School Counseling Books For October
Using books is a great way to talk about different social emotional topics in your counseling lessons. They are perfect because they keep your students engaged while they learn, and then allow you to have meaningful conversation.
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There are SO many great books out there with social emotional themes, but it can be a little overwhelming to find out which ones will meet your needs. Today I want to share my favorite social emotional books to use during the month of October to celebrate fall, and Bullying Prevention Month with your students!
Fall Themed Books:
Bonaparte Falls Apart By Margery Cuyler
Topics it covers: Friendship, Social Problem Solving & Anxiety
This charming story is about a little skeleton boy who is afraid to go to school. His friends come alongside him and help him solve his problem so that he can go to school confidently!
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever By Steven Kroll
Topics it covers: Teamwork & Collaboration
As they prepare for Halloween, two mice unknowingly work together to grow the biggest pumpkin ever! This is a great story of how much we can accomplish when we work as a team.
Crankenstein By Samantha Berger
Topics it covers: Anger and Feelings
In this book, readers will learn what makes Crankenstein cranky! Then, they will learn what it is that makes him happy again. Check out these activities that can be used with the book.
The Witch’s Cat by Sonica Ellis
Topics It Covers: Courage, Self-Esteem
Pepper the black cat looks different than the other cats in the neighborhood. She thinks this is why the other cats don’t want to play with her. Discouraged, she goes to her Aunt Glinda and asks for a spell that will make her different and more accepted by the other cats. Once the spell is cast, Pepper is feeling confident as she goes out and introduces herself to the other cats. When her day of playing is over, Aunt Glinda reveals that she actually didn’t cast a spell and that the other cats liked Pepper because of who she is.
The Hallo-Wiener By Dav Pilkey
Topics it covers: Self-Esteem and Friendship
Oscar the wiener dog always gets teased about his size. The only thing that helps is looking forward to Halloween. That is, until his mom gets him a hot dog costume that he hates. When his friends get into a scary situation while Trick-or-Treating, Oscar is just the right size to come save the day, and they all learn to celebrate who he is!
Little Tree by Loren Long
Topics It Covers: Courage and Dealing With Change
During fall, all of the trees drop their leaves. All, except one. Little tree loves its leaves and is determined to hang on to them. Year after year, little tree keeps his leaves while the rest of his tree friends experience the changes of the seasons. Eventually, little tree sees the goodness in being brave enough to drop his leaves.
The Legend Of Spookley The Square Pumpkin By Joe Troiano
Topics it covers: Self-Esteem and Accepting Diversity
Spookley the pumpkin was square, and all the other pumpkins were round. Spookley always wished he was round, but when a big storm came it put all of the round pumpkins in danger! Spookley used his square shape to save the pumpkins and then he, the other pumpkins, and the farmer were able to celebrate the beauty of a square pumpkin!
Bullying Prevention Books:
Llama Llama And The Bully Goat By Anna Dewdney
There is a bully at Llama Llama’s school! This book will help your young students better understand bullying behavior as they learn what Llama Llama, her friends and her teacher do to stop the bully goat.
Leave Me Alone: A Tale Of What Happens When You Stand Up To A Bully by Kes Gray
The little boy in this story is feeling sad. He doesn’t want to talk to his friends about what’s wrong with him. Eventually, he tells his friends that he is being bullied. When the bully comes to see the little boy, his friends are eager to stand up for him. This is a great story about the importance of telling someone about bullying and the power of standing up for others.
The Bully Blockers Club By Teresa Bateman
Grant was always mean to Lotty and her friends, especially when no adults were looking. Lotty didn’t know what to do until she and her friends started a “Bully Blockers” club and learned the importance of coming together to stand up to bullying!
Bully B.E.A.N.S. By Julia Cook
Bobbette was a big bully – she told everyone what to do. No one stood up to her because they were all afraid. Then, one girl told her mom about Bobbette. Her mom gave her bully beans, which gave the girl and her friends the courage they needed to finally stand up for themselves! Check out these activities that can be used with the book.
My Secret Bully By Trudy Ludwig
In this powerful book on relational aggression, Monica’s friend Katie is nice to her when they are alone, but has started to be mean to her in front of others. Monica isn’t sure how to handle this, and turns to her mom who helps her stand up for herself.
One By Kathryn Otoshi
Red was a mean color, especially to Blue, but no one stood up to Red. When One comes along, he teaches the colors to stand up for themselves, and that everyone counts… even Red!
These books are a great way to ensure that your counseling lessons are engaging and effective this October! If you are looking for more book ideas, you’ll want to sign up below to get your free list of 120 social emotional picture books!
