The best books for kids about making friends and friendship issues

Eileen Kennedy-Moore Author Of Growing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to Making and Keeping Friends
By Eileen Kennedy-Moore

Who am I?

Growing up, my family moved about every three years, so I became an expert at making friends at a young age! As a clinical psychologist and a mom of four, I’ve spent a lot of time talking with kids about friendship issues. I’ve also studied the scientific research on children’s friendships. I’m a professor for The Great Courses, serve on the advisory board for Parents magazine, and my blog, Growing Friendships on Psychology Today, has over four million views. I’ve written six books for parents or kids about children’s feelings and friendships, and I have two more kids’ books on the way.

I wrote...

Growing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to Making and Keeping Friends

By Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Christine McLaughlin

Book cover of Growing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to Making and Keeping Friends

What is my book about?

A funny and useful guide to help children (ages 6-12) build the friendships they crave. It’s filled with cartoons showing common friendship challenges and research-based solutions…plus a silly cat and dog character who make goofy suggestions along the lines of “He should sniff their butts!”

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The Books I Picked & Why

How to Lose All Your Friends

By Nancy Carlson

Book cover of How to Lose All Your Friends

Why this book?

For ages 4-6, this silly parody of a How-To book gets a laugh from young elementary school children, while also helping them recognize the impact of various common but ungenerous behaviors. It offers backward “tips” such as: “Be a poor sport. When you play tag and someone tags you, lie and say they missed.” Kids enjoy feeling smarter than the book. It ends on a warm note and also prompts children to share their ideas of how to be a good friend.

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Should I Share My Ice Cream?

By Mo Willems

Book cover of Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Why this book?

Mo Willems is simply brilliant in his ability to capture children’s authentic feelings in a way that’s funny and engaging. I love the whole Elephant and Piggie series! They’re great for reading aloud, but newly independent readers can also manage them. In this book, Elephant struggles with sharing, which, as every child knows, is not easy. This is aimed at ages 3-6.

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The Season of Styx Malone

By Kekla Magoon

Book cover of The Season of Styx Malone

Why this book?

Caleb doesn’t want to be ordinary. When he and his brother Bobby meet an older adventurous boy named Styx, Caleb is eager to be part of his schemes, while Bobby is more cautious. Funny and exciting, this book helps kids consider peer pressure and what it means to be a true friend. Aimed at ages 8-12.

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Wonder

By R.J. Palacio

Book cover of Wonder

Why this book?

A boy who was born with a facial deformity goes to fifth grade after years of being homeschooled due to multiple surgeries. What fuels the development of children’s friendships is being able to imagine other people’s perspectives. This book is written from different kids’ points of view. It explores courage, acceptance, bullying, betrayal, and loyalty. Aimed at ages 8-12.

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Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers

By Celia C. Pérez

Book cover of Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers

Why this book?

Four very different girls don’t get along initially, but end up bonding over a common cause: changing a local scout troop’s outdated traditions involving a hat decorated with feathers from endangered birds. This book offers an exciting and funny view of a friendship group and encourages kids to think about activism, collective power, belonging, and being oneself. Aimed at ages 9-12.

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