Empathy Day is an annual celebration of empathy’s power to positively change our world and the capacity of books to harness this skill and offer comfort, solace and support in the face of the challenges life throws at us. This year, it’s bigger than ever, with a full Empathy Festival programme packed full of live events, activities and webinars.
You’ll find two of our books on the 2025 Read For Empathy collection, an expert-curated selection of titles devoted to fostering empathy in young readers: Nate Lessore’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winning comedy King of Nothing and Zeshan Akhter and Asa Gilland’s beautiful My Name Is a Gift.
Below you’ll find a whole host of books on the theme, ready to be pulled from the shelf when you need them most.
On the 2025 Read For Empathy list
Exploring grief and sadness
Mindfulness and struggles with anxiety
Books about family bonds
Finding courage in the face of adversity
Books for teens
