Classroom Reading to Engage the Heart and Mind: 200+ Picture Books to Start SEL Conversations

Storybook characters and situations are perfect for launching discussions of social emotional learning—why not let them help?

In picture books, well-loved characters deal with many of the same problems students face in their own lives. What better resource could there be for encouraging students to think about their actions and responses? Using classroom texts to start SEL conversations— during an interactive read- aloud or an extension of shared close- reading lessons— weaves social emotional learning organically into the fabric of an existing curriculum rather than adding a new block to the day.

In a book perfect for a study group or for immediate use in the classroom, literacy educator Nancy Boyles connects the dots between the competencies identified by leaders in the SEL field with the rich content of children’s literature. More than 200 award- winning picture books are profiled along the way as she unpacks each SEL skill, sketches typical classroom situations in which teachers might not see that skill demonstrated, discusses what to look for in books that address it, and provides carefully crafted sets of questions to explore with students.