September 8, 2025 PBS Kids for Parents Releases List of Books for Children About Friendship PBS Kids for Parents has compiled a list of 15 books for children that cover the topic of friendship. Learn More The list was recently put together to celebrate the International Day of Friendship, which took place on July 30. The author, Kate McKeown, wrote that as a mother of two children she found that teaching and practicing friendship skills is a daily effort. “When my children and I read together, we watch the dynamics of friendships play out in the lives of storybook characters and then talk about what we observe,” she wrote. The book list is meant to help start conversations with children about what it means to be a friend. Some of the topics included in the books include autism, bullying, race, gender stereotypes, kindness, bilingualism, and cultural differences. The list includes: A Friend for Harry (Jenn Bailey) Stick and Stone (Beth Ferry) Be a Friend (Salina Yoon) The Other Side (Jacqueline Woodson) Best Friends in the Universe (Stephanie Watson) I Walk with Vanessa (Kerascoet) Boxes for Katje (Candace Fleming) The Lion and the Mouse (Jerry Pinkney) The Almost Terrible Playdate (Richard Torrey) If You Plant a Seed (Kadir Nelson) Katie Woo: Boss of the World (Fran Manushkin) Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy (Jacky Davis) Margaret and Margarita (Lynn Reiser) Big Friends (Linda Sarah) The Sandwich Swap (Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio) The books’ descriptions can be found on PBS Kids for Parents’ website.
July 9, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases List of July Books for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children has released its list of July books for preschoolers that includes eight books and is broken down into four categories. Learn More The list is broken down into four themed categories – Language and Literacy Skills; Health, Wellness, and Physical Development; Science Thinking and Technology; and Mathematical Expression and Thinking. Books on the list include: Language and Literacy Skills Sorting Through Spring (Lizann Flatt) Stick and Stone (Beth Ferry) Health, Wellness, and Physical Development Fireflies! (Julie Brinckloe) Summer Days and Nights (Wong Herbert Yee) Science Thinking and Technology When Day Became Night (Jules Miller) Mud Puddle (Robert Munsch) Mathematical Thinking and Expression Two Speckled Eggs (Jennifer K. Mann) Mouse Shapes (Ellen Stoll Walsh) To view the entire list, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.