• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

Nurture and Thrive

Raising Children With Big Hearts and Strong Minds

  • Home
  • Our Story
  • 馃Favorite Products
  • Explore…
    • Most Popular
    • Babyhood
    • Toddlers
    • Regulation Skills for Kids
    • Daily Routines and Family Life
    • Books and Games
    • Your Child’s Inner World
    • Mindful Parenting
    • Whole Child Development
    • Play
    • Holiday Gifts and Traditions
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Our Story
  • 馃Favorite Products
  • Explore…
    • Most Popular
    • Babyhood
    • Toddlers
    • Regulation Skills for Kids
    • Daily Routines and Family Life
    • Books and Games
    • Your Child’s Inner World
    • Mindful Parenting
    • Whole Child Development
    • Play
    • Holiday Gifts and Traditions
  • Shop
  • About
You are here: Home / Books and Games / Books About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds: Feelings, Friends, Worry, and More

Books About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds: Feelings, Friends, Worry, and More

23473shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Books About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds: Feelings, Friends, Worry, and More
Books About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds: Feelings, Friends, Worry, and More
* This post may contain affiliate or referral links for your convenience. Clicking on these links directs you to a website to purchase the product. Nurture and Thrive receives a small fee for this service. Thank you for your support!

A great book can make an emotion, a problem, or situation that is abstract to your child, concrete, real, and most importantly, solvable. I talk more about how to use books to change your child’s behavior in this post, which also has links to positive book series for younger children.

For older children, books need to still be specific, but also more nuanced in terms of emotions and how to handle situations. Just because they are older doesn’t mean they know how to handle their emotions — yes the days of the 3-year-old tantrums are over — but this is replaced by feelings that are deeper and more complex, and hence, more difficult to understand.

Pair this with social relationships and situations that are more complicated and you can easily have a child who is having difficulty working a situation out — like we all do from time to time.

6 Awesome Book Series About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds

6 Awesome Book Series About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds
6 Awesome Book Series About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds

Books about Friendships, Self-Confidence, and Social Skills

These are not really a series of books by the same author, but rather a series of books of a similar theme. These are great for fortifying your tween with the skills and know-how to stick up for themselves, honor their own voice, and value themselves.

In a stage of life where peer pressure is prime, I think it’s a good idea to arm yourself and your child with some real practical social skills to help them develop a healthy sense of self and the ability to navigate sometimes difficult social situations.

Being Me: A Kid's Guide to Boosting Confidence and Self-EsteemBeing Me: A Kid’s Guide to Boosting Confidence and Self-EsteemStick Up For Yourself!Stick Up For Yourself!Speak Up and Get Along!: Learn the Mighty Might, Thought Chop, and More Tools to Make Friends, Stop Teasing, and Feel Good About YourselfSpeak Up and Get Along!: Learn the Mighty Might, Thought Chop, and More Tools to Make Friends, Stop Teasing, and Feel Good About YourselfThe Survival Guide for Making and Being FriendsThe Survival Guide for Making and Being FriendsGrowing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to Making and Keeping FriendsGrowing Friendships: A Kids’ Guide to Making and Keeping FriendsSocial Rules for Kids-The Top 100 Social Rules Kids Need to SucceedSocial Rules for Kids-The Top 100 Social Rules Kids Need to SucceedWhat Do You Stand For? For Kids: A Guide to Building CharacterWhat Do You Stand For? For Kids: A Guide to Building Character

 

Books about Feelings for Older Kids

 Emotions and feelings change a lot during the pre-teen years. Mary C. Lamira, Ph.D. uses research and practical examples to help older children understand complex emotions in the first two books listed below.

Emotions, Making Sense of Your Feelings is actually geared to 12 to 15-year-olds. It covers anxiety, fear, embarrassment, guilt, shame, pride, loneliness, sadness and sad love, envy, and the complexity of happiness.

