Books for Children
Children’s literature can be used as a tool to help children understand and contain their feelings via displacement techniques (an indirect form of communication). This also is referred to as displaced or vicarious learning. Neil Kalter (1990) has delineated six displacement techniques in this process:
1. Represent in the displacement the observable signs of emotional distress (e.g., crying, fighting, being uncooperative, trouble with schoolwork).
2. Comment on how upsetting the observable behavior is to the displacement figure who is used to represent the child.
3. Represent and verbalize the underlying emotional pain or internal distress that the displacement figure is experiencing.
4. Correct verbally by demonstrating in the displacement any misperceptions or misunderstandings—based on fantasies, beliefs or internal conflicts—the child may have that could be contributing to the emotional distress.
5. Represent the acceptability of the conflicted feelings.
6. Portray alternative ways of expressing and coping with conflicts.
The following books can be used as tools for displacement communication, as well as to help inform and normalize the experiences that the children are going through.
By Category
Aggression/Anger
- A Volcano in My Tummy: Helping Children to Handle Anger
By Eliane Whitehouse and Warwick Pudney
Ages 6-10 - Andrew’s Angry Words
By Dorothea Lachner
Ages 4-10 - Danny, the Angry Lion
By Dorothea Lachner
Ages 4-10 - Don’t Rant and Rave on Wednesdays!: The Children’s Anger-Control Book
By Adolph Moser, Ed.D.
Ages 6-10 - Feet Are Not for Kicking (Board Book; Best Behavior Series)
By Elizabeth Verdick
Ages 0-5 - Hands Are Not for Hitting (Board Book; Best Behavior Series)
By Martine Agassi, Ph.D
Ages 1 ½ – 6 - How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger (Laugh & Learn)
By Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis
Ages 8-12 - I’m Furious (Dealing with Feelings)
By Elizabeth Crary
Ages 4-10 - I’m Mad (Dealing with Feelings)
By Elizabeth Crary
Ages 4-10 - I Am So Angry, I Could Scream: Helping Children Deal with Anger (Let’s Talk)
By Laura Fox, M.A.
Ages 6-12 - Sometimes I Like to Fight, but I Don’t Do It Much Anymore: A Self-Esteem Book for Children With Difficulty in Controlling Their Anger (Our Sometimes Series)
By Lawrence E. Shapiro
Ages 4-8 - Teeth Are Not for Biting (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)
By Elizabeth Verdick
Ages 0-5 - The Mad Family Gets Their Mads Out: Lynne Namka, Ed. D.
By Lynne Namke
Ages 5 – Adult - The Very Angry Day That Amy Didn’t Have
By Lawrence E. Shapiro
Ages 4-8 - Words Are Not for Hurting (Ages 4-7; Best Behavior Series)
By Elizabeth Verdick
Ages 4-7
Being Bullied/Bullies
- Blue Cheese Breath and Stinky Feet: How to Deal with Bullies
By Catherine DePino
Ages 6-12 - Enemy Pie (Reading Rainbow book)
By Derek Munson
Ages 5-10 - Nobody Knew What to Do: A Story about Bullying (Concept Books (Albert Whitman))
By Becky Ray McCain
Ages 6-9 - Secret of the Peaceful Warrior: A Story About Courage and Love
By Dan Millman
Ages 5-11 - Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
By Patty Lovell
Ages 5-10 - The Meanest Thing To Say
(Little Bill Series)
By Bill Cosby
Ages 4-8
Divorce/Separation
- Dinosaurs Divorce (A Guide for Changing Families)
By Laurene Kransy Brown and Marc Brown
Ages 3-6 - Do I Have a Daddy? A Story About a Single-Parent Child
By Jeanne Warren Lindsay
Ages 3-7 [Single Parent] - Don’t Fall Apart on Saturdays! The Children’s Divorce Survival Book
By Adolph Moser, Ed.D.
Ages 6-10 - Good-Bye, Daddy!
By Brigitte Weninger
Ages 4-9 - I Don’t Want to Talk About It
By Jeanie Franz Ransom
Ages 4-8 - Mama and Daddy Bear’s Divorce (Albert Whitman Prairie Books)
By Cornelia Maude Spelman
Ages 3-7 - My Stick Family: Helping Children Cope with Divorce (Let’s Talk)
By Natalie June Reilly and Brandi J. Pavese
Ages 6-12 - The Case of the Scary Divorce (Jackson Skye Mystery; Jackson Skye Mysteries)
By Carl E. Pickhardt, Ph.D.
