Lawrence and Cobb chosen for Read for Empathy collection

Patrice Lawrence (pictured), Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Rebecca Cobb and Alice Oseman are among the authors whose books have been chosen for this year’s Read for Empathy collection.

The 2021 Read for Empathy book collection is a 50-strong list of books for 4 to 16-year-olds, chosen by judges from schools and libraries because they help children and young people develop empathy.

“We have an unprecedented chance to do things differently, building on the wave of community caring we’ve seen in the pandemic,” the selectors said. “This collection seizes that chance with both hands. The books will help children be their best selves; to think ‘we’ not ‘me’. Right now, what could be more important?”

Picture books on the list include Hello, Friend! by Cobb (Macmillan Children’s Books), How to Change the World by Sirdeshpande and Annabel Tempest (Puffin), and The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros (Nosy Crow). Lawrence’s Eight Pieces of Silva (HarperCollins Children’s Books) is in the 12-16 part of the collection, as is Oseman’s I Was Born for This (HarperCollins Children's Books). Graphic novels, early readers and poetry all feature, too, and 42% of the books were created by authors and illustrators of colour.

Read for Empathy is part of EmpathyLab, which was set up by Miranda McKearney as a not-for-profit initiative in 2014. McKearney also runs Empathy Day, which will take place on 10th June this year.

“Empathy is learnable—only 10% of our empathic ability is genetic,” she said. “Scientists say that reading builds empathy, and this collection will play a direct role in helping raise an empathy-educated generation.”

Empathy Lab is running training for teachers and library staff in partnership with the University of Cambridge in the run up to Empathy Day and sessions will take place on 17th and 22nd March. Schools can also buy books from Peters with 26% off the r.r.p.

The full list of titles can be found on the Empathy Day website.