 Understanding Myself: A Kid’s Guide to Intense Emotions and Strong Feelings is geared to 9 to 12-year-olds and uses quizzes and fun facts boxes to help children understand their internal world of emotions. Both of these books go through how to handle emotions when they feel out of control, the function behind emotions, and understanding emotions as a part of our life.

Me and My Feelings by Vanessa Green is for children 7 to 10 years old and provides practical tools for helping children learn to manage emotions.

Emotions!: Making Sense of Your FeelingsEmotions!: Making Sense of Your FeelingsUnderstanding Myself: A Kid's Guide to Intense Emotions and Strong FeelingsUnderstanding Myself: A Kid’s Guide to Intense Emotions and Strong FeelingsMe and My FeelingsMe and My Feelings

 

Books about Worry and Mindful Art

How To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck by Lake Sullivan Ph.D. is timely for preteens. At this stage of development, emotions can feel overwhelming. One skill that is important to learn is how to stop repetitive thoughts, that negative voice in your head. This book offers healthy ways to cope with negative thoughts drawn from cognitive psychology. There are also journal exercises, a proven technique to resolves emotions. The second book listed is a guided journal that follows along with the book. 

Outsmarting Worry: An Older Kid’s Guide to Managing Anxiety by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D. is written in a very kid-friendly way that makes thinking about anxiety approachable. She explains how worry works in the brain and teaches kids specific skills to help them manage their worry.

Wreck This Journal and Creative Coping Skills are both very hands-on ways for tweens to handle worry, anxiety, or general angst. Engaging in creativity is a way to quiet repetitive thoughts and stimulate self-energy.

How To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck: A Kid's Guide To Getting Rid Of Negative ThinkingHow To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck: A Kid’s Guide To Getting Rid Of Negative ThinkingHow To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck JournalHow To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck JournalOutsmarting Worry: An Older Kid's Guide to Managing AnxietyOutsmarting Worry: An Older Kid’s Guide to Managing AnxietyWreck This Journal: Now in ColorWreck This Journal: Now in ColorCreative Coping Skills for Teens and TweensCreative Coping Skills for Teens and Tweens

 

Book Series To Help Kids With Specific Issues and Get Them Back on Track

Laugh and Learn by Elizabeth Verdick This series gets much more in-depth for older children and goes through how to recognize the emotion or problem and gives plenty of examples of situations and how to cope in those situations.

For example, in “How to Take the Grrrr out of Anger,” kids are taught to recognize anger, how to handle situations and emotions that underly anger like loneliness, guilt, frustration, and fear, and how to manage that anger and resolve conflicts both in-person and online.

These books also use humor to make it more fun — this can help make heavy topics feel light-hearted and may appeal more to boys.

How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger (Laugh & Learn)How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger (Laugh & Learn)Dude, That's Rude!: (Get Some Manners) (Laugh & Learn)Dude, That’s Rude!: (Get Some Manners) (Laugh & Learn)Bullying Is a Pain in the Brain (Laugh & Learn庐)Bullying Is a Pain in the Brain (Laugh & Learn庐)Stress Can Really Get on Your Nerves! (Laugh & Learn)Stress Can Really Get on Your Nerves! (Laugh & Learn)Siblings: You're Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together (Laugh & Learn)Siblings: You’re Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together (Laugh & Learn)See You Later, Procrastinator! (Get It Done) (Laugh & Learn series)See You Later, Procrastinator! (Get It Done) (Laugh & Learn series)Get Organized Without Losing It (Laugh & Learn庐)Get Organized Without Losing It (Laugh & Learn庐)How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up (Laugh & Learn庐)How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up (Laugh & Learn庐)

 

American Girl, Care, and Keeping Series and the Smart Girls Series started with the Keeping and Care of You: The Body Book for 8-year-olds and up, which was followed with the Keeping and Care of Feelings. There is a version for older girls as well, The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls. 

All of the books are written by or in consultation with professionals, pediatricians and psychologists, these books offer good information for young girls.

