Contents
This page is full of resources for helping students identify emotions and helping teachers understand the importance of teaching students to identify their emotions. You will find:
Juvenile Literature
Here is a small sample of books you can use with children to help them begin to identify emotions. Hover over the information icon to read a summary of the book. For additional titles, search the library catalog for a specific emotion such as "happiness," "grief," or "anxiety." You can also search "mood" or "emotions" for broader results.
The Bad Seed by
This is a book about a bad seed. A baaaaaaaaaad seed. How bad? Do you really want to know? He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. He's been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody and never listens. But what happens when one mischievous little seed changes his mind about himself, and decides that he wants to be--happy? With Jory John's charming and endearing text and bold expressive illustrations by Pete Oswald, here is The Bad Seed: a funny yet touching tale that reminds us of the remarkably transformative power of will, acceptance, and just being you. Perfect for readers young and old, The Bad Seed proves that positive change is possible for each and every one of us.
Call Number: 800 J6136baISBN: 9780062467768
A Box of Butterflies by
"I love that story," said Ruby. "Did you love it too?" "Robot is just a machine. Robot cannot feel love." Robot paused for a moment and said, " What does love feel like?" When Ruby asks Robot if he loved the story as much as she did, he tells her that he doesn't know what love is. If it's not something he can see, then what could it be? Ruby describes emotions to her Robot. She teaches him what each feels like ("love feels like a box of butterflies ") and when she feels them ("I sometimes feel that way when I'm told no more TV "). With colorful metaphors and vibrant imagery, A Box of Butterflies takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery and emotional reflection, identifying not just love, but jealousy, anger, worry, and a host of other emotions. Included is a Note to Parents and Caregivers by Elizabeth McCallum, PhD, that further explores the importance of learning about emotions.
Call Number: 155.4 R673boISBN: 9781433828713
The Brain Storm by
This wordless picture book is a thought-provoking exploration of disruptive feelings. Readers may interpret these as anger, anxiety, or even a creative brain storm. Follow along as a mood pesters a young boy and ends up rubbing off on all those around him. After a frustrating day under his version of a little dark cloud, he discovers that ultimately working through your feelings and emotions begins with you. The wordless pages inspire readers to "read" the story as they apply their own interpretations to the young boy's plight.
Call Number: 800 R128brISBN: 9781486715565
The Color Monster by
The international bestseller that helps young children identify emotions and feel more in control, now available in a classic picture book format. One day, Color Monster wakes up feeling very confused. His emotions are all over the place; he feels angry, happy, calm, sad and scared all at once! To help him, a little girl shows him what each feeling means through color. As this adorable monster learns to sort and define his mixed up emotions, he gains self-awareness and peace as a result. Caregivers will enjoy sharing this concept book that taps into both socio-emotional growth and color concepts in a simple, friendly way.
Call Number: 152.4 L7705coISBN: 9780316450010
Crabby Pants by
Roger gets CRABBY. A LOT. He is crabby about running out of his favorite food, not being able to go to the zoo, and missing his favorite TV shows. Sometimes he ends up in the naughty chair. Can Roger figure out how to stop being such a crabby pants? This humorous and lighthearted picture book delivers an important message about growing up and managing feelings.
Call Number: 800 G216crISBN: 9781404874169
Don't Think about Purple Elephants by
Sometimes Sophie worries -- not during the day when she is busy with family and friends, but at night when everything is calm and quiet. Her family all try to help, but somehow they just make her worries worse. Until her mother thinks of a new approach ... that might just involve an elephant or two! But wait, don't think about purple elephants, whatever you do! Whimsical and humorous, this little girl's story of finding a way to ease her worry will resonate with children and parents everywhere.
Call Number: 800 W571doISBN: 9781925335484
Grow Happy by
My name is Kiko. I'm a gardener. I grow happy. Let me show you how. Kiko shows the reader how she grows happiness: by making good choices, taking care of her body and mind, paying attention to her feelings, problem solving, and spending time with family and friends. Kids will learn that they can play a pivotal role in creating their own happiness, just like Kiko. A Note to Parents and Other Caregivers provides more strategies for helping children learn how to grow happiness. Age range 4-8.
Call Number: 800 L3372grISBN: 9781433823312
Grumpy Monkey by
Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can't understand it--how can he be in a bad mood when it's SUCH a beautiful day? They encourage him not to hunch, to smile, and to do things that make THEM happy. But Jim can't take all the advice...and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy? Suzanne and Max Lang bring hilarity and levity to this very important lesson. This picture book is an excellent case study in the dangers of putting on a happy face and demonstrates to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings (though they should be careful of hurting others in the process!).
Call Number: 800 L256grISBN: 9780553537864
How Are You Peeling? by
"Who'd have dreamed that produce could be so expressive, so charming, so lively and funny'...Freymann and...Elffers have created sweet and feisty little beings with feelings, passions, fears and an emotional range that is, well, organic." - The New York Times Book Review. "Use this book to discuss different moods, to introduce the names of many fruits and vegetables, to identify colors, and to inspire young artists to create sculptures of their own." - School Library Journal, starred review
Call Number: 152.4 F898howISBN: 9780439104319
I'm Sad by
A girl, a potato, and a very sad flamingo star in this charming sequel to I'm Bored by New York Times bestselling author and comedian Michael Ian Black and celebrated illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Everyone feels sad sometimes--even flamingos. Sigh. When Flamingo announces he's feeling down, the little girl and Potato try to cheer him up, but nothing seems to work. Not even dirt! (Which usually works for Potato.) Flamingo learns that he will not always feel this way. And his friends learn that sometimes being a friend means you don't have to cheer someone up. You just have to stick by your pal no matter how they feel. Even if they're a potato.
