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THE RIGHT BOOK AT THE RIGHT MOMENT CHANGES
everything.
CURATED BY KIM GAMEROZ - SELEBRATE GOOD TIMES
Every book on this page has been read, re-read, and lived in by Kim. No filler. No lists for the sake of lists. Just the ones that actually move kids - and the adults who love them.
Before any list, any resource, any recommendation - there is Becoming the BISON. This is Kim's book. The one that gives educators, parents, and students the BISON mindset framework to face hard things with courage, intention, and heart.
If you're going to read one book this year, let is be this one. The rest of this page builds on what it teaches.
The book that started it
all.
"Books are one of the most powerful tools we have to teach social and emotional learning - not as an add-on, but as the heart of how we help kids understand themselves and each other."
Every list below has been personally curated by Kim. These aren't suggestions pulled from a database. These are books she reads over and over again - in classrooms, with students, and in her own home.
PICTURE BOOKS - CURATED BY KIM
BOOKS THAT
HEARTS AND
COVERSATIONS
open
Organized around the five core SEL competencies - because the right story, read at the right moment, gives kids the language for what they're feeling before they even know how to say it.
SEL COMPETENCY ONE
SELF-
Awareness
01
Self-awareness is the foundation of everything. It's the skill that helps children accurately understand their own feelings, behaviors, and how they show up in the world - and it's the first place we start.
Be True To Yourself
My go-to stories to help kids build real confidence - the kind that comes from knowing and accepting exactly who they are, not who anyone else wants them to be.
Mindfulness
Some of my favorite books to help you guide children in being truly present - in their bodies, in their classrooms, and in the moment right in front of them.
Worry & Anxiety
Talking through anxious thoughts is everything. These stories are the ones I reach for when a child needs to hear - in the gentlest possible way - that their worries make sense, and that they're not alone.
SEL COMPETENCY TWO
SELF-
Management
02
Self-management is what happens after awareness - it's the ability to regulate emotions, make a plan, and follow through. These books give kids the tools to navigate the hard moments without falling apart.
Managing Emotions
Kids need to know that their feelings are valid AND that they have tools to work through them. These are the books I turn to when a child's big emotions are bigger than their words.
Executive Functioning
Organizing thoughts, making a plan, and following through - these stories teach kids how to think about thinking. My favorites for helping students build the routines that actually stick.
Impulse Control
These are my go-to books when a child needs to slow down before they leap. Perfect for classroom moments, home conversations, and every "I didn't mean to" in between.
03
Awareness
SOCIAL
SEL COMPETENCY THREE
Social awareness is how children learn their place in the world - and their responsibility to the people in it. These books help kids understand that their actions, words, and presence all matter.
Empathy
Standing in someone else's shoes - really understanding their mind and heart - takes practice. These are the stories that build that muscle, one read-aloud at a time.
Kindness & Friendship
What does it actually mean to be a friend? These are my favorites about the true meaning of connection - being open, showing up, and choosing people even when it's uncomfortable.
04
Skills
RELATIONSHIP
SEL COMPETENCY FOUR
Relationship skills are the foundation for how children engage with peers, teachers, and the world around them. These books help kids read the room, navigate social dynamics, and understand that every action starts a chain reaction.
Social Cues
Here are some of my favorite stories to help discuss how we can connect the dots, and figure out how we should act, and react, in social situations.
Social-Emotional Chain Reaction
Understanding that our behaviors affect the thoughts and feelings of those around us is a crucial social skill.
05
Decision-Making
RESPONSIBLE
SEL COMPETENCY FIVE
Learning to make their own choices - even imperfect ones - is how children build independence, resilience, and confidence. These books give kids permission to be flexible, take chances, and keep going.
Stuck Thinking
Flexible thinking, growth mindset, accepting change - these are the stories I reach for when a child is locked in and needs a gentle nudge toward "what if this could be different?"
Taking Risks
These are my absolute favorites. Books about courage, perseverance, and the radical idea that running into the hard thing is almost always better than running away from it.
These are not generic "education books." These are the ones Kim has read, re-read, hosted book clubs around, and handed to administrators, counselors, and teachers at their most important moments.
If you want to grow - not just as an educator, but as a human who works alongside children - this is where you start.
FOR THE GROWN - UPS IN THE ROOM
BOOKS FOR
WHO TEACH, LEAD, AND CARE.
adults
Every child deserves to see themselves in a story - and to hear the most important messages in the language of their heart.
Kim's Spanish-language recommendations cover all five SEL competencies, curated with the same care and intention as every other list on this page.