Joseph Coelho - Overheard in a Tower Block.
'Like music poetry speaks to thoughts and feelings, giving word to those things that are often indescribable. Poetry does the seemingly impossible by describing the leaf-canopy-rustle that is the jumble of senses that inform our actions and deeds. Through poetry we get to view another’s canopy and get to understand when their leaves are budding or indeed when their leaves have fallen'.
Anthony Browne - Willy and the Cloud. Everyone's favourite chimp battles a dark cloud in this multi-layered, moving story.
Atinuke - The No. 1 Car Spotter Fights the Factory.
An African village and a corrupt developer. Find out how the brilliant Oluwalase Babatunde Benson (the No. 1 Car Spotter) saves the day.
A. F. Harrold - The Song from Somewhere Else
'Books are windows into other people’s lives, into their heads and into their hearts. Those windows are often the only ones we have to really see and really share the thoughts people from other places and other times, as well as our neighbours and family. To have The Song from Somewhere Else, and its cast of characters, included in this collection is an honour'.
Benji Davies - Grandad's Island
'The need for empathy in our world is more important now than ever before. It is the glue that binds us together; something we should cherish and that must be encouraged. I believe books are the best tool we have to deliver this message to the next generation and I’m delighted that Grandad’s Island has been selected for this list'.
Robin Stevens - The Guggenheim Mystery - a gloriously inventive art theft whodunnit, featuring Ted Sparks from The London Eye Mystery.
'Storytelling is one of the best ways to experience life through another person's eyes, and in a divisive and distrustful era, building connections and understanding is vital.'
Chitra Soundar - You're Safe with Me
'The more we read, the more we realise how much we have in common with the rest of the world'.
Anna McQuinn - Lulu gets a Cat
'We live in difficult and challenging times. Even adults can feel at a loss for how to cope. All I feel I can do is follow the words of my hero, Arthur Ashe: "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." One thing I can do as a writer is encourage children to think about others – even the youngest are SO capable of empathy. And stories are the perfect way to explore other people's feelings.'
Mark Lowery - Charlie and Me
'If a book is about people, then it must also be about empathy. As a teacher, I can see the power of stories to allow children to walk in someone else's shoes and to consider how we treat each other. In a world that can sometimes seem cruel or impersonal, it’s a deeply heartening thought that people do still care about each other'.
Margaret McAllister - 15 things NOT to do with a Granny.
'I’m so delighted to be in this collection, especially as I’ve been interested in EmpathyLab since its inception and believe it’s one of the most valuable movements in education this century'.
30 FANTASTIC BOOKS TO DEVELOP CHILDRENS EMPATHY