Ages 8-15 - Two Homes
By Claire Masurel
Ages 3-6
Family Matters
- Elana’s Ears, or How I Became the Best Big Sister in the World
By Gloria R. Lowell
Ages 3-8 - Mom, Dad, Come Back Soon
By Debra L. Pappas, Ph.D.
Ages 3-7 - Sam and Gram and the First Day of School: A Story to Answer a Child’s Questions & Soothe Fears about School
By Dianne Blomberg, Ph.D.
Ages 4-6 - The Magic Box: When Parents Can’t Be There to Tuck You In
By Marty Sederman & Seymor Epstein
Ages 3-7 - The Very Lonely Bathtub
By Ann Rasmussen, Psy.D and Marc Nemiroff, Ph.D.
Ages 3-7
Fear/New Situations
- Cat’s Got Your Tongue?: A Story for Children Afraid to Speak
By Charles E. Schaefer, Ph.D.
Ages 8-15 - I Don’t Know Why…I Guess I’m Shy: Taming Imaginery Fears
By Barbara S. Cain
Ages 4-8 - Into the Great Forest: A Story for Children Away from Parents for the 1st Time
By Irene Wineman Marcus and Paul Marcus, Ph.D.
Ages 3-7 - Jessica and the Wolf: A Story for Children Who Have Bad Dreams
By Teddy Lobby, MSW
Ages 3-8 - Night Light: A Story for Children Afraid of the Dark
By Jack Dutro, Ph.D.
Ages 3-7 - Scary Night Visitors: A Story for Children with Bedtime Fears
By Irene Wineman Marcus and Paul Marcus, Ph.D.
Ages 3-7 - The Kissing Hand
By Audrey Penn
Ages 4-8 - When Fuzzy Was Afraid of Losing His Mother: (Fuzzy the Little Sheep)
By Inger Maier
Ages 3-7 - When I Feel Scared (Way I Feel Books)
By Cornelia Maude Spelman
Ages 3-6 - When Lizzy Was Afraid of Trying New Things (Fuzzy the Little Sheep)
By Inger Maier
Ages 3-7
Feelings
- Don’t Despair on Thursdays! The Children’s Grief-Management Book (The Emotional Impact Series)
By Adolph Moser, Ed.D.
Ages 6-10 - Don’t Pop Your Cork on Mondays! The Children’s Anti-Stress Book
By Adolph Moser, Ed.D.
Ages 6-10 - How Do I Feel?/Como Me Siento? (Great Beginnings)
By Pamela Cote
Ages 0-5 - I’m Frustrated (Dealing with Feelings)
By Elizabeth Crary
Ages 4-10 - The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Be Sad
By Rob Goldblatt, Psy.D.
Ages 4-8 - The Way I Feel
By Janan Cain
Ages 2-8 - Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day
By Jamie Lee Curtis
Ages 3-8 - When I Feel Sad (Way I Feel Books)
By Cornelia Maude Spelman
Ages 3-6 - When You’re Happy and You Know It (Feelings for Little Children)
By Elizabeth Crary and Shari Steelsmith
Ages 1-3 - When You’re Mad and You Know It (Feelings for Little Children)
By Elizabeth Crary and Shari Steelsmith
Ages 1-3 - When You’re Silly and You Know It (Feelings for Little Children)
By Elizabeth Crary and Shari Steelsmith
Ages 1-3 - When You’re Shy and You Know It (Feelings for Little Children)
By Elizabeth Crary and Shari Steelsmith
Ages 1-3
Friendship
- Being Friends
By Karen Beaumont
Ages 3-8 - Blabber Mouse Paperback: Illustrated, 2003
By True Kelly
Ages 5-10 - Cliques, Phonies & Other Baloney (Laugh & Learn)
By Trevor Romain
Ages 8-13 - Franklin Is Bossy
By Paulette Bourgeois
Ages 5-8 - Nobody Likes Me!
By Raoul Krischanitz
Ages 4-10 - Odd Velvet
By Mary E. Whitcomb
Ages 5-10 - The Rainbow Fish
By Marcus Pfister - Real Winner
By Charise Neugebauer
Ages 5-10
Grief/Loss
- Memoirs of a Tortoise
By Devin Scillian
Ages 6-9 - The Invisible String
By Patrice Karst
Ages 4-8 - The Rabbit Listened
By Cori Doerfield
Ages 3-5 - Addy’s Cup of Sugar
By Jon J. Muth
Ages 4-8
Medical Issues, Illness, & Disabilities
- Little Tree: A Story for Children with Serious Medical Problems
By Joyce C. Mills, Ph.D.
