Books for Better: Books to Nurture Empathy

My infant son was in the ICU only ten days after he was born. It was a harrowing time, but it was also a time when my family and I experienced the greatest outpouring of love and support imaginable. Friends from near and far organized a meal train, understanding just how challenging it was to get hot food on the table for dinner while we spent days and nights in the hospital. Treats, toys and care packages appeared on our doorstep daily, as if by magic, from neighbors letting us know that they, too, felt our pain. Teachers stepped up their game in ways we never anticipated, making sure our older son was well-cared for and supported at school, treating our child as if he were their own. The phone calls, emails, and text messages were endless, everyone letting us know we were in their thoughts and prayers, and they were right there with us on this roller coaster ride. It was empathy at its greatest, and to this day, I can’t think about it without crying. Though the times were traumatic, my husband and I couldn’t stop talking about how we felt so grateful.

Merriam Webster defines empathy as “the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feelings.” To me, though, that definition sells it short, for it is so much more than that. Empathy provides a glowing flame to illuminate your way through the dark, a boat and oars to guide you through choppy, white-capped waters. It offers a smile when your heart has forgotten it once cradled joy, a door when you thought you had hit a dead end. Empathy, in short, can heal. This is not to say that it is the answer to all of the world’s problems, but it can certainly take us well on our way to creating a culture of not just compassion, but understanding as well.

How do we nurture empathy in our children? If you have even glanced at any of my previous posts, you know my answer. One tried and true way is to read books to your kids—books that impart messages of compassion, not just for the weak or the suffering, but for anyone who needs a hand to grab on to at some singular moment in time; books that demonstrate how we can anticipate the needs of others and show us that even our small actions can bring comfort to our neighbors and friends. All fiction reading builds empathy simply because it introduces us to ideas and worlds beyond our own—and this is so significant for our children. Kids love to insert themselves into the pages of their favorite books to discern how they would respond in the very situations they read about. The more our little ones read, learn about others, and see themselves in stories conveying messages of empathy, the more this virtue will become an instinctual part of their behavior and character. Children’s literature is brimming with books that exemplify this value, and it is up to us—parents, educators and book enthusiasts—to get such stories into our kids’ hands.

We don’t have to wait for someone to be struggling or hospitalized before compassionate acts become the norm. Empathy shouldn’t only arise in times of trauma. The little, often overlooked moments are significant too, and it is important that empathy be displayed during all of these times of need. As the great Roald Dahl once said, “If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” This, friends, is what we should aim for—good thoughts which will in turn spark compassionate behavior. If we can get our kids to strive for a humane and sensitive community, if we can teach them to turn their good thoughts into empathetic actions, we may one day be able to inhabit a sunnier, lovelier world.

The team at All The Wonders is proud to spearhead the #BooksForBetter initiative, whose goal is to give families and teachers a resource to find great read aloud books that celebrate diversity, compassion and inclusiveness. We envision a movement that will grow well beyond our efforts, but we’re getting it started with a monthly Twitter chat and Instagram campaign.

Join us the first Monday of each month at 8pm EST for an #ATWchat about children’s books that showcase the human potential for goodness. Then post your favorite books on this topic on social media under the hashtag #booksforbetter. We’ll be compiling and sharing your ideas each month, making it simple for every family to find #booksforbetter.

We’re excited to be joined this month by special guest Melissa Taylor of the fabulous Imagination Soup blog. Melissa’s also the author of Book Love: Help Your Child Grow from Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader and can be found all over the internet championing readers alongside outstanding children’s books.

We’re also excited to share the beautiful READ poster that Mike Ciccotello, our guest illustrator, created alongside the images for this month’s chat. Download the poster and put it in your library, your classroom, or wherever you find readers reading.