CCBC Booklists

CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

To print a CCBC booklist, click on a list below and then use your browser’s “Print” command.  

< Back to booklists

Bullying, Teasing, Relational Aggression and School Violence

©2025, 2008 Cooperative Children's Book Center

Compiled by Tessa Michaelson, Megan Schliesman, and Merri Lindgren

This selective bibliography offers titles that authentically address the issues of bullying, teasing, relational aggression, and school violence. The books on this list provide perspectives from the standpoint of being a target, aggressor, observer, or all three. The titles chosen here reflect themes of conformity, self-perception, and popularity in addition to stories related to school culture and tolerance. While some books describe the difficulties of being different, others emphasize the positives. From books depicting the heartache of gossip and social invisibility to books portraying the struggle of feeling comfortable into one’s own skin, these titles will have relevance and resonance with readers.

The titles are grouped according the suggested age range as well as by the main perspective the book offers (being the target, being the aggressor, being the observer, multiple perspectives). A section on difference is also included for each age range.

PreK-Grade 3

Being Different

The Proudest Blue
The Proudest Blue
by Ali, S. K. and Ibtihaj Muhammad
Illustrated by Hatem Aly. Little, Brown, 2019. 32 pages. Ages 4-8

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
by Baldacchino, Christine
Illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant. Groundwood, 2014. 32 pages. Ages 3-8

Those Shoes
Those Shoes
by Boelts, Maribeth
Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. Candlewick, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 5-8

Jack's Talent
Jack's Talent
by Cocca-Leffler, Maryann
Illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 5-7

Henry the Boy
Henry the Boy
by Felder, Molly
Illustrated by Nate Christopherson and Tara Sweeney. Penny Candy, 2019. 36 pages. Ages 5-7

skin again
skin again
by hooks, bell
Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Hyperion, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 5-10

Geraldine
Geraldine
by Lilly, Elizabeth
Illustrated by Elizabeth Lilly. Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook, 2018. 32 pages. Ages 4-7

Leah's Mustache Party
Leah's Mustache Party
by Mike, Nadia
Illustrated by Charlene Chua. Inhabit Media, 2016. 26 pages. Ages 3-7

I Talk Like a River
I Talk Like a River
by Scott, Jordan
Illustrated by Sydney Smith. Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2020. 40 pages. Ages 4-8

From Multiple Perspectives

Stinky Stern Forever (A Jackson Friends Book)
Stinky Stern Forever (A Jackson Friends Book)
by Edwards, Michelle
Harcourt , 2005. 49 pages. Ages 6-8

We Don't Eat Our Classmates
We Don't Eat Our Classmates
by Higgins, Ryan T.
Illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins. Disney/Hyperion, 2018. 40 pages. Ages 4-8

A Complicated Case
A Complicated Case
by Nilsson, Ulf
Illustrated by Gitte Spee. Translated by Julia Marshall. Gecko, 2016. 104 pages. Ages 4-8

What If?
What If?
by Seeger, Laura Vaccaro
Illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 3-7

From the Perspective of the Observer

Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World
Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World
by Burningham, John
Illustrated by John Burningham. Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 5-8

Red
Red
by De Kinder, Jan
Illustrated by Jan De Kinder. Translated by Laura Watkinson. Eerdmans, 2015. 32 pages. Ages 4-8

I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness
I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness
by Kerascoet,
Illustrated by Kerascoet. Schwartz & Wade, 2018. 20 pages. Ages 5-8

Wings
Wings
by Myers, Christopher
Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Scholastic Press, 2000. 40 pages. Ages 5-10

Max's Starry Night
Max's Starry Night
by Wilson-Max, Ken
Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2001. 24 pages. Ages 2-4

From the Perspective of the Aggressor

The Legend of Tiger and Tail-Flower
The Legend of Tiger and Tail-Flower
by Gee Eun, Lee
Illustrated by Lee Gee Eun. Translated by Aerin Park. Levine Querido, 2024. 68 pages. Ages 5-8

Sadie and Ratz
Sadie and Ratz
by Hartnett, Sonya
Illustrated by Ann James. Candlewick, 2012. 59 pages. Ages 5-8

Bully
Bully
by Seeger, Laura Vaccaro
Illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Neal Porter Books, 2013. 32 pages. Ages 3-7

Each Kindness
Each Kindness
by Woodson, Jacqueline
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. Putnam, 2012. 32 pages. Ages 5-9

From the Perspective of the Target

Daisy
Daisy
by Bagley, Jessixa
Illustrated by Jessixa Bagley. Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2021. 32 pages. Ages 3-7

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
by Baldacchino, Christine
Illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant. Groundwood, 2014. 32 pages. Ages 3-8

When Sophie's Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt
When Sophie's Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt
by Bang, Molly
Illustrated by Molly Bang. Blue Sky/Scholastic, 2015. 32 pages.

