Read for empathy

Read for empathy

Read for empathy

Ten books chosen by the judges of EmpathyLab’s Read for Empathy book collection 

Scientific research shows that empathy is learnable and that books are a powerful empathy-building tool. The world so badly needs more empathy, and non-profit EmpathyLab aims to raise an empathy-educated generation, to build a more caring and less divided world.

Every January EmpathyLab launches its annual Read For Empathy collections – 60 books for 4-16 year olds. The books are a brilliant resource to use as part of Empathy Day, and any time afterwards too.

Here, EmpathyLab founders Sarah Mears and Miranda McKearney highlight ten books from the 2022 collection to give you a flavour of how powerfully books can be empathy-building, in very different ways.

World Book Day is an affiliate of bookshop.org and 10% of purchases made through our shop contribute to World Book Day’s charitable work.

EmpathyLab

Beginning reader

My Beautiful Voice

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Barbara Throws a Wobbler

Jonathan Cape

Early reader

The Quilt

Y Lolfa

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister

Walker Books

Fluent reader

The Soup Movement

Oxford University Press

Front Desk

Knights Of

Independent reader

Show Us Who You Are

Knights Of

This Book Is Cruelty Free: Animals and Us

Pavilion Children's

The Blue Book of Nebo

Firefly Press

Punching the Air

HarperCollins Children's Books