8 fantastic chapter books about kindness for kids 

As parents we teach our children about the importance of kindness from infancy. From the pre-school mantra of “kind hands, kind feet” to the primary-school age conversations about treating others as you’d like to be treated yourself, it’s a message that’s all around them.

However there’s always room for kids to be reminded about the benefits of kindness and see the many varied ways that it can be practised. Which is where books about kindness for kid can be a fantastic tool in parents’ kindness kit bag!

Chapter books in which the characters demonstrate kindness can be inspirational and motivational for us all. They highlight the positive benefits of kindness and help us truly understand the impact of unkindness. In this way, books about kindness for kids are not only modelling kind behaviours but helping them practise important empathy skills. We’ve recently written more on reading fiction and empathy: the amazing benefits of books for children.

We’ve pulled together this list of our favourite chapter books, suitable for 5 to 14-year-olds, that feature particular acts of kindness and would make a welcome addition to any bookshelf:  

Books about kindness for early readers

These recommendations are short with plenty of illustrations, making them perfect for any child aged 5+ that’s ready for chapter books. They focus on the thorny issue of making friends and the importance of kindness and compassion, for yourself and others.

 

Call the Puffins: Muffin and the Shipwreck by Cath Howe

We love this series set on the island of Egg, where a group of young puffins are training to join a search and rescue team.

This is the third book in the series and sees a new recruit join the team. Forti is a bit of a dreamer and the other puffins have their work cut out looking after him. When disaster strikes on a mission, can the puffins remain unflappable in the face of danger and save the day?

 

 

Honey's Hive: Bee a Friend by Mo O'Hara

Honey is a kind and helpful bee who loves adventure. In this story Honey discovers that bees from a neighbouring hive are struggling to find enough pollen. She's keen to help them but not all her friends think they should help outsiders. 

But when Honey and her hive are in danger, their neighbours come to help. Honey and her hive all realise how important it is to share and make friends.

A Sea of Stories by Sylvia Bishop

This charming story is about kindness, family and friendship. We loved it so much that we sent it to our Parakeet subscribers in December 2024!

Whenever Roo visits Grandpa, she loves exploring the seaside cove near his cottage. But on her latest stay, Grandpa explains that he can’t go down there any more – the path is too steep and overgrown for him to manage. Is there anything she can do to bring Grandpa to the place he loves the most?

 

Chapter books about kindness for kids aged 8+

These middle grade books highlight complicated, emotional situations and the power of children to bring kindness and compassion to their interactions with others.

 

A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders

It's 1973 and 12-year-old Jenny has just been cast as one of the lead roles in a feature film. Soon she must jet off to France where she will join her film family: three other children and two renowned actors. Covering themes of friendship, difference, kindness, and mental health this is a charming, moving and heart-warming story.

The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies

We chose this charming and gently spooky ghost story for our Cockatoo subscribers in October 2024. 

10-year-old Alice is moving house for the eleventh time but is delighted to discover an abandoned house on the plot next-door. As she begins to restore the house to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Soon she realizes she’s not alone - three ghosts have been watching and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business!

 

 

Finding Bear by Hannah Gold

This wonderful story explores themes of compassion, kindness and the importance of caring for the environment. When April hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured she's convinced it's the bear she befriended a year earlier. She travels back to the Arctic and embarks on an adventure that sees her face her deepest fears in a quest to save her friend.

 

 

Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon

This extraordinarily moving story, told in verse from the perspective of pup Scruffity, explores cruelty and kindness, hope and loss, bravery and friendship. How does a dog find his way home when he never had one to begin with?

Chapter books about kindness for tweens and teens

Our final book choice is more suitable for readers aged 10 and up - it's grittier but contains many of the same important messages about kindness and compassion.

Fallout by Lesley Parr

Marcus has one brother in a youth offender centre and the other is working with their dad on plans for their next theft. Everyone assumes Marcus will follow in their footsteps, but he has other ideas, different hopes.

When a mysterious accident lands a man in hospital, it confirms what everyone in their community expects and Marcus gets the blame. Only new girl Emma - with her peace protest banners and political badges - questions this story. Can they work together to clear his name - and help Marcus become the person he really wants to be?

 

For more reading recommendations and information on how books can boost empathy and understanding, our might like to check out our guide to Empathy Day and children’s books that encourage reading for empathy.

You can also find even more wonderful stories in our kindness and compassion collection.