Understanding The Way I Feel: 50 Mighty Girl Books About Managing Emotions

Learning Avocados

There's a lot to learn with these colorful avocados from Learning Resources! Each of these four avocados pops apart to reveal a hidden color and a pit that spins to display two different emoji-style faces. Kids can build their emotional literacy and understanding of social cues as they identify faces that are happy, angry, sleepy, and more! Plus, since the avocados are sized for little hands, manipulating them helps kids build fine motor skills. This set comes with four pop-apart avocados and a storage crate.

Eggspressions

Some kids may find it helps to get hands on while they express their emotions, and they'll love this toy and book set. Read the Scrambled Feelings storybook while you play with six eggs with facial expressions representing different emotions. Solving the eggs’ problem in the story will require sharing their feelings and working as a team, which provides a great lesson for kids in the value of expressing how they feel.

See My Feelings Mirror Set

Help your children learn to label, identify, and control their emotions with the See My Feelings Mirror from hand2mind! These shatterproof, kid-safe mirrors have 6 different snap-in-place emotion slides. Kids can practice identifying their own emotions in the mirror, model the faces they see on the slides, and more! Along the way, they'll be learning important lessons about empathy, emotional regulation, and self-expression. With four starter activities included, this set is the perfect choice to help kids understand how they and others feel!

Feelings and Dealings: An Emotions and Empathy Card Game

Help your child develop a more nuanced understanding of emotions and moods — and a deeper sense of empathy — with this card game from Game On Family! To play, kids match 24 cards featuring diverse kids demonstrating individual emotions with 24 cards depicting social scenes that can prompt those emotions. As kids go beyond the simple emotions of happy, sad, and mad to explore more nuanced ones like disgusted, shy, and kind, they'll get a better idea of what those emotions look like in themselves and in others.

Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day

From silly to angry to quiet and sad, this little girl goes through them all...and is reassured that moods come and go, and that it’s okay to feel what you feel. An interactive page at the end that asks “How do YOU feel today?” comes complete with a wheel that allows you to change the expression of a face’s eyes and mouth. This light, fun book is written in exuberant rhyme that lends itself to being read aloud.

Inside Out: Driven By Emotions

When 11-year-old Riley moves from Minnesota to California, it means some big adjustments — and a bumpy road for her emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust drive Riley's actions, but when they end up out of balance, things quickly take a turn for the worse. As Riley struggles to deal with her feelings, Joy learns that as Riley grows older, her emotions will become more complex, and that the other emotions (even Sadness) have their place. Each chapter of this unique book offers a retelling of the film Inside Out from a different one of Riley's emotions, creating a unique, funny, and meaningful look at emotional health.

Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills for Helping You Manage Mood Swings, Control Angry Outbursts, and Get Along with Others

Life gives you plenty of reasons to get angry, sad, scared, and frustrated – and those feelings are perfectly normal. But sometimes, especially during adolescence, it can feel like your emotions are spinning out of control. If your teen is finding her intense emotions interfering with school, relationships, and her overall happiness, check out this workbook from the Instant Help Solutions series for teens. As teens work through the steps in the book, they'll learn techniques from dialectical behavior therapy to help teens manage their emotions and express them in healthy, positive ways. Knowing she can handle whatever feeling wells up will give her new confidence to handle anything that life throws at her.

There Was a Hole

Lily has a hole in the middle of her chest — and she doesn't know how to get rid of it. The hole sucks away all her joy, and can't be filled, not even with cake and ice cream. It makes her angry and it makes her sad, and even Daddy can't stop it from growing. Then her friend Thomas tells her a secret: he has a hole too! He's put patches on his, and helps Lily make her own: patches that represent time with friends and family, love from pets, quiet time in nature, and even music that helps. "If I patch it completely, will I still remember?" asks Lily. "You won’t forget,” Thomas reassures her. "But things will get better." Author Adam Lehrhaupt has crafted a gentle and thoughtful story about grief and healing that will help children understand that recover doesn't mean leaving behind the one you love.

Juna's Jar

Loved ones may know just the trick to help you feel better when you're feeling sad! Juna loves collecting treasures in empty kimchee jars with her best friend Hector — until the day he moves away without even getting to say goodbye. Juna’s older brother, Minho, sees her sadness and gives her small gifts hoping to cheer her up, including a cricket. But it’s not until Juna’s vivid imagination takes her on a cricket ride to Hector’s new bedroom — complete with a kimchi jar still on the windowsill — that she’s reassured enough to be ready to make new friends. This whimsical and dreamy story is sure to prompt conversation.

The Red Tree

Illustrations can also help older kids capture feelings they can’t express in words. This exquisite picture book targeted at older readers begins “Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to...” As the story continues, evocative collage images depict a variety of imaginary landscapes ranging from subtly off-kilter to deeply oppressive. On each page is a single, glimmering red leaf, but how can the girl pick up on that hint of hope when things around her are so dark? When she finally returns to her room, though, a red tree is growing, ready to reinvigorate her. This beautiful metaphorical book can provide a new way for tweens to talk about emotions that can seem indescribable.

Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens

A Workbook to Break the Nine Thought Habits That Are Holding You Back

Negative thinking habits can lead teens to develop a distorted view of themselves and others, leaving them feeling anxious, angry, and sad. Fortunately, it's possible to learn to recognize these habits — whether it's the "I can't" habit, the "zooming-in-on-the-negative" habit, the "mind-reading habit", or any of the other common negative thinking habits — and develop more helpful ways of thinking that can help teens gain perspective, resiliency, and self-confidence. Psychologist Mary Karapetian Alvord and writer Anne McGrath provide sections addressing the emotions and bodily sensations that are commonly associated with each habit. Filled with real-life examples, the guide gives teens a step-by-step action plan on how to take control of their thinking and their lives.

The Positivity Workbook for Teens

Skills to Help You Increase Optimism, Resilience, and a Growth Mindset

Teens become more aware of the challenges and difficulties our world has to offer — and that can lead to a "negativity trap" where you feel increasing stress and even start to doubt your own capabilities. Fortunately, there are plenty of strengths for you to develop in yourself and others! In this workbook, you'll learn to identify positive characteristics that can build your self-confidence and help you keep an optimistic attitude — and learn how these traits can help you give your life meaning. With a realistically positive attitude, you'll be able to accomplish dreams you didn't know were possible... and even some you didn't know you had.

Little Grump Truck

Little Dump Truck is "the happiest member of the construction crew" and everybody knows it! But today is not a good day: she gets dirt blown in her face, her tired gets punctured, and a flock of birds mistake her for the bathroom! Her coworkers brush off her bad mood — "Shake it off!" they say, and "Ignore it, you'll be fine." But before long, she's Little GRUMP Truck... and she's passing her bad mood on to the rest of the crew by dumping on them (literally and figuratively)! It's not until she closes her eyes and takes some deep breaths that she's able to turn her mood around. This funny and accessible story helps kids (and parents) understand how to understand and manage their feelings, even when they're grumpy ones.

Emily's Tiger

It's important for kids to learn how their temper affects others. Emily’s ferocious tiger temper results in a lot of damage whenever she gets angry or frustrated. But when her Granny visits, she lets Emily in on a secret: she has a tiger too, but one that knows how to control itself... something that results in more happy days than angry ones. Emily is intrigued, and a day of hard work taming her own tiger ends in a magical night, with Emily and Granny’s tigers playing together. This metaphorical look at the importance of taming anger is sure to be a favorite.

Millie Fierce

Kids also need to learn to draw the line between anger that’s out of control and anger that’s justified — and appropriately expressed. Millie begins her story a little too far on the mild side — people don’t listen to her, or notice when they’ve done something that hurts her feelings. But when she decides that the solution is to become fierce, Millie ends up swinging too far the other way and ends up acting downright monstrous and mean. When she’s confronted with the consequences of being too fierce, Millie finds a happy balance: nice enough to apologize, but fierce enough to stand up for herself.

Mad Dragon: An Anger Control Card Game

Learn to calm your Mad Dragon with this game full of useful tips! Mad Dragon plays like UNO, with players racing to get rid of their cards. With this fast-paced therapeutic card game, kids can learn to control their anger in the moment, practice 12 effective anger management techniques, understand what anger feels and looks like, learn that they have choices about how to express anger, and much more. As kids play, the cards will prompt interesting discussions and get them talking about strategies that work for them. It's a unique option to incorporate anger management techniques in a playful way!

How to Take the GRRR Out of Anger

When you're angry, you don't think the same way you do when you're calm, and you may do or say things that you regret later — but if you understand how to express your anger in a healthy way, you will feel more in control. This book helps tweens recognize the physical signs of anger, and also provides examples of the kinds of things you might thoughtlessly say or do when you're angry, both in person and through text or social media. Then, it provides tips for how to calm anger, whether you're just recognizing your rising emotion or you're already in the thick of an angry outburst. With its accessible and encouraging advice, this book will give kids confidence that they can manage their anger.

The Don't Worry Book

We all worry sometimes: maybe it's because of the dark, or someone who seems mean, or even the news on TV. This new book from beloved author / illustrator Todd Parr is here to reassure preschoolers that they can take control of their worries! After letting them know that everyone worries sometimes, Parr offers helpful, kid-friendly strategies they can try, from imagining themselves as a superhero to talking to the people they love. With colorful illustrations that will make kids giggle, this book reminds kids that worries will come and go, but you can find ways to comfort yourself — or ask for the help you need.

When Worry Takes Hold

When Worry sneaks into Maya's mind, it seems like nothing can stop it from growing bigger and bigger, until it shadows everything that Maya does and leaves her alone in the dark with her fear. In this metaphorical story about dealing with worry, kids will see how Maya's Worry (represented in the illustrations as a tangled scribble) keeps her from enjoying even the simplest things in life. Then, when Maya learns belly breathing, she discovers she can summon her Courage, represented by sparkles, which helps her overcome her worries — even if it doesn't completely dismiss Worry for good. This encouraging and empowering read will help worriers and non-worriers alike.

