Bullying is a major concern for parents, and 20% of high schoolers say they have been bullied at school. More than half of teens (53%) say they have been bullied online. Tackling bullying involves social-emotional learning and anti-bullying efforts, but it also involves building empathy, social skills, and communication skills from a young age. That’s where our list of anti-bullying books comes in. Get our list of amazing picture books and novels to use with students when talking about the impact their words and actions have on others and what they can do.
Plus, be sure to fill out the form on this page to get your free printable list of anti-bullying books.
Anti-Bullying Books for Elementary School
These books, perfect for students in K-5, introduce students to the concepts of kindness, anti-bullying, and inclusivity through relatable characters, stories, and even humor.
1. Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
True friends stick up for one another, even when it’s a little bit scary. This is a great book to read with younger children to introduce the idea of sticking up for each other, or read it with older students to talk about the book’s metaphor and message.
Buy it: Stick and Stone
2. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Molly Lou is a unique individual, that’s for sure. But her grandmother has taught her well. So when a bully picks on Molly, she knows just what to do, and by the end of the story, Molly Lou’s individuality has won everyone over, including the bully. This book is a great one for introducing the topic of being ourselves no matter what.
Buy it: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
3. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum is a classic picture book about a girl who gets teased for her name but learns to embrace it. It’s a great read-aloud to use to engage students in talking about the basics of anti-bullying in a story from a beloved children’s author.
Buy it: Chrysanthemum
4. A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems
Sometimes it’s terrifying to be the little guy. Will Piggie and Gerald figure out a way to survive the playground bully? This book is perfect to talk about perspective-taking and bullying.
Buy it: A Big Guy Took My Ball!
5. One by Kathryn Otoshi
In this beautiful and spare picture book, author Otoshi tackles what it means to exclude a peer—and why it’s important to respect different personalities—in an artful and imaginative way. After reading this book, have students show what inclusion means with their own watercolor drawings.
Buy it: One
6. The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill
Mean Jean is the recess queen, and it isn’t until a new girl becomes her friend that recess dynamics change for the better. This book is ideal for addressing bullying that can be resolved without adult intervention. Read it before recess and as a refresher throughout the school year.
Buy it: The Recess Queen
7. The Juice Box Bully by Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy
One of the best things kids can do to combat bullying is to stand up for one another, which is exactly what The Juice Box Bully is about. Students will learn how to have each other’s backs instead of doing nothing when they witness bully confrontation.
This book is perfect to read with The Recess Queen and other picture books to give students a feel for the various ways they can stand up and address bullying.
Buy it: The Juice Box Bully
8. Willow Finds a Way by Lana Button
When bully Kristabelle starts uninviting kids to her birthday party, shy, quiet Willow decides she’s had enough. Her simple act shocks everyone and changes the dynamic of the whole classroom. Use this book to talk about the importance of our intentions and why it’s important to be inclusive using a concept that kids can understand: birthday parties.
Buy it: Willow Finds a Way
9. I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoët
This pictures-only storybook beautifully illustrates how one person’s kindness can inspire an entire community to stand up to bullying. This is a great story to have students tell together, and a wonderful addition to a reading corner as young children can “read” it on their own.
Buy it: I Walk With Vanessa
10. You, Me and Empathy by Jayneen Sanders
A very helpful book for teaching children about empathy, feelings, kindness, compassion, tolerance, and recognizing bullying behaviors. Use this book to teach vocabulary that students can use to analyze other anti-bullying stories.
Buy it: You, Me and Empathy
11. Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
When Jeremy Ross tries to get rid of his enemy, his dad comes to the rescue. The catch? The only way for Jeremy to succeed is to spend an entire day playing with the enemy. Soon, his worst enemy turns into his best friend!
This book is a great read-aloud to get students to consider multiple perspectives and different outcomes.
Buy it: Enemy Pie
12. My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig
Monica and Katie have been friends since kindergarten, but the older they get, the more confusing the friendship becomes. Monica can’t understand why Katie has started to exclude her and call her names.
