Featuring a collection of craft pairings and books by author Julia Cook perfect for navigating social skills and classroom management.

Is your little struggling with any of these social skills: interrupting, personal space, or tattling? Well, one of mai favorite ways to address and model different behaviors is through reading children’s books. Stories are excellent ways to navigate and start conversations with littles about different experiences. Littles can relate to the characters in the book, and can see more concretely the consequences of specific actions and behaviors that they may not be aware of in their own daily life. So if you are looking for books to address interrupting, personal space, and/or tattling, I recommend checking out these featured reads by author Julia Cook.

Julia Cook is a highly respected children’s author, counselor, and parenting expert who has won national awards for her work. Julia has published numerous children’s books on character and social development topics, and her goal is to engage young readers in fun, memorable stories that teach them how to become lifelong problem solvers. She draws inspiration for her books from working with children and listening to the needs of counselors, parents, and teachers, and has a special ability to connect with children through her stories, teaching them both what to say and how to say it.

Below are the three books to address 3 different social skills. Each book is paired with a craft to help littles reflect on the lessons from the story, and to extend the story beyond the book and into their own lives. Click on the book titles to add the books to your own classroom, and click on the craft links for the downloadable templates.

Interrupting: My Mouth is a Volcano

Louis has a habit of interrupting! He’s so eager to share his thoughts that they rumble and grumble in his tummy, wiggle and jiggle on his tongue, and push on his teeth before he erupts (or interrupts) and speaks. His mouth is like a volcano! But when others start interrupting Louis, he learns how to patiently wait for his turn to talk.

This story is an entertaining way for parents, teachers, and counselors to teach children the importance of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak.

My Interrupting Volcano Craft

Encourage littles to create their own *Volcano* Crafts to reflect on why it’s important to wait your turn to share, and to record what to do when they feel like interrupting.

Personal Space: Personal Space Camp

Louis is back and this time he’s exploring the concept of personal space! When the school principal invites Louis, who considers himself an expert on all things space-related, to attend Personal Space Camp, he quickly learns that personal space has nothing to do with lunar landings or Saturn’s rings. Instead, he discovers that personal space is all about respecting other people’s physical boundaries.

Written with humor, wit, and a catchy rhythm, “Personal Space Camp” is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to teach children about the importance of respecting personal space in a way that will resonate with them.

Personal Space Planet Craft

Encourage littles to create their own *Personal Space* Planet Crafts to reflect on why personal space is important and how they can share space.

Tattling: A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue

No one likes “Josh the Tattler” because he’s always tattling on everyone, including his classmates, his brother, and even his dog! But one night, Josh wakes up to find that his tongue is very long, yellow, covered in bright purple spots, and extremely itchy. Will a bad case of Tattle Tongue teach him a lesson?

This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to help children understand the difference between tattling and the need to warn others about important matters.

My Tattle Rules Tongue Craft

Encourage littles to create their own *Tattle Tongue* Crafts to practice the tattle rules and identifying the difference between tattling and telling.

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I hope you found some reading recommendations to add to your own shelves and share with your littles. Please share any other Social Skills Titles  to add to this themed collection.

*~Also, I’d love to  see and hear about your own reading adventures you are having with your little learners, so please share your story times below in the comments ~ Or Tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary , FaceBook , find me on TikTok, or contact me via email . I’d love to hear from you!~*