Children’s Books About Friendship Problems

Unfortunately, friendship problems are unavoidable. As children grow and branch out into friendships… we want to make sure we are giving them a good foundation. Here are some great children’s books about friendship problems:

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Some things are hard to talk about with kids. I believe this is partly due to our lack of patience… and their inability to truly express how they are feeling.

This statement is EVER SO TRUE when it comes to kids and their friendships.

And let’s face it- kids will be kids. They will fight, be petty, forgive, get angry for no reason…. and work though many personality quarks with friends.

It can be a lot…

Whether it’s being left out, finding that one good friend, feeling inadequate, etc.

Some of the main problems kids face (when dealing with friends) are feeling excluded, bullying, rejection, keeping their integrity, and manipulation.

So, here is a list of great books that teach and talk about friendship problems that may ease the pressure of both of you when it comes to talking about friends.

Friendship Books about Feeling Excluded

• Hermie: God Forgives me, and I Forgive You- Children learn the importance of friendships, second chances, and forgiveness with Hermie.
• Strictly No Elephants- Elegantly written to teach children to embrace empathy when dealing with friends, this story grows the heart to see others uniqueness. I believe learning the moral of this story will help kids above friendship problems.
• Some Kids Use Wheelchairs – Learning to never exclude someone with a physical of mental exceptionality doesn’t come natural to children. It’s a great thing to teach while they are young.
• Kindness Starts with You- When it comes to being excluded, keeping a good head on your shoulders is where to start. Staying kind when feeling excluded is discussed in this book.
• The Do-Over Day- Everyone has those days. Reading about another kid’s bad day and how they cope with the feelings of being excluded may just be the ticket.

Friendship Problem Books about Bullying

• God, I Need to Talk to You About Bullying- This book is beautifully illustrated and shows the reader how to be a good friend and forgive according to scripture.
• Kindness is my Superpower: A Children’s Book About Empathy, Kindness and Compassion– Sometimes, friendship issues stem from a lack of understanding in empathy.
• We’re Different, We’re The Same – A Sesame Street book on racism, diversity, and, how we are all alike on the inside.
• I Am Connor – This book is about a young boy with down syndrome. Teaching acceptance of exceptionalities and how to stand up to bullying are great skills for kids to learn.
• The Juice Box Bully- A book about teaching kids how to stand up for others… even when it’s not the popular thing to do.

Friendship Books about Rejection

• A Bad Case of Stripes- In this story, the young girl is so worried about what her friends think that it causes her to change… a lot. It’s a funny read with a great moral.
• Why Will No One Play With Me– This book is a plan book to help kids learn how to handle rejection and make good friends.
• I Choose to Calm My Anger – When it comes to friendships and rejection, learning how to handle anger can make or break friendships. This book deals with how to have calm responses when feeling rejected.
• Different is Not Bad- This is a dinosaur’s story of diversity and friendship. It’s uniquely written to teach that rejection is hurtful.
• The Tiniest Little Star- Take a journey as this little star learns to value of herself and others around her.

Friendship Books about Integrity

• The Berenstain Bears: Kindness Counts- The Bear cubs encounter several friendship issues that are overcome with scripture and faith based teaching.
• What Happens When A Kid Has Cancer – How to handle a friend or family member going through this hard time.
• Chrysanthemum- Learning to accept and love yourself is part of keeping that inner integrity… Especially through school ages. In this book, the main character learns to bond with her name and handles some situations with her peers.
• You Are Special- In my opinion, one of the best children’s books about self worth and integrity out there. You’ll see how this plays out with the gold stars and gray dots… and learn to look at self worth in a different way.
• Being Fantastic- Will integrity hold up under situations that cause anger? This book delves into handling yourself when times get challenging.

Friendship Problem Books about Manipulation

• Ninja Life Hacks (Leaders) Box Set- The topics covered in this series are: focus, calm, brave, masked, inclusive, grateful, hangry, and worry. This series is a great start to teaching independence and avoided being manipulated into bad behaviors by friends.
• The Bad Seed- The book addresses the power of choice and change, along with with the decision making skill of staying independent of influences.
• Wherever You Go, I Want to Know- I believe that teaching children that God is always watching and wanting them to do good is important. For them, keeping integrity even when parent’s aren’t looking is accomplished.
• What Shall Darla Do?- Ah, the power of choice and how to choose decisions that end with good results. Avoiding peer pressure is a key topic in the book.
• Rafu, An African Journey- This book touches on several morals that build independence and leadership- such as mercy, wisdom, and learning how to adapt.

Some Undeniable Benefits to Teaching Through Literature

They are undeniable…..

Yes, we can handle Hard Topics, but also do it in a way that is non-invasive and sensible.

There are some other benefits to teaching using literature include:

• Growth of attention span
• An early development of listing skills
• Aids in cognitive and logic reasoning skills
• Boosts creativity
• Teaches empathy 
• Gives life lessons
• Provides an outlet for emotional development
• And more…