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Read for Empathy 2026 Booklist – Secondary Collection

Updated 2026 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 secondary collection showcases 25 fiction and non-fiction books for 12-16 year olds.

There is also a primary empathy booklist which features picturebooks, novels, poetry, non-fiction and graphic novels for ages 3-11.

Each title on this list was selected because of its empathy-building job, offering young readers the opportunity to expand their understanding of different people and life experiences, and helping them to find ways of experiencing and building empathy.

The 2026 Read For Empathy book collection comes at a time when empathising with others has never been needed more. Contemporary themes highlight the big social issues our children face, including characters affected by poverty, prejudice and racism. Many books underline the importance of understanding other people’s points of view, and respecting differences.

Others address the urgent need for empathy for the environment, the conflicting expectations placed on young people, and empathy’s power to build stronger communities.

More information is available on the Empathy Lab website.