Books for feelings and life
Books about moving to a new home
Moving means leaving friends, a room and a school. These books say the sadness is real and that new places become familiar.
Picks drawn from long-standing children's-librarian lists, ALSC notable and award records, and Common Sense Media age ratings, with each title and author checked against Open Library, Oct 2026. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.
Boomer's Big Day
Constance W. McGeorge · Ages 3-7
A dog is anxious as the family packs and settles into a new place.
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The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day
Stan and Jan Berenstain · Ages 3-7
The Bear family leaves their treehouse for a new one. Cheerful and practical.
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Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move
Judith Viorst · Ages 4-8
Alexander refuses to leave his best friends. Funny and honest about resisting.
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A House for Hermit Crab
Eric Carle · Ages 3-7
A hermit crab outgrows his shell and decorates a new home, one friend at a time.
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Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon
Paula Danziger · Ages 7-10
Amber's best friend Justin is moving away. A short chapter book about friendship and goodbyes.
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Wherever You Go
Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler · Ages 3-7
A rhyming picture book of roads that lead out into the world and back.
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Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo · Ages 8-12
Ten-year-old Opal has just moved to Florida and makes friends through a stray dog.
Watch for: Mentions her absent mother.
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The Kissing Hand
Audrey Penn · Ages 3-6
A raccoon is given a kiss in his palm to carry when he leaves home for school. Often used for any separation.
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More lists
Books for the first day of school and starting kindergarten
First-day books work best when read in the weeks before.
Books about making friends and being a good friend
Friendship has to be learned like reading.
Books about anger for kids
Anger is one of the first big feelings children need words for.
Books about sadness and sad days
Children are often told to cheer up.
Books about fear, the dark and monsters
Fear of the dark, of monsters, and of being left is normal between ages 3 and 7.
Books about worry and anxiety
Worry can show up as stomachaches, clinging or perfectionism.
Books about shyness and quiet kids
Shy and quiet are not problems to fix.
Books about loneliness and finding a friend
Loneliness is different from being alone.