A Lion is a Lion
A Lion is a Lion
by Dunbar, Polly
Illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Candlewick, 2018. 32 pages. Ages 3-6

Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
by Henkes, Kevin
Illustrated by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, 1991. 32 pages.

Babymouse: Queen of the World (Babymouse #1)
Babymouse: Queen of the World (Babymouse #1)
by Holm, Jennifer L.
Illustrated by Matthew Holm. Random House, 2005. 91 pages. Ages 8-10

My Heart Is Laughing
My Heart Is Laughing
by Lagercrantz, Rose
Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. Translated by Julia Marshall. Gecko, 2014. 119 pages. Ages 7-9

First Day in Grapes
First Day in Grapes
by Perez, L. King
Illustrated by Robert Casilla. Lee & Low, 2002. 32 pages. Ages 5-8

My Footprints
My Footprints
by Phi, Bao
Illustrated by Basia Tran. Capstone Edition, 2019. 32 pages. Ages 4-8

You Are My Friend: The Story of Mister Rogers and His Neighborhood
You Are My Friend: The Story of Mister Rogers and His Neighborhood
by Reid, Aimee
Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Abrams, 2019. 40 pages. Ages 6-9

Grades 4-8

Being Different

A Boy Named Queen
A Boy Named Queen
by Cassidy, Sara
Groundwood, 2016. 77 pages. Ages 7-10

The Only Black Girls in Town
The Only Black Girls in Town
by Colbert, Brandy
Little, Brown, 2020. 355 pages. Ages 9-12

Out of My Mind
Out of My Mind
by Draper, Sharon M.
Simon & Schuster, 2010. 295 pages. Ages 9-13

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir
by Engle, Margarita
Atheneum, 2015. 192 pages. Age 11 and older

The Other Half of My Heart
The Other Half of My Heart
by Frazier, Sundee T.
Delacorte, 2010. 296 pages. Ages 9-13

Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy
Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy
by Hill, Jonathan
Illustrated by Jonathan Hill. Candlewick/Walker, 2022. 264 pages. Ages 9-13

You Go First
You Go First
by Kelly, Erin Entrada
Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2018. 288 pages. Ages 9-12

Prairie Lotus
Prairie Lotus
by Park, Linda Sue
Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. 261 pages. Ages 8-11

We're Not From Here
We're Not From Here
by Rodkey, Geoff
Crown/Random House, 2019. 249 pages. Ages 9-12

Can You See Me?
Can You See Me?
by Scott, Libby and Rebecca Westcott
Scholastic Press, 2020. 362 pages. Ages 9-12

From Multiple Perspectives

Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
by Cartaya, Pablo
Viking, 2018. 249 pages. Ages 10-13

Spinning through the Universe: A Novel in Poems from Room 214
Spinning through the Universe: A Novel in Poems from Room 214
by Frost, Helen
Farrar Straus Giroux/Frances Foster Books, 2004. 93 pages. Ages 10-13

Hello, Universe
Hello, Universe
by Kelly, Erin Entrada
Greenwillow, 2017. 313 pages. Ages 8-12

The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman
The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman
by Lowe, Mari
Levine Querido, 2023. 162 pages. Ages 9-12

Indigo's Star
Indigo's Star
by McKay, Hilary
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2004. 265 pages. Ages 10-14

From the Perspective of the Observer

Being Clem (Finding Langston, #3)
Being Clem (Finding Langston, #3)
by Cline-Ransome, Lesa
Holiday House, 2021. 248 pages. Ages 8-12

 
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
by Holt, Kimberly Willis
Henry Holt, 1999. 227 pages. Ages 11-15

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone
Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone
by Keller, Tae
Random House, 2022. 277 pages. Ages 9-12

Loser
Loser
by Spinelli, Jerry
HarperCollins/Joanna Cotler Books, 2002. 218 pages. Ages 9-12

From the Perspective of the Aggressor

The Next Great Paulie Fink
The Next Great Paulie Fink
by Benjamin, Ali
Little, Brown, 2019. 384 pages. Ages 9-12

Bad Sister
Bad Sister
by Harper, Charise Mericle
Illustrated by Rory Lucey. First Second/Roaring Brook, 2021. 230 pages. Ages 8-12

From the Perspective of the Target

Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero
by Baptist, Kelly J.
Crown/Random House, 2020. 195 pages. Ages 9-12

Hurricane Child
Hurricane Child
by Callender, Kheryn
Scholastic, 2018. 214 pages. Ages 10-13

Starfish
Starfish
by Fipps, Lisa
Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House, 2021. 244 pages. Ages 8-12

