10 Books about Friendship
Being a good friend to others is an important skill for children to learn. Help kids discover how to be a good friend and how to handle friendship problems with these great books about friendship.
Those Pesky Rabbits
by Ciara Flood
Bear is happy living on his own. When a family of rabbits move in next door they always seem to be on his doorstep, asking to borrow honey or for help to chop wood or if Bear would like to swap books. Bear responds by telling them to leave him alone! So they do. Can kindness from pesky rabbits soften Mr. Bear’s grumpy heart? In this funny story, kids see that sometimes friendship means showing up for your friends even when you have to stretch past your comfort zone.
Ages: 4-7
Be Kind
by Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill
When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate wants to make her feel better, wondering: What does it mean to be kind? From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving story explores what kindness is, and how any act, big or small, can make a difference – or at least help a friend. With a gentle text from the award-winning author of Sophie’s Squash, Pat Zietlow Miller, and irresistible art from Jen Hill, Be Kind is an unforgettable story about how two simple words can change the world.
Ages: 3-6
Lost and Found
by Oliver Jeffers
When a boy discovers a penguin on his doorstep he assumes he is lost and tries to take him home but along the way the boy discovers the penguin is actually lonely, not lost. A great story about finding friendship where you least expect it.
Ages: 3-7
The Old Woman Who Named Things
by Cynthia Rylant
How does an old woman who has outlived all her friends keep from being lonely? By naming the things in her life she knows she will never outlive – like her house, Franklin, and her bed, Roxanne. When a shy brown puppy appears at her front gate, the old woman won’t name it, because it might not outlive her. Tender watercolors capture the charm of this heartwarming story of an old woman who doesn’t know she’s lonely until she meets a plucky puppy who needs a name – and someone to love.
Ages: 4-7
Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship
by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes
Based on a real-life partnership, the story of the love and teamwork between a girl and her service dog will illuminate and inspire. Rescue thought he’d grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog – it’s the family business, after all. When he gets the news that he’s better suited to being a service dog, he’s worried that he’s not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl who life is turning out differently than the way she’d imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. And it turns out that Rescue can help Jessica see after all: a way forward, together, one step at a time.
Ages: 5-9
Hedgehugs
by Steve Wilson and Lucy Tapper
Horace and Hattie are hedgehogs, and the very best of friends. Together, they make daisy chains, splash in puddles, and have tea parties. But there is one thing they can’t do – hug! They are just too spiky. Throughout the seasons, these two hedgehogs will try many different ways of hugging. But will Horace and Hattie find a hug that feels just right?
Ages: 4-8
Pax
by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen
From award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully compelling novel about the powerful relationship between a boy and his fox. Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued Pax as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter’s dad enlists in the military and forces him to return the fox to the wild. As the boy attempts to reunite with the fox, the fox is steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarking on adventures and discoveries of his own.
Ages: 8-12
Once Was a Time
by Leila Sales
In the war-ravaged England of 1940, Charlotte Bromley is sure of only one thing: Kitty McLaughlin is her best friend in the whole world. But when Charlotte’s scientist father makes an astonishing discovery that the Germans will covet for themselves, Charlotte is faced with an impossible choice between danger and safety. Should she remain with her friend or journey to another time and place? Her split-second decision has huge consequences, and when she finds herself alone in the world, unsure of Kitty’s fate, she knows that somehow, some way, she must find her way back to her friend.
Ages: 10-13
I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives
by Martin Ganda, Caitlin Alifirenka and Liz Welch
The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever. It all started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin’s class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place. That letter from Caitlin to Martin, in Zimbabwe, was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives. In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends – and better people – through their long-distance exchange. Their story will inspire readers to look beyond their own life and wonder about the world at large and their place in it.
Ages: 11 and up
Carry On: A Story of Resilience, Redemption, and an Unlikely Family
by Lisa Fenn
When award-winning ESPN producer Lisa Fenn returned to her hometown for a story about two wrestlers at one of Cleveland’s toughest public high schools, she had no idea that the trip would change her life. Both young men were disadvantaged students with significant physical disabilities: Dartanyon was legally blind as a result of Leber’s disease; Leroy lost both his legs at 11, when he was run over by a train. Brought together by wrestling, they had developed a brother-like bond as they worked to overcome their disabilities. After forming a profound connection with Dartanyon and Leroy, Lisa realized she couldn’t just walk away when filming ended. Instead, a surprising and profound connection was formed.
Ages: Teen and young adult
