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Browse → Themes → Shame & Guilt

Shame & Guilt

Shame and guilt are among the most isolating emotions children experience. They're the feelings that convince you the bad thing you did defines who you are. These 0 books help children separate what they did from who they are, and find their way back from both.

For when a child made a mistake and can't stop replaying it. Stories about owning up, forgiving yourself, and moving forward.

Related:Honesty & Integrity Forgiveness Anger

Shame & Guilt Books for Kids | Wonderlit

5,083 books about shame & guilt

0–3 yrs610 books

4–7 yrs1456 books

8–11 yrs1318 books

12–18 yrs1691 books

Age

0–2 3–5 6–8 9–12 13+

Cover of Every Little Thing in the World

Every Little Thing in the World

Nina de Gramont

After being caught joyriding, sixteen-year-old Sydney is sent to a wilderness camp while grappling with the secret of an

Cover of The Half-life of Planets

The Half-life of Planets

Emily Franklin, Brendan Halpin

A science-focused girl trying to fix her reputation finds an unexpected spark with a boy who sees the world through the

Cover of The Longest Season The Story of the Orioles' 1988 Losing Streak

The Longest Season The Story of the Orioles' 1988 Losing Streak

Cal Ripken (Jr.)

Cal Ripken Jr. recounts the grueling twenty-one-game losing streak of the 1988 Orioles and the resilience it took to fin

1...210 211 212

Cover of Baseball's Biggest Bloopers: The Games That Got Away

Baseball's Biggest Bloopers: The Games That Got Away

Dan Gutman

For the young athlete who feels crushed after a mistake: discover how even the greatest legends in baseball history surv

Ages 8–12

Cover of Tristan and Iseult

Tristan and Iseult

Rosemary Sutcliff

For the young reader grappling with the weight of expectations and the complexity of conflicting loyalties. A poetic loo

Cover of Where I Want to Be

Where I Want to Be

For the teenager navigating the complex waves of grief after losing a sibling while balancing the memory of their loved

Cover of Just Like That

For the teen processing the shock of a sudden accident or struggling with the weight of being a witness to tragedy while

Cover of Lauren's Big Mix-up

Sleepover Friends #5

Lauren's Big Mix-up

For the child navigating the messy reality of social circles, secrets, and the pressure to impress others during their f

Cover of Angry Cookie

The Stuffies #1

For the child who woke up on the wrong side of the bed and needs to know that it is okay to be grumpy while someone just

Cover of The Girls

Amy Goldman Koss

One powerful ringleader controls a circle of five friends, testing their loyalty and deciding who stays in or gets kicke

Cover of A Dip of the Antlers

A Dip of the Antlers

For the child navigating the unspoken rules of the playground and the pressure to prove themselves among peers.

Cover of How the Camel Got His Hump

Just So Stories #2

How the Camel Got His Hump

Rudyard Kipling

When the world was still brand new, a very lazy camel refused to help out and kept saying humph until a magic Djinn gave

Cover of Super-completely and Totally the Messiest

Super-completely and Totally the Messiest

For the child who leaves a trail of crumbs and clutter but has a heart of gold, this story celebrates the messy side of

Cover of Bluefish

Thirteen-year-old Travis struggles to hide a major secret until a sassy classmate and a kind teacher help him find his v

Cover of Liar!

David Mortimore Baxter #1

For the child who struggles with the impulse to exaggerate or tell tall tales, this story explores the chaotic reality o

Cover of The Boyfriend

The ultimate ghost story unfolds when a boy who was killed after a messy breakup returns from the grave to confront the

Cover of All Rivers Flow to the Sea

All Rivers Flow to the Sea

Seventeen-year-old Rose wanders through a landscape of grief and guilt as she searches for a way to say goodbye to her s

Cover of Lost in the Sun

Lost in the Sun

For the child carrying the heavy weight of a past mistake. This moving story explores how to find self-forgiveness and c

Cover of The Storyteller's Daughter

The Storyteller's Daughter

Quinn grew up believing her father was a pillar of strength, but life in the Depression-era reveals secrets that challen