"Young people are growing up in a polarised society and amidst major world concerns, from war to climate change ... Our strategy is based on scientific evidence showing that empathy is learnable and that books are a powerful tool to build it." -- EMPATHY LAB
The beginning of June marks the beginning of Empathy Day Festival: a week-long nationwide festival that aims to empower children to learn about empathy and put it into action in their community. (You can find out how to get involved and discover the exciting author programme here!)
Reading stories can be a hugely effective way for children to learn why empathy is so important, encouraging them to put themselves in the shoes of others and helping them to develop essential skills in articulating and sharing their feelings.
To get you started in finding the right book for your young readers, we've gathered 15 of our newest empathy-building reads from across our range in a handy list below.
All our books have a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paperstock so that even more readers can enjoy them. And you can read a chapter sample by following the link for each book.
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For younger readers
The Runaway Tortoise / Written by Holly Webb and illustrated by Ocean Hughes / Ages 5+
Ava thinks that Albert, her 45-year-old tortoise, is the most boring pet ever. She can’t take him for walks or even cuddle him!
But when Auntie Grace’s dog frightens Albert with all his barking, Ava comes home from school to find a great big hole under the fence — and no Albert! Now that he’s gone, Ava realises just how much she loves her tortoise. Will she be able to track Albert down and bring him home?
Download a free activity sheet here.
The Puzzling Paw Prints / Written by Vashti Hardy and illustrated by Agnes Saccani / Ages 5+
A strange creature with great big paws and a terrible growl is roaming the land of Moonlight. No one knows what it can be, so they’ve called in Hana and Ace the detective cat of the Moonlight Mystery Agency.
Can Hana and Ace puzzle out what’s going on, and will solving the mystery help Hana find the answer to some worries of her own?
Download a free activity sheet here.
For ages 7+
Everyone knows the story of Cinderella and how she and Prince Charming danced the night away at the ball. But what happened to all the other girls who were invited?
Sadie Jones, kitchen maid at the palace, is furious when everyone else is left standing around with no one to dance with while Prince Charming and Cinderella have a wonderful time.
So when Cinderella disappears and Prince Charming flounces off in a huff, it’s up to Sadie to save the day!
Storm Bird Magic / Written by Gill Lewis and illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich / Ages 7+
There are a lot of wild stories going about as some tall ships seek shelter in Gull Have Bay. Tia and Nat don’t believe any of them to begin with. But when Nat’s dad helps unravel the truth, they learn about a seabird that’s in danger.
Can Tia and Nat find a way to help, and will it allow them to rediscover the magic of the real world all around them in their island home?
Download a free The Island Vet activity pack.
For ages 9+
Advice from a 12-Year-Old Nobody / Written by Helen Rutter with illustrations by Julia Christians / Ages 9+
Vinny’s got problems – lots of them. His family's falling apart, and his best mates have dumped him for some really annoying girls. He should be able to turn to his mum for help – she’s an online life coach who answers other people’s problems for a living. But she’s too busy to see that Vinny is really struggling.
Unable to solve his own issues, Vinny starts replying to unanswered posts on an old blog of his mum’s. At first the solutions seem easy, and he can be as hilariously honest as any 12-year-old boy would be, but what will happen when Vinny realises he’s out of his depth?
The Boy in the Tree / Written by Lisa Thompson with illustrations by Katie Kear / For ages 9+
Selected for the Read for Empathy 2026 collection.
No one can quite believe it when troublemaker Noah gets involved in the campaign to save a local oak tree. And when he takes his protest up into its branches and refuses to get down, the story goes viral, attracting more attention than he could ever imagined.
But while Noah does really want to save the tree, and marvels at the thousands of creatures that depend on it as their home, he also really wants to save his parents’ marriage. He hopes that his actions will somehow unite them again and stop them arguing, but has he gone too far this time?
Keeping Possession / Written by Eve Ainsworth, illustrated by Luna Valentine / Ages 9+
Eboni’s decision to join the Lightmoor Lionesses has led to a falling-out with her closest friends on her old team. They feel betrayed and Eboni is frozen out at school.
Feeling isolated, she’s delighted when she forms a new friendship with popular Olivia, quickly realising they have loads in common. But there’s one problem. Olivia isn’t interested in football and can’t understand Eboni’s dedication to the sport that she loves.
Will Eboni stay true to herself or will she sacrifice her footballing dreams for friendship?
Blitzers / Written by Alastair Chisholm, illustrated by Francesca Ficorilli / For ages 9+
Everyone is desperate to have a Blitzer, the new fighting-game craze. But Danny’s Blitzer is broken – it won’t fight!