Use this story to talk about how to speak up when someone is bothering you and to emphasize how secret bullying can feel.
Buy it: My Secret Bully
13. Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev
In this story, a boy with a pet elephant wants to be part of a pet club. He finds that he has to go out on his own to create a pet club where all are welcome. A sweet, engaging story, this book is perfect for talking about how to include everyone in play.
Buy it: Strictly No Elephants
14. The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
This book sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children and reminds readers how small acts of kindness can help others feel included. Use this book to talk about how to appreciate everyone’s talents.
Buy it: The Invisible Boy
15. Gorgeously Me! by Jonathan Van Ness
Written by advocate Jonathan Van Ness, this lyrical text lays out all the ways we are unique, and gorgeously so! Use this book to reinforce how special we all are and to celebrate it.
Buy it: Gorgeously Me!
16. No More Labels! by Denisha Cook
With a focus on students with different abilities, this book teaches kids to build on their personal strengths, regardless of what labels—official or unofficial—the world puts on them. Use this book to introduce the idea of “label” and what it means when you feel like you are labeled.
Buy it: No More Labels!
17. Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
This is the story of Chloe, who won’t let the new girl, Maya, play with her and her friends. Eventually Maya stops coming to school, and Chloe realizes that a small act of kindness—like being Maya’s friend—could have gone a long way.
Use this book with older elementary students to encourage them to be proactive when building friendships and including others.
Buy it: Each Kindness
18. Bully by Patricia Polacco
When students begin teasing classmates on Facebook, Lyla knows something needs to be done. This is one of our fave anti-bullying books for our increasingly digitally savvy students.
Buy it: Bully
19. My Name Is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin
Bilal and Ayeesha are the only two Muslim students in their school. When Ayeesha is teased about her headscarf, Bilal stands up for her. This book is a great start to talk about bullying that relates to a person’s religion or ethnicity.
Buy it: My Name Is Bilal
20. The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad
A story about the first day of school for one girl who is wearing a hijab and how she finds pride even when others are teasing her. Read this book to start a conversation about respecting culture and how to learn more about another culture without teasing.
Buy it: The Proudest Blue
21. Bird Boy by Matthew Burgess
When Nico arrives at a new school, he quickly gets the nickname Bird Boy because he spends his time bird-watching. In the end, Nico’s self-confidence makes him an irresistible playmate, even for the kids who bullied him in the first place.
Use this story as an example of how to engage with others who might seem different at first.
Buy it: Bird Boy
22. The Bug Girl by Sophia Spencer with Margaret McNamara
In this true story, Sophia Spencer writes about her interest in insects and how she became a target for bullying. With encouragement from her mother and other entomologists, Sophia starts sharing her love of bugs. Use this book to show students a real-life example of anti-bullying and inclusion.
Buy it: The Bug Girl
23. Wings by Christopher Myers
When Ikarus Jackson is flying above the rooftops, he is teased and eventually gets dismissed from school. Except for one girl, the narrator, who sees more in Ikarus and stands up for him. This book, with collage illustrations, is a great one to spark an art project about courage and anti-bullying.
Buy it: Wings
24. Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat
Ut is from Vietnam and is starting school in America. The other kids laugh at her when she speaks Vietnamese. One day, one of the people teasing her comes up with a way to help instead. Use this book to help students appreciate how hard it is to adjust to a new country.
Buy it: Angel Child, Dragon Child
25. King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan
This story combines the tradition of Pakistan kite fighting and generosity. During the festivities, Malik takes down the kite of his neighbor, a bully. But when the bully turns on another girl in the neighborhood, Malik finds a generous way to help. Use this book with upper elementary students to talk about determination and courage.
Buy it: King for a Day
Anti-Bullying Books for Middle School
Middle schoolers are ready for more nuanced stories and ready to see how anti-bullying efforts play out in various contexts. These novels are must-reads for middle schoolers.
