Kindness Book List

1.  The Berenstain Bears: Kindness Counts (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights) by Jan Berenstain

Back Cover Description:  Brother Bear loves everything to do with model airplanes, whether it’s building, fixing, or flying them. But when he shares one of his prized planes with a younger cub will his kindness be returned?

2.  If You Plant a Seed Hardcover by Kadir Nelson     

 

Synopsis:  A funny story about the power of even the smallest acts and the rewards of compassion and generosity.  Demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit.

 

3.  The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace                                                                              

Synopsis:  Minna and her classmates have been asked by their teacher, Mrs. Bloom, to work on a Kindness Project.  Mrs. Bloom wants them to do and draw and share an act of kindness.  Minna and her family do lots of kind things, but Minna can’t decide which one is right for her project.  Then she starts writing and drawing and cutting—and an idea for a paper quilt picturing many acts of kindness begins to take shape.

 4.   Little Blue Truck board book Board book by Alice Schertle     

 

Synopsis:  A muddy country road is no match for this Blue, the little pick up; until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck.  But, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route.  And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road.
The book shows the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.

 

 

5.  How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath                                                   

 

Synopsis:   A book told through the story of a boy who learns a valuable “bucket filling” metaphor and watches it come to life as the day unfolds.  The book shows that every moment matters and that each of us has an invisible bucket.  Explaining with each good deed the bucket begins to fill.

 

6.  The Invisible Boy Hardcover by Trudy Ludwig     

Synopsis:   This book shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find The Invisible Boy a valuable and important resource. 

 

7.  Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed By Emily Pearson and Fumi Kosaka Synopsis:  A feel-good story that inspires and celebrates a world full of ordinary deeds; illustrates each person paying those good deeds forward.

 

8.  Those Shoes Paperback by Maribeth Boelts     

Synopsis:   All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing.  Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for "want," just "need," when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend are worth more than the things he wants.

9.  Random Acts of Kindness Paperback by The Editors of Conari Press & Dawna Markova

Synopsis:  Random Acts of Kindness is an antidote for a weary world.  Its true stories, thoughtful quotations, and suggestions for generosity inspire readers to live more compassionately.

 

 10.   Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition by Catherine Ryan Hyde                                                                                          

Synopsis:  This book is an uplifting novel about Trevor McKinney, a twelve-year-old boy in a small California town who accepts his teacher’s challenge to earn extra credit by coming up with a plan to change the world. Trevor’s idea is simple: do a good deed for three people, and instead of asking them to return the favor,  he'd ask them to “pay it forward” to three others who need help.

 

Lastly, I added an extra book for educators read as well.

11.  Cultivating Kindness in School: Activities That Promote Integrity, Respect, and Compassion in Elementary and Middle School Students by Ric Stuecker 

 

Synopsis:  72 classroom and schoolwide activities, is built around Three Basic Rules: being kind to ourselves, being kind to one another, and being kind to this space; and The Kindness Pledge: seeking to be positive, putting down put-downs, honoring our differences, discovering our similarities, healing our hurts, listening to one another, honoring heroes, reaching higher for success, and living our dreams.