Stories are a powerful means of teaching values, creating empathy and inspiring moral action. Giving youth books that promote compassionate behavior is one recommendation given by the American Psychological Association in "What Makes Kids Care? Teaching Gentleness in a Violent World."

Titles that foster compassion in youth as well as a love of literature were selected for this booklist. To learn how to evaluate and select humane books as well as how to use humane literature to talk about real-life issues, read the ASPCA's latest Animal Lessons Newsletter: Humane Literature . The Animal Rescue League of Southern Rhode Island's Animals in Literature page offers additional pointers to aid in the selection of humane books.

This booklist was created and is maintained to provide a literature-focused humane education resource for educators and parents. Award-winning literature, recently published and forthcoming titles may be found here. Teacher and parent resources may be found in the Professional Collection.

Topics and Issues:

• Animal Welfare-Youth Literature
• Animals Used for Entertainment
• Anti-consumerism
• Anti-Fur
• Audio-Visual Materials
• Bedtime Stories
• Bullying Prevention
• Chained Dogs
• Companion Animal Care See also Kindness, Responsibility and Safety Education
• Compassion
• Compassionate Book Awards (coming soon)
• Conflict resolution
• Courage
• Creativity
• Determination (coming soon)
• Diversity, Embracing
• Dog Training, Humane
• Dogs, Chained
• Empathy (coming soon)
• Environment, Taking Care of
• Environmentalists
• Fables and Folktales
• Farm Animals
• Friendship
• Heroes
• Holiday Books
• Homeless Animals
• Hunting and Trapping
• Kindness
• Loyalty
• New and Forthcoming Titles
• Peace, teaching (coming soon)
• Pets - See Companion Animal Care, Kindness, Responsibility, Safety Education & Homeless Animals
• Professional Collection for Educators
• Puppy Mills
• Respect and reverence for all living things
• Responsibility (animal guardianship)
• Safety Education
• Sanctuaries
• Science, Teaching Through Children's Literature
• Self-acceptance
• Trees
• Vegetarianism
• Violence Prevention
• Wildlife Appreciation
• Wildlife, Endangered and Extinct
• Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation
• Wildlife, Sharing the World with

Please note - Most titles are still in print. For those that are not, check your public library. If your library does not own a copy, request the book through interlibrary loan service. For books that are still in print, ask your library to purchase a copy if they do not already own a one.

See also Humane Education Resources page for instructional tools and strategies including free downloadable lessons and free/inexpensive audio visual materials.

Check for daily additions. Thank you.

Visit the following Web sites for more recommendations:

ASPCA Henry Bergh Book Award Winners

Doris Day Animal League Book Bag

Humane Society Youth Best Books

Selections for Adults:

In Defense of Animals Bookshelf  

Reading Animals

Please do not purchase books from Amazon.com as they have refused to stop selling cockfighting magazines. The Humane Society of the United States has taken Amazon to court over this issue. Click here to learn more .

©2007 Humane Teacher