2020 Book Collections & Guides

Read for Empathy Collections 2020

'These books made us laugh, cry, and crucially, hope. We intend them to be behaviour-changing, as children gain insights into other people’s experiences and perspectives.'
- 2020 Judging Panel 
Our latest Read for Empathy Book Collections feature 50 superb books; 33 for 4-11 year olds and 17 for 12-16 year olds. 

Some illuminate the experience of people from a range of cultures or life circumstances. Others help children explore emotions, so they can understand how other people feel. Several reflect stories of our time, such as the refugee experience, or coping with anxiety. All are engaging and thought-provoking.

The collections are available to order from Peters via this link or can be purchased from your local independent bookshop. Click here to find your nearest shop.

Each collection has its own Read for Empathy Guide with a synopsis of all of the books, top tips for sharing stories and more information about Empathy Day. 

Teachers, librarians, parents - download your copy of our free guides by clicking on the relevant button below. 

For further information on how we select books for the collections and our current 2021 judging panel, click here

"I think teachers will find these books can have an enormous impact, including on children’s attitudes towards people from different communities. In our school’s empathy work on refugees, I’ve seen huge changes. One child said it all - ‘I used to think refugees were different from us. Now I don’t.’ " 



Jon Biddle - teacher at Moorlands Primary Academy, Great Yarmouth and Book Collection Judge.

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