beyond They/Them: 20 Influential Nonbinary People
Love this series of books - I bought them for my at the time nonbinary 4th grader. It was great to find a series of books about a kid like them - a nonbinary 4th grader doing regular 4th grader things. Also great for cis kids as it normalizes they/th...
Riley Reynolds Pumps Up the Party
Super cute, accessible, dyslexia friendly creepy book about ghosts for my nonbinary 4th grader about a nonbinary kid their age.
Ghost Girl (Orca Echoes)
Beautifully illustrated (I have a print from the illustrator framed and having in my therapy office) and an easily accessible and developmentally appropriate book that addresses gender from a curious and joyful stance related to self-expression.
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: Gender Identity
It's such a cute, engaging, and adorably colorful allegory for nonbinary identities - each for children to understand!
Neither
Adorable and accessible book to introduce various personal pronouns to kids in a developmentally appropriate and sensitive way.
What Are Your Words?: A Book About Pronouns
Jonathan Van Ness's book about a charming nonbinary guinea pig who does things their own way! A great way to include more books in your children's library that include gender neutral pronouns.
Peanut Goes for the Gold
Fun and colorful book to introduce pronouns, including gender neutral pronouns and neopronouns, to kids ages 5+ - and includes discussion and educational resources for their grownups at the back as well!
The Pronoun Book: She, He, They, and Me!
Still hands down one of my twins' favorite books about pronouns and they quote it often - love the illustrations!
They She He Me: Free to Be!
This book encourages self love, acceptance, diversity, inclusion, and the child's relationship with their father is so precious!
My Shadow Is Pink
Great book for introducing the concept that gender isn't binary to younger kids in language and a way they will easily understand.
My Shadow Is Purple
This is a beautiful book (and Stonewall Book Award Winner) that can help to normalize the fact that some girls have crushes on other girls and that's ok through it's sweet and innocent Valentine's story.
Love, Violet
A beautiful gender-neutral story about a robot finding out that love can be a lot of different things - sometimes much closer to home than initially thought!
Love, Z
The follow-up book to Prince & Knight continues this beautiful fairy tale about a prince who falls in love with a knight!
Prince & Knight: Tale of the Shadow King
We love the A Kids Book About... series, and this book explains nonbinary identities in developmentally appropriate and easy to understand ways. We bought one for the kids' classroom and the school counselor's office.
A Kids Book About Being Non-Binary
An adorable picture book that celebrates the diversity of bodies, gender expressions, and gender identities.
Every Body is a Rainbow: Kid's Guide to Gender
A cute story about a trans girl who goes to school.
Phoenix Goes to School: Support Transgender Kids
Adorable book with amazing illustrations (I have a print or two by the illustrator in my therapy office!) all about gender identity, expression, and more.
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: Gender Identity
This book introduces nonbinary identities in an easy to understand, developmentally appropriate way.
Neither
Race, Racism, & Anti-Racism
A great chapter book that introduces children to the history of racism, systemic racism, and antiracism in the US. It traces the history of where and how these ideas originated and evolved, what they can do about them today, and where to go from here...
Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You
Beautiful illustrations combined with the lyrical prose shows the consequences of the enslavement of African people and the history of the Black resistance in the US. Essential for any family or child that wants an accurate reflection of the true his...
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water
This read-aloud board book - part of the "First Conversation" series - is a great way to start having conversations with your toddlers about race, skin color, opportunities, racism, and more - which research shows us should be discussed starting duri...
Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race
This is an adorable book with equally adorable illustrations that shows children to all kinds of traditionally Black hairstyles . It's self-affirming, empowering, and great for normalizing all kinds of hair!
Princess Hair
Life Skills
As a mom of twin 10 year olds (both neurodivergent like me), this was a great book to start conversations about all the life skills I want to make sure they have as they get older to be fully functioning humans. As I tell them frequently - my job as ...
Life Skills for Tweens: Cook, Friends, Confidence
Another great book and resource for kids and parents to help facilitate all for important life skills that we want our kids to know - from manners to practical skills around the house to interpersonal skills!
How to Be a Person: 65 Useful Skills
Not just the practical things but the interpersonal, critical thinking skills, and other skills for tackling the difficulties of life!
Life Skills
A great book for normalizing making mistakes as part of being human and learning. Great for encouraging a growth mindset in kids - perfect for parents, therapists, and teachers alike!
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes: Growth Mindset Book
Religion, Atheism, Evolution
The Annabelle & Aiden series are amazing books for understanding the universe, magic, and all kinds of hard to understand concepts, and this one is a great story to help kids understand evolution!
Annabelle & Aiden: The Story Of Life
Another great Annabelle & Aiden book that helps us understand "what happens when we die?" It is a great secular, evidence-based guide to what we do know about what happens after death, a celebration of life, and a bit about grief.
Annabelle & Aiden: What Happens When We Die?
A cute book with fun illustrations that helps answer questions for kids exploring and questioning religion. Love that it uses open-ended and non-judgment questions about religion, while also introducing what an atheist or humanist life might look lik...
Atheism For Kids
A good book to introduce religion and spirituality - including the different parts of religion, what prayer is, and how many religions are similar. It doesn't inherently take a particular stance or say one religion or approach to god is superior.
What Is God?
Nice overview that is developmentally appropriate for elementary aged kiddos about what is a belief, what is religion, what is myth, where did they come from, what is evidence, what is the Scientific Method, and more!
The Belief Book
Child friendly and accessible way to introduce humanist ideas and ethics as well as the value of kindness.
Elle the Humanist
Bodies
Great book that celebrate bodies of all sizes, shapes, skin colors, abilities, etc! My kids LOVE to read it and pick out things about the illustrations that are similar to people in their lives (e.g. the one that has vitiligo like their bonus mom, th...
Bodies Are Cool
Neurodivergence
Beautifully illustrated book for kids ages 7-10 all about neurodiversity from an affirming perspective
Wonderfully Wired Brains: Intro to Neurodiversity
The dragon series of books is a cute way to introduce kids to all kinds of SEL topics - and this one about ADHD is no different.
A Dragon With ADHD: Kids' Story & Guide
Autistic kiddos want friends and kids to play with too. This is an adorable book to introduce neurotypical and/or allistic (non-autistic) kids to how some autistic kids play and how they can play with them.
For the grownups - research shows that cr...
Do You Want to Play?: Making Friends with Autistic Kid
Dyslexia Friendly
Dyslexia friendly book for kids ages 8-12, and it's a detective mystery, which is perfect for that age range.
D.A.R.E Detectives: Mystery on Lovett Lane (Dyslexia Font)
Families
A great book to help kids be more familiar with various family structures and that some dad's get pregnant/give birth.
In My Daddy's Belly: Transgender Dad's Story
An adorable book that provides an inclusive look at families and making a family of all different kinds.
Making a Baby
Cultures
Beautiful prose and illustrations to introduce magical tales from other cultures around the world!
Tales of East Africa: African Folklore Book
Beautifully written and illustrated book of folktales from India
Tales of India: Folktales from Bengal, Punjab
Activity Books
My twins love these activity/puzzle books, plus they're themed like an escape room (ties it together) and they're learning about things too as each one has a different setting!
Escape Room Puzzles: Space Station X
Babies
Cute set of board books to help introduce scientific concepts to babies and toddlers - and let's face it helps adults understand too! Super cute for a baby shower gift!
Baby University Board Book Set: Science for Toddlers