Books About Empathy & Kindness for Ages 12–18

Kindness in adolescence often requires courage, because being kind when it's not cool to be kind is its own act of defiance. These 2,736 books explore empathy as a choice that gets harder before it gets easier, and that matters more than ever in the social world of teenagers.

2,736 books

The Toad Lady

Toby Forward

For the child who is wary of the neighborhood 'witch' or the eccentric neighbor everyone whispers about.

Ages 8–12

The House of Wings

Betsy Byars

For the child feeling resentful about a sudden change in family plans or struggling to connect with an eccentric relativ

Ages 8–12

The Legends of Greemulax

Kimmy Schmidt, Sarah Mlynowski

For the child grappling with the idea that growing up means losing their gentleness or becoming someone they don't recog

Ages 8–12