© Empathy Lab UK

What is empathy?

Empathy is our ability to understand another person and feel their emotions. It's a force for change because it makes us want to help people. 

Who is EmpathyLab?

EmpathyLab is the first organisation to build children’s empathy, literacy and social activism through the use of high quality books. Their strategy builds on new scientific evidence showing that quality literature is an effective way to build our empathetic understanding of others.

EmpathyLab develops, activates, and celebrates the power of stories to increase real-life empathy. Through reading, children and young people understand others, grow emotionally, and thrive. 

What is Empathy Day?

There is a day in June each year called Empathy Day. It's a day to help us understand each other better by using books to step into someone else's shoes. When you read, your brain reacts as it would to real events. This makes books the perfect empathy boosting vehicle. Train your brain with stories!

Empathy Day has grown into the Empathy Day Festival spanning several days in June. In 2026 the festival runs from 4 to 11 June.

To celebrate the National Year of Reading in 2026, EmpathyLab is going all in for connection. Join them for NEW challenges, BRILLIANT author events, EXCITING content and so much more! The Festival is FREE for all schools, libraries, bookshops, early years settings and families, across the UK and beyond.

What is Read for Empathy?

EmpathyLab also publishes read for empathy guides and book collections. Each guide features a diverse collection of books for children aged 3-16 years old. Books are selected by an expert panel to improve children's empathy skills.

2026 Read for Empathy Collections

65 diverse and BRILLIANT books for 3–16+ year-olds perfect to #GOALLIN during the National Year of Reading! 

Through these novels, graphics, picture books, poetry collections, non-fiction, and early readers – young people can experience, understand and practise empathy – a learnable life skill at the heart of strong relationships and positive wellbeing.

Books for 3-11 year olds

The Primary Collection - An expert panel has selected these 40 brilliant books for children aged 3-11, specifically chosen for their power to boost empathy for, and understanding of, other people’s feelings and life experiences.

Emotions

• The Hideysaurus - Rachel Bright & Chris Chatterton
• Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim - Kobina Commeh & Barbara Quintino
• When I am Kind - Paula Bowles
• This is Us - Emily Hamilton
• What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking - Tina Oziewicz & Aleksandra Zajac
• Where Did She Go? - Cariad Lloyd & Tom Percival

Picture Books

• The Playdate - Uje Brandelius & Nichola Smalley & Clara Dackenberg
• The Dinosaur Next Door - David Litchfield
• The Bicycle - Mevan Babakar & Patricia McCormick & Yas Imamura
• Leave the Trees, Please - Benjamin Zephaniah & Melissa Castrillon
• I’m Going to Make a Friend - Darren Chetty & Sandhya Prabhat
• The Endless Sea - Chi Thai & Linh Dao
• Twigs and Stones - Joy Cowley & Gavin Bishop
• Noah’s New Home - Zeshan Akhter & Nabila Adani
• The Bear-Shaped Hole - John Dougherty & Thomas Docherty

Poetry

• This is not a Small Voice: Poems by Black Poets - Traci N Todd & Jade Orlando
• Red Sky in the Morning, Poet’s Warning - Alex Wharton & Ian Morris
• Out of this World - Michael Rosen & Ed Vere
• Harriet Tubman, Force of Nature - Caroline Brewer

Early Readers

• Vicky and June: Friends at Play - Patricia Toht & Hoang Giang
• The Missing Bunny - Holly Webb & Antonia Woodward
• The Birthday Cake Thief (The Moonlight Mystery Agency 1) - Vashti Hardy & Agnes Saccani

Non-Fiction

• All Brains are Wonderful - Scott Evans & The Boy Fitz Hammond
• First Questions and Answers: Why are there wars? - Katie Daynes & Oskana Drachkovska & Mairi Mackinnon
• It’s OK to Say No - Molly Potter & Sarah Jennings
• Star! - Michaela Morgan

Novels

• Land of the Last Wildcat - Lui Sit & David Dean
• Birdie - J P Rose
• Cobweb - Michael Morpurgo & Michael Foreman
• Jakub’s Otter - Coran Rumble
• People Like Stars - Patrice Lawrence
• The Bird Thief - Rachel Keating & Naomi Bennet
• The Boy in the Tree - Lisa Thompston & Katie Kear
• The Doughnut Club - Kristina Rahim
• Evie and Mayam’s Family Tree - Janeen Hayat

Graphic Novels

• PAWS: Gabby Gets it Together - Nathan Fairbairn & Michele Assarasakorn
• Higher Ground - Tull Suwannakit
• Unfairies - Huw Aaron
• The Cartoonists Club - Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud

Books for 12-16 year olds

The Secondary Collection - An expert panel has selected these 25 brilliant books for young people aged 12-16+, specifically chosen for their power to boost empathy for, and understanding of, other people’s feelings and life experiences.

Novels

• Jellybean - Eve Ainsworth & Theo Parish
• My Name is Samim - Fidan Meikle
• Phoenix Brothers - Sita Brahmachari
• Lover Birds - Leon Egan
• On the Edge - Nicola Garrard
• The Boy I Love - William Hussey
• Odd Girl Out - Tasneem Abdur-Rashid
• Wish You Were Her - Elle McNicoll
• Twenty-Four Seconds From Now - Jason Reynolds
• Five - Elgan Rhys & Mared Roberts
• What Happens Online - Nathanael Lessore

Graphic Novels

• Ditching Saskia - John Moore & Neetols
• When the Sky Falls - Fred Fordham & Phil Earle
• Mismatched - Anne Camlin & Isadora Zeferino
• Kick Flip Vol 1 - L D Lapinski & Logan Hanning

Non-Fiction

• How to Love - Alex Norris
• Break Through: from the Streets to Success - Omar Sharif
• How to be Disabled and Proud - Cathy Reay
• One Day - Michael Rosen & Benjamin Phillips
• Owning It - Jen Campbell, James and Lucy Catchpole & Sophie Kamlish
• Make Good Trouble - Jamia Wilson & Devon Blow & Ashley Lukashevsky

Poetry and Verse Novels

• Ink Air - Dreadlock Alien
• The Brightest Star - Megan Grehan
• Roar - Manjeet Mann
• The First Year - Matt Goodfellow & Joe Todd-Stanton