Read for Empathy Collection

Resource type: Booklists and book reviews

Price band: Free

Key stage: KS1, KS2, KS3

Region(s): All of UK

The Read for Empathy Collection is an annual selection of around 70 titles that explore emotions and allow children and young people to read about other people’s experiences and understand different points of view.

The Read for Empathy Collection has been developed as a resource to support adults in raising an empathy-educated generation and to help young people develop key empathy skills. It is based on recent research that demonstrates that empathy is a learnable skill and that books play a key role in developing it.

The collection features books for readers aged 3-16 and covers all genres. There are also free Read for Empathy Guides available to download with synopses of all the books and tips on how to use the books to boost empathy skills.

Cost: Free.

About EmpathyLab: EmpathyLab was founded in 2014 by Miranda McKearney OBE, Sarah Mears MBE, Craig Hill and Caroline Scott. Its aim is to develop children’s empathy and social activism through stories in order to build a more caring world.

Literacy Hive Likes:

The Read for Empathy Collections are chosen by a panel of expert judges every year so that they represent the best and latest books available.
For schools in Wales there is a Reading Collection for Empathy for Wales featuring Welsh and English language books for young people aged 4-16.
Reading for empathy improves key literacy as well as empathy skills.
The Empathy Day Festival is a 10-day programme of free online author events, activities and CPD opportunities to celebrate the importance of empathy.
Empathy Lab also offers a Schools Programme to help schools embed an empathy curriculum.