Read for Empathy Booklist
“Science shows that empathy is learnable and that reading is an important empathy-building tool. This collection will help parents and educators to surround children with empathy experiences, inspiring them to understand others better, and tackle societal problems like racism.” EmpathyLab Founder Miranda McKearney OBE.
The aim of the Read for Empathy collection is for schools, libraries, families and community groups to use the books to help raise a generation with strong empathy skills. Chosen by expert judges, the primary collection features 35 books for 4-11 year olds. Many of the books help readers understand the lives of those experiencing tough situations, like becoming homeless, or a refugee. Others help children build their understanding of emotions or inspire positive action towards the climate or animals or people in their community.
The 2023 Read For Empathy book collection comes at a time when empathising with others has never been needed more. As the judges said, “Books help young readers learn about empathy’s power to connect us and develop understanding of other people’s experiences and ways of life. They do not shy away from life’s difficulties, but bring hope and healing in the face of these.”
You can download a PDF guide to the collection here. More information is available on the Empathy Lab website.
