9 brilliant reads for 5 to 14-year-olds from the 2025 Read for Empathy Collection

Every year the fabulous folk at Empathy Lab put together a Read for Empathy Collection. It features over 70 reading recommendations for kids aged 3 and up which have been chosen specifically for their empathy building qualities. 

Whilst the full collection is definitely worth a browse, we thought it might be helpful to share some of our favourite fiction titles from the list here:

There are plenty of mean geese in the world. They hiss and honk and chase you down for a handful of crumbs. But Gordon is the meanest of them all. Until one day, something extraordinary happens . . . Anthony the Piglet gives him a flower. With this one act of kindness, Gordon's world begins to crumble.

This stunning graphic novel has been rightly recognised by multiple awards panels this year. Featuring epic worldbuilding and magical storytelling it also challenges stereotypes and celebrates differences, perfect for readers aged 8 and up.

This highly illustrated, super accessible book is a great read for kids aged 8 and up. It explores the rollercoaster of friendship, particularly between girls, and how it feels to have a solid family behind you even when they don't totally understand you.

Will’s dad is injured and can’t work. There’s no money. Will hides his situation from school and his mum and her partner, until he reaches crisis point. Navigating the difficulties of home and school when you feel you stick out is tough, but finding confidence with the help and empathy of friends can be life changing.

As Keedie and her twin Nina approach their fourteenth birthday, they seem to only be growing further apart. Keedie instead feels drawn to, and fiercely protective of, their quiet younger sister Addie – who on the surface is the opposite of loud and fiery Keedie, but in fact they have more in common than anyone knows.

When fourteen-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move out of London. In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggles to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper. But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before. Rap is like spoken word, bars equal poetry – and maybe the combination of both could be the key to achieving his dreams?