Read for Empathy 2026 Book Collections Announced
The 2026 Read for Empathy Collections Unveiled Today!
Today, EmpathyLab has launched the 2026 Read for Empathy collection, featuring 65 books for 3–16-year-olds. This landmark launch is a key moment for the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026 and marks the 10th Anniversary of the collection.
The launch coincides with new landmark research from EmpathyLab’s impact partners at the University of Sussex, which reveals a double win: children who are better at understanding others’ emotions become stronger readers. The 2026 campaign urges everyone to Go All In for connection, using stories to counter social division and build the empathy skills central to wellbeing and social cohesion.
This year’s collection includes 40 books for 3–11-year-olds and 25 for 11–16+ year-olds. These titles feature a diverse range of voices, including former Children’s Laureates Michael Rosen and Michael Morpurgo, alongside award-winning authors such as Patrice Lawrence, Benjamin Zephaniah, Manjeet Mann and Matt Goodfellow – all of whom also appear on the popular BooksFortopics Year Group Booklists.
The books reflect the urgent realities young people face today, including social and economic inequalities, the pressures of a volatile world and the importance of environmental stewardship. Special sections are dedicated to helping readers navigate complex emotions like grief, anxiety and the challenges of neurodivergence.
Take a look at the primary read for empathy collection booklist here and the secondary collection here.
Free Guides to the 2026 Read for Empathy collection can be downloaded from the Empathy Lab website.
The Empathy Movement
The Read for Empathy books have been chosen by an expert judging panel of teachers, librarians and academics. They are designed to be used in homes, schools and libraries to help young people understand different perspectives, especially those they may disagree with or who live very different lives.
“EmpathyLab’s mission is to raise a generation of empathy-skilled children who grow up as engaged, global citizens who want to make the world a better place for everyone – and we believe reading is the most accessible and effective way of doing that” says Imogen Bond, Managing Director of EmpathyLab.
As part of a rapidly growing movement, these books aim to raise an empathy-educated generation inspired to create a better world for everyone.
The 2026 Read for Empathy Collections
The full lists are as follows:
Read for Empathy books for children aged 3–11
For children aged 3-11
Understanding and sharing emotions
- When I Am Kind Paula Bowles Child’s Play
- The Hideysaurus Rachel Bright & Martin Chatterton Orchard
- Kwesi and Nana Learned to Swim Robina Commeh & Barbara Quintino Barefoot
- Where Did She Go? Cariad Lloyd & Tom Percival Hodder
- This is Us Emily Hamilton Bloomsbury Education
- What Feelings Do When No One is Looking Tina Oziewicz & Aleksandra Zajac Pushkin
Picture books
- Noah’s New Home Zeshan Akhter & Nabila Adani Templar
- The Playdate Uje Brandlius & Clara Dackenberg, trans. Nichola Smalley Lantana
- I’m Going to Make a Friend Darren Chetty & Sandhya Prabhat Little Tiger
- Twigs and Stones Joy Cowley & Gavin Bishop Gecko
- The Bear-Shaped Hole John Dougherty & Thomas Docherty Frances Lincoln
- The Endless Sea Chi Thai & Linh Dao Walker
- The Dinosaur Next Door David Litchfield Magic Cat
- The Bicycle Patricia McCormick & Mevan Babakar, illus. by Yas Imamura Farshore
- Leave the Trees Please Benjamin Zephaniah & Melissa Castrillon Magic Cat
Early readers
- The Moonlight Mystery Agency: The Birthday Cake Thief Vashti Hardy, illus. by Agnes Saccani Barrington Stoke
- Vicky and June Patricia Thot, illus. by Hoang Giang Walker
- The Missing Bunny Holly Webb, illus. by Antonia Woodward Barrington Stoke
Graphic novels
- Unfairies Huw Aaron Puffin
- PAWS: Gabby Gets It Together Michele Assarasakorn & Nathan Fairbairn Puffin
- Higher Ground Tull Suwannakit New Frontier
- The Cartoonists Club Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud Scholastic
Novels
- Evie and Maryam’s Family Tree Janeen Hayet Guppy
- Zac and Jak Cathy Jenkins, illus. by Monique Steele Cadno
- The Bird Thief Rachel Keating, illus. by Naomi Bennet Cadno
- People Like Stars Patrice Lawrence Scholastic
- Cobweb Michael Morpurgo, illus. by Michael Foreman HarperCollins
- The Doughnut Club Kristina Rahim Nosy Crow
- Birdie J.P. Rose Andersen
- Jakub’s Otter Coral Rumble Troika
- Land of the Last Wildcat Lui Sit, illus. by David Dean Macmillan
- The Boy in the Tree Lisa Thompson, illus. by Katie Kear Barrington Stoke
Poetry
- Harriet Tubman, Force of Nature Caroline Brewer What On Earth!