The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised EditionThe Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised EditionThe Feelings Book (Revised): The Care and Keeping of Your EmotionsThe Feelings Book (Revised): The Care and Keeping of Your EmotionsYour Happiest You: The Care & Keeping of Your Mind and SpiritYour Happiest You: The Care & Keeping of Your Mind and SpiritA Smart Girl's Guide: Friendship Troubles (Revised): Dealing with fights, being left out & the whole popularity thingA Smart Girl’s Guide: Friendship Troubles (Revised): Dealing with fights, being left out & the whole popularity thingStand Up for Yourself & Your Friends: Dealing with Bullies & Bossiness and Finding a Better WayStand Up for Yourself & Your Friends: Dealing with Bullies & Bossiness and Finding a Better WayA Smart Girl's Guide: Worry: How to Feel Less Stressed and Have More FunA Smart Girl’s Guide: Worry: How to Feel Less Stressed and Have More Fun

 

The What to Do Guides for Kids series is also excellent. This series is published by the American Psychological Association and Magination Press. I love these guides because they are very interactive.

These books are really workbooks designed for parents and children to work through together — empowering you to help your child work through difficult emotions or situations.

 This series is written by clinical psychologists who guide parents and children through cognitive-behavioral techniques to help them work through difficult emotions like anger, anxiety, negativity, and more. The tone of these books are always encouraging and motivating.

What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems With Anger (What to Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems With Anger (What to Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When You Grumble Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Negativity (What to Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When You Grumble Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Negativity (What to Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming OCD (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When You Feel Too Shy: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Social Anxiety (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When You Feel Too Shy: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Social Anxiety (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake: A Kid's Guide to Accepting Imperfection (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake: A Kid’s Guide to Accepting Imperfection (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When It's Not Fair: A Kid's Guide to Handling Envy and Jealousy (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When It’s Not Fair: A Kid’s Guide to Handling Envy and Jealousy (What-to-Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When Bad Habits Take Hold: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Nail Biting and More (What to Do Guides for Kids)What to Do When Bad Habits Take Hold: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Nail Biting and More (What to Do Guides for Kids)

 

I hope these tools can help you teach your child positive behaviors and give them the life skills they need to navigate this sometimes messy world! Do you have any favorite books that teach positive behaviors? Perhaps stories that do this in a more nuanced way? I am always looking for new resources, so please comment below!

For more suggestions for younger children, see below. In the meantime happy reading!

6 Awesome Book Series About Life for 8 to 13-year-olds

Books are Every Parent鈥檚 Best Secret Tool to Change Their Kid鈥檚 Behavior

7 Picture Books Series That Encourage Good Behavior in Your 2 to 4-year-old

10 Awesome Book Series To Build Life Skills in 4 to 7-year-olds

23473shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Category: Books and GamesTag: behavior, books, positive parenting

Hi! As a mom and a child psychologist who spent over 15 years studying children's emotional development, I am excited to share science-backed information with you so that you can do your best parenting.

I believe that good parenting is a combination of instincts and knowledge. Sometimes that knowledge helps you trust your instincts and sometimes all you need is a little change of perspective. Here, at nurture and thrive, you'll find the tools you need to strengthen your children's hearts and minds. Read Our Story...

Previous Post: «Teach Your Child How to Regulate Their Anger in a Healthy Way 11 How To Help Your Angry Child: 4 Anger Management Strategies for Kids
Next Post: Best Books Series for 4 to 7-year-olds: All About Emotions, Friends, Kindness, and Positive Self-Image Best Books Series for 4 to 7-year-olds: All About Emotions, Friends, Kindness, and Positive Self-Image»

Primary Sidebar

Looking for something?

All about babies

Babyhood

Babyhood

Books and Games

Books and Games
daily routines and family time

Daily Routines and Family Life

Daily Routines and Family Life
mindful parenting

Mindful Parenting

Mindful Parenting
All about parenting toddlers

Toddlers

Toddlers
emotions and behavior

Your Child's Inner World

Your Child's Inner World
  • About

Copyright © 2021 Ashley Soderlund 路 Nurture and Thrive 路 All Rights Reserved 路 Disclosures 路 Privacy and Advertising Policy 路

23.5Kshares