10+ Best Books About Feelings for 8-Year-Olds w/ Exercises (2024)

Navigating the emotional landscape of childhood can be a rollercoaster, especially for 8-year-olds who are just beginning to explore the depths of their feelings. That's why books about feelings for 8-year-olds are invaluable resources. They offer insights and comfort to kids learning to express and understand their emotions. Curious to discover some great reads that can help? Keep reading as we delve into various lists of books about feelings for 8-year-olds, each promising to touch on the heart of what it means to feel.

Fun Books About Feelings for 8-Year-Olds

• The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book features a friendly monster who is confused about his feelings until a little girl helps him untangle his emotions, each represented by a color.
  • Why we recommend this book: It uses clear, colorful illustrations and simple text to help children identify and understand their own emotions.
  • Perfect for: Children who are learning to express and understand their feelings.

• In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek, illustrated by Christine Roussey
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: A young girl explores a range of emotions she feels, describing them through metaphor and beautifully engaging illustrations.
  • Why we recommend this book: It creatively explains feelings in a way that resonates with young readers, encouraging them to openly express their emotions.
  • Perfect for: Kids who enjoy exploring their emotions through stories and illustrations.

• The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: The book details various emotions such as joy, sadness, anger, and pride, through simple rhymes and vibrant illustrations.
  • Why we recommend this book: It's an excellent tool for teaching emotional literacy, helping kids put words to their feelings.
  • Perfect for: Young readers who are starting to navigate their emotional responses.

• Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: The book follows a child through a variety of moods and the situations that cause them, presented in a fun and relatable way.
  • Why we recommend this book: It's engaging and fun, perfect for keeping young readers entertained while they learn about the spectrum of human emotions.
  • Perfect for: Children who experience a wide range of emotions and enjoy lively, humorous stories.

• A Whole Bunch of Feelings: What Do They Mean? by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos, illustrated by Gustavo Mazali
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Educational
  • Synopsis: This book offers a broad overview of different feelings and the typical situations that might trigger them, helping children to understand why they feel the way they do.
  • Why we recommend this book: It's educational and helps children recognize and articulate their emotions, which is crucial for their emotional development.
  • Perfect for: Youngsters who are curious about their feelings and those of others around them.

Educational Books About Feelings for 8-Year-Olds

• The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This vibrant book illustrates a range of emotions children might feel in different situations, using bold, colorful illustrations.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional recognition, empathy development
  • Why we recommend this book: Todd Parr's distinctive illustrations and simple, reassuring messages help children understand and accept their feelings.
  • Perfect for: Young readers who need support in expressing and understanding their emotions.

• My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Poetry, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book uses color and vivid imagery to describe different feelings associated with different days, offering a poetic take on emotions.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional literacy, color recognition, poetic imagination
  • Why we recommend this book: It combines the rhythmic, engaging texts of Dr. Seuss with a meaningful exploration of emotions through colors and visuals.
  • Perfect for: Children who enjoy rhythmic texts and are learning to connect their feelings with expressive colors and metaphors.

• Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: Bird wakes up feeling grumpy and doesn't know why. His day turns around as he interacts with his friends who help him overcome his bad mood.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Social skills, mood recognition, friendship dynamics
  • Why we recommend this book: It's a fun and relatable story that teaches children how interacting with friends can positively affect our emotions.
  • Perfect for: Kids who might need a little help shaking off a bad mood and seeing the brighter side of their day.

• When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: Sophie gets angry and doesn't know how to deal with her rage until she lets herself experience her emotions and finds a way to calm down.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Anger management, self-regulation, coping mechanisms
  • Why we recommend this book: It provides a realistic portrayal of anger and offers constructive ways for children to handle their intense emotions.
  • Perfect for: Children who experience intense emotions and need guidance on how to cope with them constructively.

• How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This unique book uses photographs of fruits and vegetables, creatively carved to display a range of emotions, to explore how feelings can look.
  • Skills and subjects this book improves: Emotional recognition, creativity, healthy eating awareness
  • Why we recommend this book: It's an imaginative and playful way to discuss emotions using everyday items like fruits and vegetables.
  • Perfect for: Kids who enjoy creative and visual learning, and those interested in exploring emotions in a fun, engaging way.