His classmates laugh at him. His brother tells him to wipe the code and start again. But Danny does something different … and everything changes.
For the people behind Blitzers are hiding a deadly secret, and now everyone is in danger. Can Danny uncover the truth? Can he figure out what Blitzers are? And above all, can he save his best friend?
Download a free activity pack here.
Bobby Bains Ain't Playing / Written by Bali Rai, illustrated by Daniel Duncan / For ages 9+
Football-mad Bobby and his friend Maisie are excited to hear about a new five-a-side tournament – especially as it’s happening on Diwali, or Bandi Chhor Divas as Sikhs call it!
After getting their teams together, however, Maisie is told she’s not allowed to take part. Hers is the only girls’ side to have entered and they’re not allowed to play against the boys. How unfair is that?
Bobby can’t believe it, and he comes up with a plan to make a stand. But will he be able to convince anyone to join him?
Download free teaching notes here.
The Fear / Written by Tom Palmer, illustrated by Robin Boyden
Kian’s best mate Azeem is desperate for them both to join the local football team. He can’t understand why Kian’s reluctant as he’s one of the best players on their estate.
But a bad experience with a former coach has robbed Kian of all his confidence. He wants to support his friend, but he doesn’t think he can face the pressure of being part of a team again.
Can Kian overcome the Fear?
Watch Tom Palmer introduce the novel here.
If the Invader Comes / Written by Tom Palmer, cover artwork by Paul Blow / For ages 9+
June 1940 – after the devastating defeat of the British forces at Dunkirk, the terrifying prospect of a Nazi invasion of Britain seems ever more likely. In these dark days, three children whose parents are involved in top-secret war work are brought together in unlikely ally ship, covering for their parents and facing down malicious gossip as they come under suspicion from their local community.
Forced to confront the brutal realities of war as it affects every aspect of their lives, the children find the courage to play their part, rescuing survivors and refugees at sea, and undertaking river patrols to detect German E-boat incursions.
But when it appears that the invader is at their shores, will they be able to pull off the most daring feat of all?
Watch Tom Palmer introduce the novel here.
Ben's Gargoyle / Written by Keith Gray with illustrations by Keith Robinson / For ages 9+
When Ben sees a monstrous gargoyle creeping across the midnight rooftops, he’s desperate to tell someone. But Ben feels alone in his new home and is finding it hard fitting in at his new school.
Ben’s dad doesn’t believe him. He’s always angry. He says Ben needs to act his age, stand up to the school bullies and “be a man”. But can Ben find the courage to stand up to the biggest bully of all? And every night the gargoyle creeps closer.
Watch author Keith Gray introduce the novel here.
For ages 11+
Jellybean / Written by Eve Ainsworth with illustrations by Theo Parish / For ages 11+
Selected for the Read for Empathy 2026 collection.
When Ellie wakes up one day and can’t face going to school, her parents think there must be a reason. Is she being bullied? Or is the schoolwork too hard?
But neither of these things are the problem, and Ellie finds it impossible to explain how she feels.
As the days of absence turn into weeks and then months, Ellie’s parents support her through this difficult time, but can she find a way to go back?
My Perfect Cousin / Written by Karen McCombie with illustrations by Sofia Miller Salazar / For ages 11+
Ruby can’t stand her “perfect” cousin Yasmin. Yasmin is pretty, popular and has a gorgeous boyfriend Max. She’s set to get excellent grades in her GCSEs and her parents won’t stop going on about how brilliant she is.
Ruby always feel small and hopeless around Yasmin, and whenever she gets any attention, Yasmin tries to make sure the spotlight turns back to her.
Or that’s how Ruby feels anyway. But is there another side to the story?
Big Words / Written by Luke Palmer with cover artwork by Andy Gellenberg / For ages 11+
Biggest goes first – always. That’s one of the unspoken rules of Kiln, the forbidden wasteland where Sam and his mates hang out. So when Sam comes up with a plan to go sledging on the rust-ridden bonnet of a rotting car, he goes first. To show the others how it’s done.
His mates aren’t so keen. But there’s no complaining. No backing down. Those are the other rules of Kiln. Even when they lead to disaster.
Will their friendship survive the wreckage that follows, or is it time for the rules to be changed?
Watch author Luke Palmer introduce the novel here.
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Looking for more recommendations? Click here to see the full list of Barrington Stoke books that have been selected for the Empathy Lab 'Read for Empathy' collections.
Visit the Empathy Lab website to find out more about their work, June's Empathy Festival and more