I put together a similar list in 2022, forgot in 2023, and am back in 2024 with a list of my most-used books for school counseling! These are books I used multiple times throughout the year (not just a one-lesson-and-done title) in classroom counseling lessons, group sessions, with individuals, recommended to teachers/families, etc. These aren’t necessarily books that were released in 2024; some have been on my shelf for years! These are just the books I find myself going back to for the things I’m seeing with my students right now. They’re in no particular order:
Books for School Counseling: Most Used in 2024
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
I’ve been working with lots of students who are struggling with making mistakes and not being perfect 100% of the time! This is a great book about a girl who is working so hard to hold it all together and what happens when she allows herself to laugh at the mistake. So many great talking points with this book!
Get The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes Here
Beautiful Oops!
Speaking of being okay with mistakes, this is a great title on the same topic for younger students. I use this often with Kindergarteners and first graders, especially those who are constantly wanting to “start over” on work when they are unhappy with a mistake on the page.
Taco Falls Apart
This is a new-to-me book this year, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used it! It’s a clever story about a taco who falls apart and the strategies his fellow ingredients help him to use to pull himself back together.
Social Skills for Kids
Did I write this book? Yes. Do I use it literally every single week as a school counselor? Also yes. I use the activities in this book for classroom lessons, group sessions, and individual sessions. Sometimes I even take pictures of pages and send them home to parents. It has activities for communication, boundaries, initiating/joining play, cooperation, and so much more!
Get Social Skills for Kids Here
Sticks
I use this book every year in 2nd grade as a part of my resiliency unit (see all the books I use in that unit here), but I found myself using it in different settings this year. It’s a great story about getting unstuck from a negative mindset, being open to new experiences, seeing the good in yourself and thinking outside the box!
Waffle Can’t Decide
Do you have students who struggle to make decisions? Maybe they’re given an open-ended topic for a project and the pressure of choosing a topic is crushing. Maybe they waffle back and forth between two options. This is the perfect book for them! This title highlights the importance of decision-making while offering gentle guidance and suggestions for getting there.
Self Love for Kids
Once again, did I write this book? Yes. Do I use it literally every single week as a school counselor? Also yes. I use the activities in this book for classroom lessons, group sessions, and individual sessions focusing on self esteem, identity, advocacy, and more.
Spoon
This has been a staple for me in first grade for a while (here’s the activity I use with it), but I pulled it out for more students this year. It’s the story of Spoon, who thinks Fork, Knife, and Chopsticks are just so very lucky to be them! They get to do cool stuff like cut, go everywhere, and stick together. But Spoon’s mom helps him realize all the reason’s that he’s lucky to be him (diving headfirst into a bowl of ice cream is my favorite!).
Avocado Feels a Pit Worried
This is another new-to-me title, but as the title suggests, Avocado feels that familiar worry feeling in the pit of his stomach! He gets lost in the what-ifs but one day asks himself, what is the worst thing that could happen if he just dares himself to face his fears? This is great for anxiety small groups!
Get Avocado Feels a Pit Worried Here
Worry Warriors Guidebook for Kids
Another book that I wrote and use constantly! I use this guidebook with individuals, but I also use it in group. We do one chapter a week together. I simply read the introduction and use that as a teaching point, and then we do the practice activities together. For some groups, having a workbook to direct attention to takes some of the pressure off for sharing in the group! There are chapters on evidence-based strategies for anxiety plus lots of practical application opportunities. Kids can even take it home for group work in between sessions.
Get the Worry Warriors Guidebook for Kids Here
Collaboration Station
One thing I’ve noticed post-pandemic is that kids have no idea how to work together in groups! We’re working on basic collaboration and cooperation skills that we typically see in 2nd grade all the way up to 4th and 5th grade. This book is a great title for teaching students what collaboration actually looks like and sounds like. This is perfect for setting the tone at the beginning of the year!
Get Collaboration Station Here
Even Superheroes Make Mistakes
I love the Even Superheroes… series and this is no exception (here’s the activity I use with Even Superheroes Have Bad Days). Going back to helping students deal with making mistakes and accepting “failure,” this book is perfect for helping them understand coping strategie they can use and what they can do instead of getting frustrated and giving up!
Get Even Superheroes Make Mistakes Here
The Most Magnificent Thing
Frustration tolerance and perseverance are two things that I’m seeing a decline in with students. This book is great for highlighting the reward of sticking with it, the importance of taking a break, and the need for a supportive network (or furry friend!).
Get The Most Magnificent Thing Here
Get all of these books for school counseling here:
