Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills such as controlling one’s emotions, working well with others, and making responsible decisions are important life skills that help students navigate an increasingly complex world—and a growing number of K-12 leaders agree.

According to new research from the RAND Corporation, 83 percent of principals say their schools teach SEL skills. That’s up from 73 percent during the 2021–22 school year and 46 percent in 2017–18. What’s more, teachers who integrate SEL into instruction are more likely to report that their schools have a positive climate and that students are interested in learning.

While educators and administrators see the value of having students learn social-emotional skills, SEL’s inclusion in the formal K-12 curriculum is still the subject of intense debate in some communities. Even some proponents of SEL worry that it might divert students from learning core curriculum concepts.

Choosing books with SEL themes and connections as part of school literacy initiatives is one way to overcome these concerns, and many authors and publishers are weaving SEL into stories about all kinds of topics.

SEL themes fit into a broad range of scenarios. For example, new and recent books embed SEL lessons in stories about appreciating nature, finding one’s way in a new country, dealing with a family member suffering from addiction, coming to grips with a devastating sports injury, and more.

Here are some noteworthy new titles with strong SEL connections.

Kat Kronenberg

When author Kat Kronenberg was just 14, her family suffered an unspeakable tragedy when her older brother failed to wake up one morning. Ten years later, Kronenberg’s older sister also passed away from the same cause, arrhythmia. “I didn’t have the life skills to cope with these losses,” she says. “It was like being thrown into a closet alone with no light.”

In searching for strategies to move forward, Kronenberg talked with others who had endured—and overcome—tremendous heartache. From these conversations, she learned “the power of a smile to help us live our best lives.” Years later, she had a vision for a children’s book series to help others build a strong social-emotional foundation for success.

Kronenberg’s “Live Big” picture books tell mythical fables featuring a colorful cast of African animals. Each story reveals “powerful secrets to living a full life,” she says. The stories are unified by CATCH-M, a creature made of stardust who personifies the power of a smile to transform our lives.

In the first book of the series, Dream Big, illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin, January 2017, ISBN 9781626343474, when Caterpillar wishes he could fly, Tadpole wishes he could dance, and Flamingo wishes for beauty, Baboon scoffs at each one in turn. But when he sees their dreams come true as they blossom into mature beings, Baboon realizes anything is possible when we believe in ourselves and our dreams.

Love Big, illustrated by David Miles, January 2019, ISBN 9781626346000, is a story about the power of kindness and caring. When the African savanna turns dry and desolate, the animals are hungry and become selfish. But after Baboon witnesses a rare act of love, it ignites something within him—and he encourages his friends to put their own needs aside and work together to save their home.

Think Big, illustrated by David Miles, May 2020, ISBN 9781626347106, takes the theme of working together even further. When the animals’ lives are endangered as a thunderstorm sets fire to their land, they must learn how to be brave and problem solve collaboratively to survive.

The series culminates with Live Big with CATCH-M, illustrated by Jomike Tejido, September 2025, ISBN 9798886453416. It tells the story of CATCH-M, the “love spark,” who feels all alone at first. But when CATCH-M learns to love himself and wants to share this feeling with others, he explodes—spreading love’s extraordinary power everywhere.

Kronenberg’s website, katkronenberg.com, includes free learning activities for adults to share with children. The activities are “a really fun and easy way to build SEL skills,” she notes.

James Lorimer & Company Ltd.

Toronto-based Lorimer has been publishing adult books since 1970 and children’s and teen’s books since 1975, with a focus on realistic youth fiction that readers can relate to.

“Social and emotional learning is at the heart of our YA publishing program,” says Editor Allister Thompson. He notes that Lorimer’s books for young adults feature real-life conflicts and pressures “that teens who are at a particularly difficult time in their lives are likely to encounter.” The stories’ protagonists often struggle with these situations initially but ultimately learn from their mistakes, modeling positive social-emotional behavior in the end.

For instance, in Hacking Heartbreak by Kevin heronJones, August 2025, ISBN 9781459419445, Baron is a computer whiz with a passion for hacking, but when the girl of his dreams starts taking an interest in him, he all but short-circuits. Baron’s crush, Keyanna, views their dates as more casual than the love-struck Baron perceives them, and when he observes her on a date with another guy, Baron hacks her social media accounts out of jealousy. As reality sets in, Baron realizes the seriousness of what he has done and races against the clock to fix his mess.