The Whatifs

Cora is constantly plagued with nervous questions — the Whatifs! These sneaky little creatures like to make her worry about everything, from little things — what if my crayon breaks? — to big ones — what if my dog runs away? Backstage before her piano recital, Cora is particularly plagued with Whatif worries. Fortunately, her friend Stella reminds her that not all Whatifs are negative, and by turning her Whatifs around, Cora is able to get out on stage... and even recover when she hits a wrong note. This charming picture book introduces real-life cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in a playful way, perfect to reassure kids that they can thrive even when the Whatifs loom!

Wilma Jean, the Worry Machine

For kids who find their fears and anxieties become an obstacle to day-to-day life, the story of Wilma Jean will offer reassurance that they're not alone! Wilma Jean worries so much that she wakes up feeling sick; all her brain seems to do is spit out more scenarios to worry about. Fortunately, when Wilma lets the adults in her life in on her fears, they're able to help her find solutions, including dividing her worries into things she can control and things she can't, and picking a "worry hat" she can put on when she needs a minute to think about her worries — and take off as a reminder that she can leave her worries behind. By the end, Wilma Jean discovers that her worries are manageable and adults learn ways to help kids with anxiety.

What to Do When You Feel Too Shy: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Social Anxiety

Some kids love being in the spotlight — and others wish they could disappear! In this book from the What-To-Do Guides series, kids who often feel shy or anxious when they're the center of attention, along with their parents, can explore the underlying emotions that drive those fears. Then, they'll learn child-friendly strategies based on cognitive-behavioral principles that will help them manage their worries, gradually increase their comfort zone, and feel ready to step into busy social situations! Full of interactive activities and child-friendly explanations, this self-help is perfect to build kids' confidence so they can join in the fun.

Outsmarting Worry: An Older Kid's Guide to Managing Anxiety

For older kids, it can feel like Worry is smarter than they are, always shifting places and somehow coaxing them into doing things that make things, not better! Fortunately, there are ways that kids can outsmart worry, even big-deal Worry that seems to pop up no matter what they do. Dawn Huebner, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating anxious kids, crafted this guide for kids aged 9 to 13: those in-the-middle kids who are too old for simple strategies but not quite ready for guides for teens. Accessible, matter-of-fact language helps kids shift from logically understanding their worries to taking the steps they need to overcome them, once and for all.

The Anxiety Workbook for Teens

If your teen is finding herself paralyzed by anxiety and worry, this workbook can help. When you’re a teen, it can seem like there’s a lot to worry about: friends, school, parents, and the upcoming transition from high school to the world beyond. This workbook provides tools for understanding and managing your worry, as well as for understanding when you should seek additional help for your anxiety. Teens will appreciate the encouraging, positive tone, which reminds them that the don’t have to feel trapped by their fears.

Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child: The Heart of Parenting

Parents are quick to teach kids intellectual skills, but sometimes it's easy to forget that emotional skills are just as important: kids who are emotionally intelligent have more confidence, less nerves in school, and healthier relationships. This book provides a five-step emotion coaching process that helps kids develop the strategies they need to identify and manage their own emotions. Starting with teaching parents how to respond to their children's emotions, and then moving to guiding kids to come up with their own solutions, the authors provide an excellent framework for supportive parenting that still encourages emotional independence.

The Parents We Mean To Be

How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development

Teaching kids about their emotions means providing space for emotions that many parents think of as negative. Richard Weissbourd argues that parents’ focus on their children’s happiness — and the corresponding emphasis on personal satisfaction over empathy — results in children with a fragile sense of self and a fear that anything other than contentment is a sign of failure. By teaching kids to view themselves as part of a larger community, Weissbourd shows that kids — and their parents — can grow to be kinder, more emotionally intelligent people.

Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents

7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children

Helping kids overcome anxiety is harder if you’re an anxious parent — or if you’re getting worried that your child worries so much! Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons show parents that they can break the cycle of anxiety in this book, which identifies some common anxiety-enhancing patterns and provides advice on how to change your responses in ways that foster courage and confidence. By following their advice, parents will not only model confidence for their kids; they'll also learn to become more confident themselves.

The Disappearing Girl: Learning the Language of Teenage Depression

Depression among teenage girls is on the rise, and it doesn't always look like we expect: explosive emotions, back talking, and experimenting with sex or drugs can all be signs of depression. In this helpful book, Dr. Lisa Machoian helps parents understand the mixed messages that face our girls, and learn what they can do to help them build resilience and make decisions that foster their physical and mental health. By doing so, we can help them identify these feelings, rather than carrying them into adulthood. When a girl in your life needs help, this book will help you recognize it — and now how to provide it.