Ages 4-8 - Oh Brother! Growing Up With a Special Needs Sibling
By Natalie Hale
Ages 8-13 - Russell Is Extra Special: A Book About Autism
By Charles A. Amenta III, M.D.
Ages 4-8 - Sammy’s Mommy Has Cancer
By Sherry Kohlenberg
Ages 4-8 - Sarah and Puffle: A Story for Children about Diabetes
By Linnea Mulder, RN
Ages 4-8 - The Year My Mother Was Bald
By Ann Speitz
Ages 8-13 - Tibby Tried It
By Sharon and Ernie Useman
Ages 3-8 - What About Me? When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick
By Allan Peterkin, M.D.
Ages 4-8 - You Can Call Me Willy: A Story for Children about AIDS
By Joan C. Verniera
Ages 4-8
Parental Problems
- A Family That Fights
By Sharon Chesler Bernstein
Ages 5-12 - My Mom Has a Bad Temper
By Beverly H. Hopkins
Ages 5-11 - Why Are You So Sad: A Child’s Book about Parental Depression
By Beth Andrews
Ages 3-8
Self-Esteem
- Don’t Feed the Monster on Tuesdays! The Children’s Self-Esteem Book
By Adolph Moser, Ed.D.
Ages 6-10 - I Like Myself!
By Karen Beaumont
Ages 4-8 - I Want Your Moo: A Story for Children About Self-Esteem (Gold Medal Winner, Teacher’s Choice Awards)
By Marcella Bakur Weiner and Jill Neimark
Ages 4-8 - I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
By Jamie Lee Curtis
Ages 4-8 - Snail Started It!
By Katja Reider
Ages 3-10 - The Lovables in the Kingdom of Self-Esteem
By Diane Loomans
Ages 3-8 - Too Nice
By Marjorie White Pelligrino
Ages 8-12 - When I Feel Good about Myself (Way I Feel)
By Cornelia Maude Spelman
Ages 3-6
Sexual Abuse/Good Touch – Bad Touch
- Uncle Willy’s Tickles: A Child’s Right to Say No
By Marcie Aboff
Ages 3-8 - When I Was Little Like You
By Jane Porett
Ages 4-10 - Your Body Belongs to You
By Cornelia Spelman
Ages 3-7
Tolerance/Acceptance/Differences
- A Cat and a Dog
By Claire Masurel and Bob Kolar
Ages 3-7 - Different Just Like Me
By Lori Mitchell
Ages 4-9 - Don’t Laugh at Me (Reading Rainbow Book)
By Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin
Ages 6-12 - I’m Like You, You’re Like Me: A Book About Understanding and Appreciating Each Other
By Cindy Gainer
Ages 3-8 - There’s a Skunk in My Bunk: Helping Children Learn Tolerance (Let’s Talk)
By Joseph T. McCann, Psy.D.
Ages 6-12
Violence/Anti-Violence/Trauma
- A Terrible Thing Happened
By Margaret M. Holmes
Ages 4-8 - Don’t Be a Menace on Sundays! The Children’s Anti-Violence Book (Emotional Impact)
By Adolph Moser, Ed.D.
Ages 6-10 - The Boy Who Sat by the Window: Helping Children Cope with Violence (Let’s Talk)
By Chris Loftus
Age 6-12
Series & Miscellaneous
Book Series
- Berenstain Bears
By Stan and Jan Berenstain - Little Bill
By Bill Cosby - Franklin
By Paulette Bourgeois
Miscellaneous
- But Mom, Everybody Else Does
By Kay Winters
Ages 5-10 - Don’t Tell a Whopper on Fridays! The Children’s Truth-Control Book
By Adolph Moser, Ed.D.
Ages 6-10 [Lying] - Finding the Right Spot: When Kids Can’t Live with Their Parents
By Janice Levy
Ages 6-12 - Help Is On the Way: A Child’s Book About ADD
By Marc Nemiroff, Ph.D. and Jane Annunziata, Psy.D.
Ages 5-9 [ADHA] - Little School
By Beth Norling
Ages 2-5 [Preschool] - Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care
By Jennifer Wilgocki, M.S. and Marcia Kahn Wright, Ph.D
Ages 4-10 - Rising Above the Storm Clouds: What It’s Like to Forgive
By Robert D. Enright, Ph.D.
Ages 4-8 [Forgiving]