26. The Bully Blockers by Celeste Shally
This is the story of a boy who witnesses a peer with autism being bullied and stands up for him. This book will definitely start a conversation about how to stand up for others, and what to do if you see someone being bullied.
Buy it: The Bully Blockers
27. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945, proving that anti-bullying books have been around for a long time. The story follows a classmate who is ridiculed by bullies for wearing the same dress to school every day, while other students stand by and do nothing to help.
This book is perfect for literature circles to engage students in thinking about how people are much deeper than they may seem.
Buy it: The Hundred Dresses
28. The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale
This book pulls from actual events as the author loosely recounts what it was like when he was bullied in 6th grade. It incorporates both sides of bullying and addresses this ongoing issue in the lives of middle schoolers. This is a good book to have on hand for book recommendations.
Buy it: The Bully Book
29. Blubber by Judy Blume
Like many of Blume’s novels, this one is enduringly relevant. While some of the references may elude young readers, the realistic ways kids speak and act—taking teasing too far until it escalates into physical bullying—make Blubber both a compelling story and an important look at the harm kids can do to one another. Use this book in literature circles for rich discussion.
Buy it: Blubber
30. Starfish by Lisa Fipps
This novel in verse feels a little like a modern-day Blubber. Ellie gets bullied about her weight, and she goes on a journey of self-acceptance and growth. A great book recommendation for older readers.
Buy it: Starfish
31. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
This uplifting novel follows August (Auggie) Pullman to 5th grade, which is his first time entering a mainstream school. Auggie was born with a facial deformity, so he’ll have to convince his classmates that he is normal, just like them, despite his appearance. This is a fantastic read-aloud for upper elementary schoolers.
Buy it: Wonder
32. Restart by Gordon Korman
When Chase wakes up with a bump on his head and no memory of what he was like before his fall, he has to relearn who he was—and he’s not sure he likes what he discovers. Can he be a better person with this second chance?
Use this book as a read-aloud or literature circle book to talk about redemption and how we can all grow and change.
Buy it: Restart
33. Real Friends by Shannon Hale
What happens when your best friend since forever starts hanging out with the “popular” crowd? A story about how hard it is to find your real friends in life, but how the journey is worth it.
A great graphic novel recommendation for students who are interested in friendship stories, with some humor and heart.
Buy it: Real Friends
Anti-Bullying Books for High School
Use these books with high schoolers who want to read books that dive deep into the topic of anti-bullying and have more mature themes.
34. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Heroine Annabelle must find her courage to stand up to a cruel bully and lead by example in this poignant tale set in the United States during World War II.This book is ideal for middle and high schoolers.
Buy it: Wolf Hollow
35. Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
Today’s top young-adult authors contributed 70 heartfelt stories about bullying in this collection—from being a bystander to a victim to a bully themselves. The book also includes resources and suggestions for further reading. One of our favorite anti-bullying books, this is a must-read for teens.
Buy it: Dear Bully
36. Tease by Amanda Maciel
This story is about a teenage girl who faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide. Now she’s under attack as her peers, the community, and the media berate her for causing such a tragic event. Another serious and provocative book for teens.
Buy it: Tease
37. Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Sixteen-year-old Alice decides to settle the score with classmates after she is diagnosed with leukemia. Knowing she only has a few months left to live, she figures if she gets even and hurts people for the things they’ve done in the past, it won’t matter in the future. To her surprise, she goes into remission and has to face the consequences of all she has said and done. This is a great book for teens who are ready to engage with a thought-provoking story.
Buy it: Side Effects May Vary
38. The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
Two trans teens have to rely on each other as they navigate school and life. This is a great pick for cis gender teens and tweens to better understand the trans experience.
Buy it: The Art of Being Normal
39. It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller
Centered on the LGBTQ+ experience, this bestseller includes testimonials and essays by famous and successful adults who struggled as adolescents. No matter who is reading, there is much to be gained from this collection.
Buy it: It Gets Better
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