School Counseling Books For February
February is the shortest month of the year, but is full of great things to celebrate with your students - like Valentine’s Day, Random Acts Of Kindness Week, and Black History Month. Using picture books with social-emotional themes is a simple way to incorporate these “holidays” into your school counseling lessons and keep students engaged as they explore important SEL topics like kindness, friendship and perseverance.
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Books For Valentine’s Day
In My Heart: A Book Of Feelings By Jo Witek
Recommended Grades: Pre-K to 2
Topics It Covers: Feelings
This is a great book to expand your students’ emotional vocabularies as they learn about the different feelings they can have. It describes the feelings in a way that will help your students learn to identify them in their own bodies, and understand that it is okay to have many different feelings.
Here Comes Valentine Cat By Deborah Underwood
Recommended Grades: Pre-K to 2
Topics It Covers: Friendship
Cat does not want to make a Valentine for her annoying neighbor Dog. Cat hates that he is always throwing things in her yard, but as it turns out, he is just trying to be her friend. This is a fun tale to help your students learn that they can find friendship in the most surprising places.
Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink By Diane deGroat
Recommended Grades: K to 2
Topics It Covers: Kindness and Friendship
Gilbert was writing Valentine’s for the other kids in his class, but when it came time to write kind notes to Margaret and Lewis, people he didn’t get along with, Gilbert had another plan. He wrote mean messages to two of the other students, but signed someone else’s name instead of his own. When they realized that Gilbert was the culprit, no one wanted to be his friend. Eventually, he was able to talk things through with Margaret and Lewis and he realized that he had kind things to say about them after all.
Love Monster And The Last Chocolate By Rachel Bright
Recommended Grades: Pre-K to 2
Topics It Covers: Sharing, Friendship
The Love Monster receives a box of chocolate, but is afraid to share with his friends. What if they take it all and he doesn’t get to enjoy his favorite piece? As he contemplates what to do with the candy, he decides to tell his friends about his dilemma. Turns out, they had saved his favorite piece just for him! Kids will love this sweet Valentine’s story!
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch By Eileen Spinelli
Recommended Grades: 1 to 4
Topics It Covers: Kindness and Friendship
Mr. Hatch is a lonely old man until he receives a message from a secret admirer that says someone loves him. This spurs him on to be warm and kind to those around him, until he learns that the message was not meant for him. Discouraged, he goes back to his old ways only to learn that he IS loved.
Books For Kindness Week
Kindness Is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler By Margery Cuyler
Recommended Grades: K to 3
Mrs. Ruler challenges her class to do kind acts at home, at school and in the community. The students in the class are encouraged by each other and end up doing 100 acts of kindness. This is the perfect book to kick off Random Acts Of Kindness week, as it will give your students ideas of how they can show kindness to their own community!
The Jelly Donut Difference by Maria Dismondy
Recommended Grades: K to 3
Dexter and Leah were twins who decided to invite their lonely neighbor, Ms. Marvis, to dinner. During the dinner, their neighbor mentions a tradition of making paczkis, or jelly donuts, with her family. After the dinner, the twins decide to do a few more things to show kindness to Ms. Marvis, including making her a batch of paczkis. This is a great book about how a little bit of kindness can go a long way.
Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed By Emily Pearson
Recommended Grades: K to 3
Ordinary Mary shows kindness through one simple deed. It inspires others to do the same, spreading kindness to the whole world! This book will remind your students that even a small act of kindness has the power to change lives all over the world.
The Power Of One by Trudy Ludwig
Recommended Grades: K to 4
In this book, one girl shows one act of kindness that inspires even more kindness. Readers will see that one kind act may be small, but that it can make a big difference.
One Drop Of Kindness By Jeff Kubiak
Recommended Grades: 3 to 5
Gus’s mom died when he was young, and he spent the rest of his childhood moving around. He eventually ended up at a school that was nicknamed Mean School, and he fit right in with the unkind culture. Although Gus, and the people around him, were mean, he could always remember his mother’s voice reminding him about the power of kindness. When a girl named Truly starts attending MEAN school, her kindness is contagious and everyone is transformed from their mean ways. Gus is discouraged when he finds that Truly has left the school, but the principal reminds him that Truly’s kindness can live on in him. Your students will love this heartwarming book about the transformative power of kindness.
Books For Black History Month
Mae Among The Stars By Roda Ahmed
Recommended Grades: K to 2
Topics It Covers: Goal Setting, Perseverance
This story is inspired by the life of Mae Jemison, the first African-American female to go to space. It tells of little Mae, who is always dreaming of being an astronaut when she grows up. When she is faced with opposition from her teacher and peers, her parents encourage her to never give up. Your students will love following Mae as she pursues her dreams.
Amazing Grace By Mary Hoffman
Recommended Grades: K to 2
Topics It Covers: Perseverance And Diversity
Grace loves stories and she loves acting out all of the parts. When she learns that her mr class is doing a play of Peter Pan, she can’t wait to audition for the part of Peter. When she tells her class which part she wants, they tell her that she can’t be Peter Pan because he isn’t a girl and he isn’t black. With encouragement from her family, Grace learns that she can do whatever she sets her mind to, and ends up being the best Peter Pan yet!
Salt In His Shoes: Michael Jordan In Pursuit Of A Dream By Deloris and Roslyn Jordan
Recommended Grades: 1 to 3
Topics It Covers: Perseverance and Hard Work
The mother and sister of basketball superstar Michael Jordan come together to tell the story of how hard work and patience helped Michael achieve his basketball dreams. By overcoming challenges through hard work and determination, Michael was able to win an important basketball game and begin on the road that would lead him to fame and success.
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned To Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard
Recommended Grades: 2 to 5
Topics It Covers: Overcoming Obstacles and Growth Mindset
In this true story, readers learn about Mary Walker, who learned to read at age 116. She was born into slavery, and later was a sharecropper and a mom to three sons. Throughout this time, she had always wanted to learn to read, but never had the opportunity. Once she was in a nursing home, there was a reading class, and Mary Walker worked hard to learn to read at age 116 - quite possibly making her the oldest student ever. In this book, kids will not only learn about overcoming obstacles, but a little bit of history too!
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
Recommended Grades: 2 to 5
Topics It Covers: Overcoming Obstacles and Growth Mindset
This story is all about the persistence and hard work of four black women who were some of the greatest math minds behind NASA’s success in the 1960s. Readers will learn about the discrimination - based on both gender and race - that these women had to overcome. They will be inspired to continue to work towards their own goals, no matter what obstacles may be in their way!
These books are an easy way to connect your students’ social emotional learning with “holiday” themes during your school counseling lessons this February. If you love how easy it is to use books in your lessons, you’ll want to sign up below to get your free list of 120 picture books that cover a variety of social emotional topics!
