First Book: Books to Learn about Empathy
Thank you to First Book for generously sharing its book recommendations with the Big Heart World community. Eligible teachers can follow the links to find discounted versions of the books on the First Book Marketplace. Parents and other caregivers can find the book at First Book’s Bookshop.org shop.
The Rabbit Listened
- What happens in the story?
- Have you ever had something bad/scary happen to you?
- Who listens to you when you're feeling bad?
We Don't Eat Our Classmates
- Describe Penelope.
- What happens to Penelope to make her realize how she's making her classmates feel?
- Have you ever had an experience that changed how you were thinking about other people?
Sam Is My Sister
- What does Evan feel about his siblings?
- What does Evan realize about Sam?
- Imagine how YOU would feel if you were Evan. Do you have any ideas or questions?
I'm New Here
- How do the characters feel in the start of the story? At the end?
- Have you ever felt different from or excluded from others?
- Can you think of friends/peers who might feel this way sometimes?
- What can we do to help people who are feeling left out, sad, or scared?
Milo Imagines the World
- Do you ever observe people on the train or bus?
- What do you think about them?
- What does Milo realize about the boy in the suit and bright white sneakers? How does this affect his thinking?
- Have you ever realized it's hard to KNOW about someone else (or their feelings) from just looking at them?
Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 200 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income communities in all 50 states and provinces in Canada. First Book currently reaches an average of 5 million children every year and supports more than a third of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving children in need. First Book members work in classrooms, after school, and summer or early childhood programs, shelters and health clinics, libraries, community programs, military support programs, and other settings serving a majority of children in need.