Social Emotional Learning Chapter Books for Older Kids

Inside: Use these social emotional learning chapter books for older kids to teach them sel concepts and have discussions about hard, tricky topics for tween and teens.

With three kids ranging in age from 12-16, I can confidently say that while parenting kids of every age is tricky and come with challenges, the two hardest parts of parenting for us have been newborn to 3 months and sixth grade.

For me, the newborn time was awful since I was sleep-deprived and I thrive on sleep. And schedules. And not being overstimulated. It was a time to just survive as a parent.

The other hardest time for all three of my kids has been sixth grade. Hands down, it has been the hardest school year for all of my kids, and all for very different reasons.

One kid didn’t have a ton of friends and struggled socially to fit in and connect with other kids so their mental health struggled.

One kid was repeatedly bullied for more than half the year before we got it to stop so their mental health struggled.

And another kid has all the friends but also all the “friends” and is struggling to figure out who she is, who she wants to be and how to act so those two things line up with our family values of kindness and empathy and respect so their mental health struggled.

I’m counting down the minutes until sixth grade is over. In the meantime, we’re pouring into our current sixth grader and spending a lot of time focusing on social emotional learning to help her get through these tricky days.

And we’re stocking her library with social emotional learning chapter books that will resonate with her and help her navigate the transition from tween to teen and the drama she faces (and creates) in middle school.

What Is Social Emotional Learning?

Social Emotional Learning covers 5 major components and helps kids become a well-adjusted, emotionally healthy, confident, thriving human who can positively interact with other humans.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) teaches essential concepts like:

problem-solving skills
conflict resolution skills (dealing with tricky social situations, meanness, rudeness, and bullying behaviors)
teamwork and collaboration skills
responsibility
decision-making skills
perseverance and resilience (not giving up)
confidence and advocacy skills (standing up for themselves)
self-regulation skills (not losing control, waiting their turn)
social skills, kindness, manners, and positive peer relationship skills (turn taking, sharing, listening to boundaries, etc.)

We can intentionally teach kindness in our classrooms, but we can also dive deeper and intentionally focus on all aspects of social emotional learning.

Why should we teach social emotional learning when we have so many other things to teach our kids?

Research has shown that social emotional learning curriculum and concepts:

help reduce bullying behaviors
create a safe learning environment for all students at schools
improves academic success and even test scores
increases kids’ emotional intelligence which decreases outbursts, meltdowns/tantrums, etc.
improves school attendance
reduces behavior issues
builds a positive classroom environment and home environment
encourages kindness, empathy, compassion and helpfulness

Get more info on Social Emotional Learning and why it’s essential to teach it here.

Ways to Teach Social Emotional Learning:

There are tons of ways to teach Social Emotional Learning.

You can use done for you SEL yearly curriculum like this:

You can use discussion starters to talk about harder topics like these:

You can play kindness games like these.

You can connect kindness and sel concepts to writing and the holidays with our Kindness Craft and Writes.

You can listen to music with a positive sel message like these kindness songs.

And of course we can read books about social emotional learning.

Need Social Emotional Learning books for younger kids?

35 Must Read Anti-Bullying Books

Books to Raise Kind Kids: Kindness and Friendship Books

Books to Encourage Emotional Intelligence

Books to Help Kids be Includers

Kindness Emergent Reader Books for Beginning Readers

Social Emotional Learning Chapter Books for Older Kids

These are all chapter books for middle schoolers and older but just because kids are older doesn’t mean they have to read these independently. You can read to your kids (they may still love it!) or you can read the book with your kids like a book club and talk about what you’re reading.

The magic of these books comes when there is a discussion of hard topics!

These are all chapter books I’ve read with my kids or are next on our reading list.

Posted– This book focuses on how your words matter whether they’re written in a text or written on a post-it note in the hallway. This is a great book to talk about the power in words and verbal bullying.

Prettiest– This book focuses on how being judged on your appearance is not fun for anyone, especially when it’s turned into a competition.

Hello Universe– This book tells a story of bravery, finding your inner hero and finding confidence, standing up to bullying, and friendship…even when the friends seem like they have nothing in common.

Starfish– This book tackles body issues and fat shaming and how to love yourself as you are.

Maybe He Just Likes You- This is a powerful book about consent, body autonomy, and standing up for yourself even when adults tell you nothing is wrong (when you know there is something not okay with how you’re being treated.

Save Me a Seat- This is one of my favorite books that focuses on bullying, true friendship, accepting people for who they are, and fitting in. It is written from the point of view of two boys, one who has a learning disability but everyone just assumes is dumb, and the other is a newly immigrated boy from India who is trying to fit in.

Linked– This book focuses on antisemitism and vandalism and connecting to people no matter what their religion.

Pay it Forward: This is a great book on the power of a kind act and the ripple effects of kindness. Once you read it, you can start a pay it forward challenge and watch the 2000 movie!

Wonder– This is a magical book about bullying, fitting in, being yourself, and finding real true friends who like you for who you are. Once you read it, definitely watch the movie!

Mermaid Tears– This is a book that focuses on depression and suicidal thoughts in middle school. Please read this book with your children and have mental health discussions and check ins regularly.

Mermaid Tears (A Michaels Middle School Story)

Wishtree– This is an easier-to-read chapter book about fitting in, accepting people for who they are and seeing past our differences.

Dress Coded– This book focuses on the power of friendship and standing up for what you believe in, even when you have to stand up to misogynist policies adults enforce.

A Good Kind of Trouble- This book is set during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and focuses on friendship, fitting in, following the rules, and questioning if the rules are worth following.

The Hundred Dresses– This is an older book (1944) that focuses on bullying, being a bystander, and speaking up for others with a message that still needs to be heard almost 100 years later.