Call Number: 800 B5617imISBN: 9781481476270
Wemberly Worried by
Wemberly worried about everything. Big things. Little things. And things in between. Then it was time for school to start.And Wemberly worried even more. If you ever worry (or know someone who does), this is the book for you.
Call Number: 800 H3885weISBN: 9780688170271
Why the Face? by
A hilarious guessing game of facial reactions, Jean Jullien tickles the funnybone with a book of facial overreactions. Faces are presented first, allowing the reader to wager predictions of what may have prompted such an expression, before the dramatic answer is revealed.
Call Number: 800 J948whISBN: 9780714877198
Here is a small sample of books you can use with children to help them begin to identify emotions. Hover over the information icon to read a summary of the book. For additional titles, search the library catalog for a specific emotion such as "happiness," "grief," or "anxiety." You can also search "mood" or "emotions" for broader results.
The Night Diary by
In the vein ofInside Out and Back Again and The War That Saved My Life comes a poignant, personal, and hopeful tale of India's partition, and of one girl's journey to find a new home in a divided country It's 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries- Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders. Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn't know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can't imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together. Told through Nisha's letters to her mother, The Night Diaryis a heartfelt story of one girl's search for home, for her own identity...and for a hopeful future.
Call Number: 813 H613niISBN: 9780735228511
Merci Suárez Changes Gears by
Winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina. Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don't have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci's school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna's jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci's grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately -- forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she's left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school -- and the steadfast connection that defines family.
Call Number: 813 M4689meISBN: 9780763690496
Bridge to Terabithia 40th Anniversary Edition by
The 40th anniversary edition of the classic Newbery Medal-winning title by beloved author Katherine Paterson, with brand-new bonus materials including an author's note by Katherine herself and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo. Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief. Bridge to Terabithia was also named an ALA Notable Children's Book and has become a touchstone of children's literature, as have many of Katherine Paterson's other novels, including The Great Gilly Hopkins and Jacob Have I Loved.
Call Number: 813 P273briISBN: 9780064401845
Genesis Begins Again by
A Newbery Honor Book Winner of the Correta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award A Morris Award Finalist An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 This deeply sensitive and powerful debut novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself. There are ninety-six things Genesis hates about herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list. Like #95: Because her skin is so dark, people call her charcoal and eggplant--even her own family. And #61: Because her family is always being put out of their house, belongings laid out on the sidewalk for the world to see. When your dad is a gambling addict and loses the rent money every month, eviction is a regular occurrence. What's not so regular is that this time they all don't have a place to crash, so Genesis and her mom have to stay with her grandma. It's not that Genesis doesn't like her grandma, but she and Mom always fight--Grandma haranguing Mom to leave Dad, that she should have gone back to school, that if she'd married a lighter skinned man none of this would be happening, and on and on and on. But things aren't all bad. Genesis actually likes her new school; she's made a couple friends, her choir teacher says she has real talent, and she even encourages Genesis to join the talent show. But how can Genesis believe anything her teacher says when her dad tells her the exact opposite? How can she stand up in front of all those people with her dark, dark skin knowing even her own family thinks lesser of her because of it? Why, why, why won't the lemon or yogurt or fancy creams lighten her skin like they're supposed to? And when Genesis reaches #100 on the list of things she hates about herself, will she continue on, or can she find the strength to begin again?
Call Number: 813 W6704geISBN: 9781481465809
Videos
Web Links
- Connecting Learning With EmotionsFrom Edutopia: emotional scripting—working to evoke specific emotions in students—adds a new layer to lessons to make them more memorable.
- Emotions and LearningA digital book from UNESCO about emotions and learning.
- How Emotions Affect Learning, Behaviors, and RelationshipsFrom Edutopia: In the first of five posts about the film "Inside Out," Lori Desautels offers strategies to help explore how joy, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust can help students.
- Should Emotions Be Taught in Schools?Our unresolved, unacknowledged feelings can lead us into anxiety, arguments and worse. Some educators believe it’s time to give our kids emotional instruction along with their ABCs.
- Why Emotions are Integral to LearningExcerpted from Emotions, Learning, and the Brain, (c) 2016 by Mary Helen Immordino-Yang.
Professional Development Books
Emotional Wellbeing by Call Number: LB1072 .E58 2019ISBN: 9781138298705This is an essential resource for educators working to support emotional wellbeing in children and young people. Written by the team behind the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training programme, it provides practical suggestions that can be implemented straight away to make a positive difference in the life of the young person.
Social and Emotional Education in Primary School by ISBN: 9781461487524This book synthesizes concepts, findings, and best practices for a complete guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating social and emotional education (SEE) programs.
All Learning Is Social and Emotional by ISBN: 9781416627395While social and emotional learning (SEL) is most familiar as compartmentalized programs separate from academics, the truth is, all learning is social and emotional. What teachers say, the values we express, the materials and activities we choose, and the skills we prioritize all influence how students think, see themselves, and interact with content and with others.
Behavior Management in Today's Schools by Call Number: LB1060.2 .C36 2019ISBN: 9781475844528Children enter the school doors today with many diverse needs: mental health problems, ADHD, anxiety, victims of physical or sexual abuse, homelessness, or facing some other type of trauma. Teachers in today's classrooms are struggling to understand the needs of their students and to provide a supportive and nurturing environment, while maintaining structure and routine. In whatever setting students are, teachers must understand the challenges that students come to school facing, know how to assess the needs of the children, build positive relationships with them, collaborate with others, and take care of themselves.
