An empathy-building book list for teens
In middle and high school especially, it's easy for groups to form and for young people to feel ostracized and left out. It is especially important to support young people in expanding their “circle of concern”— the group of people who children think about, care about, have empathy for, and want to offer kindness to. Doing so is important in its own right and is the basis for young people's developing conceptions of fairness and justice.
Below, Making Caring Common’s Caring Schools Network (CSN) team shares some of their favorite empathy-building books for teens. Don’t forget to read through the reflection questions at the end of the book list!
Books for building empathy
57 Bus by Dashka Slater
A true story about a high school student who suffered burns after a peer set fire to his clothes on a bus. Despite facing severe backlash and bullying, the victim and the perpetrator were able to reconcile and find empathy with each other through a restorative justice program.
Absolutely Normal Chaos by Christopher Healy
A teenage girl navigates the ups and downs of middle school life and learns to understand and accept herself, despite the chaos that surrounds her. Through kindness and empathy towards others, she learns to embrace her unique qualities and form meaningful relationships.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
A coming-of-age young adult novel by American author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the novel follows two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana, their friendship, and their struggles with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships (description from Wikipedia).
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Two sisters who have never met, each grieving the loss of their father in a plane crash, find solace and connection in each other through letters. Through empathy and kindness towards each other, they come to understand the depth of their father's love for them and come to terms with their loss.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
An AI "Companion" learns about love, humanity, and the complexities of the human experience through her interactions with her human owner. Through her empathetic understanding of humans and their emotions, she is able to form deep bonds and ultimately play a role in resolving the central conflict.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
In a dystopian society where clones are raised for organ donation, three friends navigate their predetermined fate with empathy and kindness towards each other. Despite the brutal reality they face, they cling to the love they have for each other.
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
A Filipino-American teenager travels to the Philippines to uncover the truth about his cousin's death, which was labeled as a drug-related killing by the government. Through his interactions with those affected by the drug war and his growing empathy for their struggles, he is able to piece together the truth and bring closure to those impacted.
Questions for reflection while reading
How do the characters in the book expand their Circles of Concern, especially to include people who are different from them?
How do the kind actions these characters take impact their communities?
When have you faced a similar kind of situation? What did you do? What role did empathy play in your response, and what would you do differently next time to use empathy when solving problems?
Written by Glenn Manning, Senior Project Manager - Caring Schools