“Readers see the consequences of Baron’s poor choices, and they also see him take responsibility for his actions,” says Digital Sales Specialist David Glover. The story shows that you can rise above your mistakes and become the person you want to be.

My True Colours by Mike Levitt, August 2025, ISBN 9781459420090, is the story of a teen who rethinks his own bigotry after learning that a peer is transgender. The main character, Jake, has a mother with progressive values, but she’s often absent from his life because she’s busy working to support the family. At school, Jake starts hanging out with a bully he perceives as cool, who gives him the attention he’s been craving. But as Jake begins to adopt his new friend’s worldview, he finds himself confronting his prejudices.

“He’s torn between different social forces in his life,” Glover says, “and he has to decide: What type of person does he want to be?”

Ace and the Misfits by Eddie Kawooya, March 2024, ISBN 9781459417519, is a “fish out of water” story about an eighth grader who immigrates to Canada from Uganda and must deal with the culture shock and loneliness he experiences. At first, Ace struggles with his grades and his sense of self-worth, until he falls in with a crew of international misfits he meets in an art class, who understand what he’s going through. With their support, Ace finally starts to feel as if he belongs. “It’s a very sweet story about making friends and gaining confidence,” Thompson says.

In Outta Here by Lea Beddia, September 2023, ISBN 9781459417298, a small-town teen named Elise lives with her mom, whose pain medication has led to opioid addiction, leaving the family little money for basic needs such as food. Elise’s situation suddenly turns dangerous when her mother invites a fellow addict into their lives, and she has to find a way to get out—to get to college, pay for her education, and deal with her mother’s lifestyle.

“The author is a teacher in a small-town community like this one outside of Montreal,” Thompson says, “and she has drawn from her own observations in writing this novel.” Elise’s story highlights the difficult life choices many teens face in looking out both for their families and for themselves.

The Hoop and the Harm by Jawara Pedican, August 2023, ISBN 9781459417151, is a coming-of-age sports novel that is also informed by the author’s personal experiences. Udoka Clendon is a first-year university student who has been pushed by his family to pursue basketball stardom from a very young age. Because of injury and family circumstances, however, he has lost his passion for the game. Burdened by expectations and besieged by self-doubt, Udoka must decide whether to continue chasing his family’s dream for him—or forge a new sense of purpose and identity.

Free Spirit Publishing

An imprint of Teacher Created Materials, Free Spirit publishes fiction and nonfiction books supporting life skills and social-emotional wellbeing for toddlers through teens.

“We have books that can be read every day, as well as books that meet a particular moment,” says Publisher Kyra Ostendorf. The books include back matter that helps adults talk to kids about the themes explored in the stories.

A new board book series from author Melina Mangal and illustrator Stella Lim, called “Outside Our Window,” encourages children to explore, protect, and appreciate nature. Each book in the series focuses on one feature of the natural world, one of the five senses, and one social-emotional learning skill.

The first two books in the series, Birds Sing Their Words (ISBN 9798885544542) and Trees Stand Tall (ISBN 9798885544559), were released in April 2025. In Birds Sing Their Words, two young children, Kamali and Josiah, take a springtime walk through a city neighborhood. As they notice how birds communicate, they learn that our own diverse voices parallel the birds’ many songs. In Trees Stand Tall, Kamali and Josiah realize that people can be like trees: strong and rooted, but also flexible. Free Spirit is releasing two more books in the series later this year, and 10 books are planned altogether.

Bea’s Balikbayan Box of Treasures by Christine Alemshah, illustrated by Mengquian Dream Chen, July 2025, ISBN 9798885546416, is a picture book for children ages 5–9 about a young Filipina American girl who learns to embrace her heritage through shared family traditions. Seven-year-old Bea uses her creativity to imagine what a cardboard box might be, such as a bear cave or a rocket ship. When she’s done playing, she and her “Lola” (grandmother) fill the box with goodies for their relatives living in the Philippines. When their care package is delivered, the story comes full circle as Bea imagines how her cousin Maribel might play with the box.

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