Counseling Books

School Counselor, Julie Frizzi, has compiled a wonderful collection of character stories (A to Z) that inspire deep conversations with students about a well-selected array of Social Emotional Learning topics. This curriculum includes positive self-talk, discussion questions, and a variety of activities for each character for use with individuals, small groups, or class lessons. I am using Powerful You! in my counseling program on a daily basis.

Bystander Power, by Phyllis Kaufman Goodstein and Elizabeth Verdick

This book inspired our after-school HERO team (Helping Everyone Respect Others) with its memorable acronyms for actions supportive bystanders can take in bullying situations.

Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control, by Lori Copeland, Ph.D.

This is a book that my colleague, Leanne, introduced me to. I use it with third grade and below to support emotional regulation skills. The students really connect with the remote control idea, love crafting their own remote visual, and are always excited to take their remotes to the classroom. This works best if teachers reinforce and use the visual in class, or better still, if they use it with the whole class!

Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes

This is an oldie but a goodie! I love reading this book with primary aged students and using it to launch into teaching about strategies for worry. Hint: I paperclip shut the Halloween page to be sensitive to families who do not celebrate it. I have also considered doing this for the birthday page, depending on the student.

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine, by Julia Cook

Thank you Julia Cook for writing a great book on worry for the intermediate age student! This is a great book for discussion the physical impacts of worry and issues of control. I just purchased the workbook and am eager to put the activities to use!

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, Stretch It, Shape It, by JoAnn Deak Ph.D

This is my favorite book for teaching about the brain, growth mindsets, and encouraging cognitive strategies for emotions management. The illustrations are lovely and it really captures the interest of students.