Challenging Books About Feelings for 8-Year-Olds

• The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: A girl full of curiosity about the world puts her heart in a bottle to protect it from the pain of loss, only to find that she loses her joy and wonder as well.
  • Why this book is challenging: The book deals with complex themes of loss and emotional protection, which are profound and thought-provoking for young readers.
  • Why we recommend this book: It addresses the difficult subject of loss with sensitivity and illustrates the importance of staying open to emotions.
  • Perfect for: Children dealing with loss or those who are learning about the complexities of emotions.

• The Black Dog by Levi Pinfold
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: A mysterious black dog appears outside the Hope family's home. As each family member sees it, the dog grows bigger and more intimidating, until the youngest, Small Hope, confronts it.
  • Why this book is challenging: The metaphor of the black dog, often used to represent depression, is used here to explore fear and courage, challenging young readers to think critically about abstract concepts.
  • Why we recommend this book: It teaches children about fear, bravery, and the power of facing one's problems head-on.
  • Perfect for: Kids who are learning to overcome fears or anxiety.

• Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: Inspired by the relationship between Virginia Woolf and her sister, this story features Virginia, who feels wolfish and transforms everything around her into a dark and gloomy place until her sister Vanessa helps her see the world differently.
  • Why this book is challenging: The book subtly introduces themes of mental health and the impact of mood on perception, which are advanced topics for young readers.
  • Why we recommend this book: It beautifully illustrates the power of creativity and empathy in helping loved ones through dark times.
  • Perfect for: Children who are sensitive or those dealing with a family member's mood swings.

• Michael Rosen's Sad Book by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: This book, based on the author's own experiences, explores sadness deeply and personally, addressing the reasons behind his feelings and how he copes with them.
  • Why this book is challenging: It confronts the topic of grief and depression directly, offering no easy answers but a lot of space for understanding and empathy.
  • Why we recommend this book: It's a poignant look at grief that encourages emotional honesty and acceptance, helping children understand that sadness is a part of life.
  • Perfect for: Advanced young readers who are dealing with or curious about the deeper aspects of sadness and loss.

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
  • Genre(s): Picture Book, Emotional Learning
  • Synopsis: After Taylor's beautiful block tower is suddenly knocked down, various animals come by offering advice. It's only when the rabbit arrives and simply listens that Taylor feels understood.
  • Why this book is challenging: The story delves into the emotional process of dealing with disappointment and loss, focusing on the importance of being heard rather than fixed.
  • Why we recommend this book: It promotes the value of empathy and listening, vital social skills for young children.
  • Perfect for: Kids who need to feel understood and those learning how to support others emotionally.

Exercises to Develop a Good Reading Habit

Reading books about feelings isn't just a way to pass time—it's a journey into understanding emotions and developing empathy. For 8-year-olds, this can be both fun and educational, especially with exercises that enhance their reading experience. Here are some engaging exercises to help young readers get the most out of their books about feelings.

• Create a Feelings Wheel
  • What it is: Craft a wheel with various emotions displayed around it.
  • How it helps: Helps children identify and label different emotions they read about.
  • Tips: Use colors and pictures to make it visually appealing and easier to understand.

• Role-Play Scenarios
  • What it is: Act out different scenes from the book with family or friends.
  • How it helps: Enhances understanding of characters' feelings and reactions.
  • Tips: Encourage creativity in how scenes are interpreted and acted out.

• Draw the Emotions
  • What it is: Draw pictures of characters expressing different emotions.
  • How it helps: Helps visualize and connect with the characters' feelings.
  • Tips: Use a wide range of colors to express different emotions vividly.

• Emotion Matching Game
  • What it is: Create cards with quotes from the book on one set and emotions on another; match them.
  • How it helps: Reinforces memory and understanding of how different situations evoke various emotions.
  • Tips: Play this as a fun game with friends or family members to make learning interactive.

• Discussion Time
  • What it is: Set aside time to discuss the feelings and lessons learned from the book.
  • How it helps: Promotes empathy and deeper understanding of emotions.
  • Tips: Ask open-ended questions to encourage thoughtful responses and insights.

These exercises are not just about reading; they're about experiencing and understanding deeper emotional concepts in a fun and engaging way. By incorporating these activities, you're helping your child develop a love for reading and a better understanding of their own emotions and those of others around them. Happy reading and exploring!