7 Books About Forgiveness for Kids
Kids are expected to forgive fast. "Say sorry." "It's okay." "Now hug." But real forgiveness doesn't work like that, even for adults. It takes time to stop feeling the hurt. It takes more time to trust someone again. And sometimes forgiveness doesn't happen at all, and the kid has to live with that too. These books give children room to sit with all of it. the anger, the grudging softening, and the complicated math of deciding whether someone deserves another chance.
For the kid who's holding a grudge
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson is about a boy who declares Jeremy Ross his enemy. His dad offers to make "enemy pie". but the recipe requires spending an entire day being nice to the enemy first. By the end of the day, Jeremy Ross isn't an enemy anymore, and the pie was just pie. Derek Munson never uses the word "forgiveness." He shows a kid discovering that the person he was angry at is actually someone he likes, which is more honest than most forgiveness stories get.
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes is about the aftermath of doing something you regret. Lilly draws a mean picture of her teacher, Mr. Slinger, after he takes her purse away. She feels terrible immediately. Mr. Slinger forgives her with a note that says "Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better." The forgiveness comes from the person who was wronged, and it comes gently, and Lilly has to accept that she did something unkind and still be okay. Kevin Henkes understands the shame spiral of a young child better than almost any writer.
For the kid who was hurt and isn't ready to forgive
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson is the book on this list that doesn't offer forgiveness at all. Chloe didn't befriend the new girl, Maya. She wasn't cruel. she just didn't make the effort. Then Maya moved away. There's no resolution. The teacher talks about ripples of kindness and Chloe can't throw her stone. The book ends with Chloe sitting with what she didn't do, and that's it. For kids who've hurt someone and can't fix it, or who've been hurt and weren't given an apology, this book validates the reality that sometimes repair doesn't happen.
I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët is a wordless picture book about a girl who sees a classmate being bullied and doesn't do anything. until the next morning, when she walks to school with her. There are no words in this book. The entire story is told through facial expressions and body language and the slow decision to show up for someone. The forgiveness isn't between the bully and Vanessa. It's Vanessa forgiving the bystander, wordlessly, by accepting her company.
For the kid who needs to see someone change
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill is about Mean Jean, who dominates the playground with rules and intimidation. Nobody challenges her. Then Katie Sue, the new kid, doesn't know the rules and innocently asks Jean to jump rope. Jean's shift from bully to friend is triggered by an invitation. not confrontation, not a lecture, not forced apology. The book shows that sometimes the person who needs forgiveness is also the person who needs inclusion.
Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev is about a boy whose pet elephant isn't allowed in the pet club. Instead of trying to win over the kids who excluded him, he starts his own club where everyone is welcome. including the kids who excluded him originally. The forgiveness here is implicit: the open door is the act of forgiveness, and it doesn't require the excluders to apologize first.
For the kid who needs to forgive themselves
A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell is about a character trying to tell a perfect story while someone keeps spilling things on the pages. The character gets angrier and angrier at the mess, then eventually lets go and discovers the mess is better than the plan. The forgiveness is self-directed: forgiving yourself for not being perfect, for not controlling the outcome, for the gap between what you wanted and what happened.
More to explore
More options: The Bear and the Fern (Jon-Erik Lappano), Sorry! (Norbert Landa), Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun (Maria Dismondy), Crow Boy (Taro Yashima), Last Stop on Market Street (Matt de la Peña)
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