- Out of This World Michael Rosen, illus. by Ed Vere HarperCollins
- This is Not a Small Voice Traci Todd, illus. by Jade Orlando Nosy Crow
- Red Sky in the Morning Alex Wharton, illus. by Ian Morris Firefly
Non-fiction
- Why Are There Wars? Katie Daynes, Mairi Mackinnon, illus. by Oksana Drachkovska Usborne
- All Brains are Wonderful Scott Evans, illus. by The Boy Fitz Hammond b Small
- Star Michaela Morgan Troika
- It’s OK To Say No Molly Potter, illus. by Sarah Jennings Bloomsbury Education
Read For Empathy books for young people aged 12–16
For young people aged 12-16
A * symbol indicates titles that are more suitable for older readers and books with themes that may need to be introduced with caution.
Novels
- Jellybean Eve Ainsworth, illus. by Theo Parish Barrington Stoke
- Phoenix Brothers Sita Brahmachari Oxford University Press
- Lover Birds* Leon Egan HarperCollins
- On the Edge* Nicola Garrard Old Barn
- The Boy I Love* William Hussey Andersen
- What Happens Online Nathanael Lessore Hot Key
- Wish You Were Her Elle McNicoll Macmillan
- My Name is Samin Fidan Meikle Floris
- Odd Girl Out* Tasneem Abdur- Rasjid David Fickling
- Twenty-Four Seconds From Now*Jason Reynolds Simon & Schuster
- The Five* Ed. Elgan Rhys, Trans. Mared Roberts Firefly
Verse Novels & poetry
- Ink Air Dreadlock Alien, illus. by Joseph Witchall Caboodle
- The Brightest Star Meg Grehan Little Island
- The First Year Matt Goodfellow, illus. by Joe Todd Stanton Otter- Barry
- Roar* Manjeet Mann Penguin
Non-fiction
- Owning it Our Disabled Childhoods Ed. Jen Campbell, James Catchpole & Lucy Catchpole, illus. by Sophie Kamlish Faber
- How to Love Alex Norris
- How to be Disabled and Proud Cathy Reay Puffin
- One Day: A True Story of Courage and Survival in the Holocaust Michael Rosen, illus. by Benjamin Phillips Walker
- Breakthrough: From the Streets to Success Omar Sharif Wren & Rook
- Make Good Trouble Jamia Wilson, illus. by Devon Blow DK
Graphic novels
- Mismatched* Anne Camlin & Isadora Zeferino Andersen Press
- When the Sky Falls Phil Earle & Fred Fordham Andersen
- KickFlip Vol. 1 L.D. Lapinski & Logan Hanning Orion
- Ditching Saskia John Moore & Neetols Flying Eye
SEE THE SECONDARY 2026 READ FOR EMPATHY COLLECTION HERE
Head to our Primary Empathy for Empathy booklist or Secondary Read for Empathy Booklist to find out more about the books in the collection, or visit the Empathy website to explore all of the selected books and related resources.
Register for the Empathy Day Festival! Schools and libraries can register now for free Empathy Day Festival resources. Running from 4–11 June 2026, with Empathy Day on Thursday 11 June 2026, this major festival is open to all to get involved and inspired. Join a world-class line-up of authors to jump into someone else’s story. You can register for Empathy Day here.
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Where next?
Visit the Primary Read for Empathy collection here and the Secondary Read for Empathy collection here.
> Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub.
> Browse our Topic Booklists.
> See our Books of the Month.
> View our Year Group booklists