Real Friends
Real Friends
by Hale, Shannon
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. First Second/Roaring Brook, 2017. 211 pages. Ages 8-12

Wink
Wink
by Harrell, Rob
Dial/Penguin Random House, 2020. 314 pages. Ages 9-12

Answers to Dog
Answers to Dog
by Hautman, Pete
Candlewick, 2024. 233 pages. Ages 10-13

Enlighten Me
Enlighten Me
by Le, Minh
Illustrated by Chan Chau. Little, Brown, 2023. 137 pages. Ages 9-12

Tethered to Other Stars
Tethered to Other Stars
by Leahy, Elisa Stone
HarperCollins/Quill Tree, 2023. 313 pages. Ages 10-13

Sorry for Your Loss
Sorry for Your Loss
by Levy, Joanne
Orca, 2021. 245 pages. Ages 9-13

What Lane?
What Lane?
by Maldonado, Torrey
Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin, 2020. 125 pages. Ages 9-13

Stuntboy, in the Meantime
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
by Reynolds, Jason
Illustrated by Raul the Third. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2021. 257 pages. Ages 7-10

Black Brother, Black Brother
Black Brother, Black Brother
by Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Little, Brown, 2020. 239 pages. Ages 10-13

Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker
by Wyman, Christina
Farrar Straus Giroux/Macmillan, 2023. 305 pages. Ages 8-12

Grades 9-12

Being Different

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything
Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything
by Gilliland, Raquel Vasquez
Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2020. 415 pages. Age 12 and older

 
Accidents of Nature
by Johnson, Harriet McBryde
Henry Holt, 2006. 229 pages. Age 14 and older

Absolutely, Positively Not ...
Absolutely, Positively Not ...
by LaRochelle, David
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2005. 224 pages. Age 12 and older

Miss Meteor
Miss Meteor
by Mejia, Tehlor Kay and Anna-Marie McLemore
HarperCollins/HarperTeen, 2020. 392 pages. Age 12 and older

Kareem Between
Kareem Between
by Safadi, Shifa Saltagi
Penguin Random House/Putnam, 2024. 324 pages. Ages 9-12

From Multiple Perspectives

Pretty Furious
Pretty Furious
by Johnston, E. K.
Dutton/Penguin Random House, 2024. 206 pages. Age 14 and older

Bruiser
Bruiser
by Shusterman, Neal
HarperCollins, 2010. 328 pages. Age 14 and older

Violent Ends
Violent Ends
by Shusterman, Neal and Shaun David Hutchinson, Beth Revis, Hannah Moskowitz, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Steve Brezenoff, E. M. Kokie, Trish Doller, Kendare Blake, Brendan Shusterman, Courtney Summers, Delilah S Dawson, Tom Leeven, Trish Doller, Mindi Scott, Margie Gelbwasser
Simon Pulse, 2015. 338 pages. Age 13 and older

American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese
by Yang, Gene Luen
Illustrated by Gene Luen Yang. First Second/Roaring Brook, 2006. 233 pages. Age 12 and older

From the Perspective of the Observer

Luna
Luna
by Peters, Julie Anne
Little, Brown/Megan Tingley Books, 2004. 247 pages. Age 14 and older

Stargirl
Stargirl
by Spinelli, Jerry
Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. 186 pages. Age 12 and older

7 Days at the Hot Corner
7 Days at the Hot Corner
by Trueman, Terry
HarperCollins/HarperTempest, 2007. 150 pages. Age 12 and older

From the Perspective of the Target

Speak
Speak
by Anderson, Laurie Halse
Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999. 197 pages. Age 13 and older

Flamer
Flamer
by Curato, Mike
Illustrated by Mike Curato. Henry Holt/Macmillan, 2020. 366 pages. Age 12 and older

Fish in the Sky
Fish in the Sky
by Erlings, Fridrik
Translated by Fridrik Erlings. Candlewick, 2012. 288 pages. Ages 12-14

If I Ever Get Out of Here
If I Ever Get Out of Here
by Gansworth, Eric
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2013. 359 pages. Age 11 and older

Almost American Girl
Almost American Girl
by Ha, Robin
Illustrated by Robin Ha. Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2020. 227 pages. Age 12 and older

Darius the Great Deserves Better
Darius the Great Deserves Better
by Khorram, Adib
Dial/Penguin Random House, 2020. 342 pages. Age 13 and older

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces
Gabi: A Girl in Pieces
by Quintero, Isabel
Cinco Puntos, 2014. 284 pages. Age 14 and older

Where Wolves Don't Die
Where Wolves Don't Die
by Treuer, Anton
Levine Querido, 2024. 313 pages. Age 12 and older

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.

Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.