The last time we created a list about amazing books for kids was 4 years ago, so we decided for this #WorldBookDay2020, we’d update the list. So many wonderful books have been written since our first list came out, and it’s so important to teach these skills at an early age. Having said that, this is a mix of books for little ones, and some books for teens and adults too, because while it’s so important to learn mindfulness when we’re young, we still need and welcome reminders as we grow-up.
We know that mindfulness has become a trendy word, but it was alive and well in the 1940’s when our great-grandpa started practicing it, and he passed the teachings down to us, so are believers.
It seems simplistic to say “Learn this, and you’ll have a great life,” and we’re not promising the end of all stress or negative emotions, but kids will certainly become more aware of their emotions, able to regulate them better, have more self-compassion and compassion for others, be able to handle stress in a more productive way, and have better relationships with themselves and others. Science has proven a direct link between the way our mind functions, and the way we feel or behave or think. We’re not trying to say that you need to be positive 100% of the time, because that may not be possible, but mindfulness matters. It can help you navigate the ups and downs of life, and it reduces the amount of violence in the world, encourages inner-peace, and healthy interactions with others.
It’s all about health and wellness, and in this digital age, isn’t nice that we can put down our phones and still pick up a book once in a while? The mindfulness community is a group which supports each other, believes in each other, and practices the same mission of spreading peace and love. Towards those ends, all of these books are wonderful, and this list is in no particular order. Buy them All today! ?
In no particular order because they are all amazing:
Books for Kids:
1. Alphabreaths: The ABCs of Mindful Breathing by Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen
2. Crab and Whale: Mindful Storytime by Mark Pallis and Christiane Kerr
3. Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey
4. A Morning with Grandpa by Sylvia Liu
5. The Lion in Me by Andrew Jordan Nance
6. I Am Human: A book about Empathy by Susan Verde
7. Thank You Body, Thank You Heart: A Gratitude and Self-Compassion Practice for Bedtime by Jennifer Harper Cohen
8. And of course, our own Wuf Shanti books can be found here: https://wufshanti.com/reading-time/
Books for Teens:
1. A Still Quiet Place for Teens by Amy Salesman
2. The Mindful Teen by Dr. Dzung Vo
3. Take in the Good: Skills for Staying Positive and Living Your Best Life by Gina Biegel
4. Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind by Whitney Stewart
5. Self-Compassion for Teens by Dr. Lee-Anne Grey
6. The Social Media Workbook for Teens: Skills to Help You Balance Screen Time, Manage Stress, and Take Charge of Your Life by Goal Said Bocci and Gina Biegel
7. The Mindfulness Workbook for Teen Self-Harm by Gina Biegel and Stacie Cooper
Books for Adults:
1. Confident Parents Confident Kids: Raising Emotional Intelligence in Ourselves and Our Kids – from Toddlers to Teenagers by Jennifer Miller
2. The Emotion Code by Dr. Bradley Nelson
3. Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: a 10% Happier Book by Dan Harris
4. Developing Children’s Emotional Intelligence by Shahnaz Bahman and Helen Maffini
5. Level Up: A Brain Based Strategy to Skyrocket Student Success by Andrea Samadi
7. Mindfulness for Chocolate Lovers by Dr. Diane Gehart
8. Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness by Rick Hanson, PH. D
9. Trauma Informed Mindfulness with Teens: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals by Sam Himelstein
For more great books, check out our yoga book list from 2016 too. These books are still OMazing! https://wufshanti.com/2016/03/11/top-15-yoga-and-yogic-minded-books-for-children/
Have fun reading with your kids, and thank you for helping us spread the mindful-mindset of giving gratitude and thinking well.
Wuf Shanti, Wuf Peace, Wuf Namaste`! ?