Recommended Reading for Adults
Mindfulness for Teachers- Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom, Patricia A. Jennings
Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens, Christopher Willard and Amy Saltzman
Child’s Mind- Mindfulness Practices to Help our Children Be More Focused, Calm and Relaxed, Christopher Williard
The Mindful Child, Susan Kaiser Greenland
Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness- A Guide For Anyone Who Teaches Anything, Deborah Schoeberelein
The Invisible Classroom- Relationships, Neuroscience and Mindfulness in School, Kirke Olson
The Way of Mindful Education- Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students, Daniel Rechtschaffen
Buddha’s Brain- The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom, Rich Hanson PH.D with Richard Mendius, MD
Mindfulness- An Eight-Week Plan For Finding Peace In A Frantic World, Mark Williams and Danny Penman
Wherever You Go There You Are- Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Fostering Resilient Learners- Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom, Kristin Souers with Pete Hall
The Body Keeps The Score- Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
Finding The Space To Lead- A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership, Janice Marturano
Books for the Classroom
Rosie’s Brain, Ryden. This books describes the 3 parts of the brain that the curriculum emphasizes as characters.
Moody Cow, MacLean. This book illustrates the Mind Jar as a metaphor for how your mind swirls and gets chaotic when you are feeling strong, difficult emotions and how meditation can calm the mind.
Charlotte and The Quiet Place, Sosin. This book recognizes how loud and busy our lives are; filled with noises and distractions. Charlotte finds a way to be “quiet” in her mind and body, by paying attention on purpose using Mindfulness.
What Does it Mean to be Present?, DiOrio. This book explores the concept of present moment awareness.
Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda, Alderfer. This book conceptualizes paying attention in the present moment.
The Listening Walk, Showers. This book is about paying attention on purpose to sounds all around you when walking outside.
I am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness, Verde. This is a wonderful overview of the simplicity and overarching concepts explored throughout the Reset program.
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing, Ortner. This beautifully illustrated book discusses the power and magic of paying attention on purpose to your breath.
Ahn’s Anger, Silver. This book explores using the breath to manage anger.
When Miles Got Mad, Kurtzman-Counter. This book highlights the concept of Name it to Tame it.
My Many Colored Days, Dr. Seuss. This book associates emotions and somatic feelings with color.
Visiting Feelings, Rubenstein. This book illustrates how sensations and emotions are like best friends and how our body talks to us. It also explores the challenges of difficult emotions.
Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day, Jamie Lee Curtis. This book gives scenarios and then attaches experiences to how we may feel, and what emotions we may experience in the given scenarios.
Listening to My Body, Garcia. This book explores the connection between emotions and sensations.
Angry Octopus, Lite. This book walks students through the tense and release practice and how it can help us feel calm when we feel angry.
A World of Pausabilities, Sileo. This book explores ways to pause that hardwire our brain’s for happiness.
What Were You Thinking?, Smith. This books highlights the importance of impulse control.
What If Everybody Did That?, Madden. This book is about impulse control and socially appropriate behavior.
My Mouth Is A Volcano, Cook. This book highlights lack of impulse control relative to interrupting.
The Worst Day of My Life, Cook. This book is about listening and following directions.
Brain Gym, Dennison
Mindful Movements: Ten Exercises for Well-Being, Hanh
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, by Carol McCloud or How Full is Your Bucket?, by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer.
One, Kathryn Otoshi. This book beautifully illustrates the concept of bullying in a developmentally and age-appropriate way for K-2 students.
I Walk with Vanessa, Kerascoet. This beautifully illustrated book has no words, which allows the students to use the pictures to create a story about about Vanessa, the new girl at school, and how the actions of a single person can inspire an entire school community to be kind.
Be Kind, Miller. Is a book about Tanisha, a young girl who spills grape juice all over her new dress, and her classmates want to make her feel better by asking the question: What does it mean to be kind?”
The Juice Box Bully, Sornson & Dismondy. This book discusses how we often witness bullying but do nothing about it. Opportunities unfold to discuss bullying and how we can stand up to bullies in a powerful, but inclusive way.
Stand in My Shoes, Sornson.This book discusses the topic of empathy, and how we can be mindful of understanding the benefits of empathy and seeing the world through others’ eyes.
Those Shoes, Boelts. Those Shoes is a sweet book about an underprivileged child who desperately wants a certain pair of shoes that all the other children have. He finally finds a pair at a thrift store, but they are too small. One of his friends also cannot afford a new pair of shoes, and as an act of kindness and generosity, he gives the boy the “too small” shoes.
The Giving Tree , Shel Silverstein. This book examines the relationship between a boy and a tree. It describes the tree’s altruism and generosity, which supports the boy through his life into old age.