Friendship Books for Kids
228 books in friendship. Every book rated for reading level and content intensity.
Friendship books for kids span a wider readiness range than parents usually expect. The same genre category contains gentle picture books and high-intensity middle-grade novels — Lexile and grade-level scores measure text complexity, not what's actually in the story. A friendship title appropriate for a confident 8-year-old reader could still cover themes a sensitive 12-year-old isn't ready for.
Across HootRated's 228 friendship titles, books span picture books through Grade 8. About 95% are rated Gentle or Mild — safe picks for sensitive readers and kids reading ahead of their emotional readiness. 0% sit at the Intense or Very Intense end. Average content intensity is 1.4/5.
Use the intensity badges (green → red, low → high) to filter by emotional readiness rather than just age. For deeper detail on how we rate, see our rating methodology.
Just a new neighbor
Gina Mayer
Just a new neighbor
Gina Mayer
Karen's Island Adventure
Ann M. Martin
Karen's Island Adventure
Ann M. Martin
Mary Anne vs. Logan (The Baby-Sitters Club #41)
Ann M. Martin
Mary Anne vs. Logan (The Baby-Sitters Club #41)
Ann M. Martin
Karen's good-bye
Ann M. Martin
Karen's good-bye
Ann M. Martin
Karen's secret
Ann M. Martin
Karen's secret
Ann M. Martin
Karen's Kite
Ann M. Martin
Karen's Kite
Ann M. Martin
Halloween Hideout
Megan E. Bryant
Halloween Hideout
Megan E. Bryant
Lost and found
Lana. NAR needed Jacobs
Lost and found
Lana. NAR needed Jacobs
Why the Whales Came
Michael Morpurgo
Why the Whales Came
Michael Morpurgo
Snow day for Mouse
Judy Cox
Snow day for Mouse
Judy Cox
The Breakaways
Cathy G. Johnson
The Breakaways
Cathy G. Johnson
Six dogs, twenty-three cats, forty-five mice, and one hundred sixteen spiders
Mary Chalmers
Six dogs, twenty-three cats, forty-five mice, and one hundred sixteen spiders
Mary Chalmers
My life in the 7th grade
Mark Geller
My life in the 7th grade
Mark Geller
The Jenny summer
Carol Greene
The Jenny summer
Carol Greene
Cheer up, pig!
Nancy Jewell
Cheer up, pig!
Nancy Jewell
Little Wolf, Big Wolf
Matt Novak
Little Wolf, Big Wolf
Matt Novak
Eve's little friends
Inge Sauer
Eve's little friends
Inge Sauer
My friend Andrew
Pat Lowery Collins
My friend Andrew
Pat Lowery Collins
Jerry on the line
Brenda Seabrooke
Jerry on the line
Brenda Seabrooke
Live a little
Colin Neenan
Live a little
Colin Neenan
Ghosts, gadgets, and great ideas
Mary C. Ryan
Ghosts, gadgets, and great ideas
Mary C. Ryan
End of summer
Bernice Grohskopf
End of summer
Bernice Grohskopf
How to be a helper
Elsa Marston
How to be a helper
Elsa Marston
Petunia's treasure
Roger Duvoisin
Petunia's treasure
Roger Duvoisin
Castaway from Rhodes.
Jacqueline Cervon
Castaway from Rhodes.
Jacqueline Cervon
My friend from outer space
Caroline Arnold
My friend from outer space
Caroline Arnold
2 Sweet 2 B 4-gotten
Deirdre Corey
2 Sweet 2 B 4-gotten
Deirdre Corey
A horse for Matthew Allen.
Virginia Kester Smiley
A horse for Matthew Allen.
Virginia Kester Smiley
Wilkin's ghost
Robert Burch
Wilkin's ghost
Robert Burch
Meet Winslow whale
B. G. Hennessy
Meet Winslow whale
B. G. Hennessy
Paddy Pig's poems
Donald Charles
Paddy Pig's poems
Donald Charles
I hate my hero
Jacqueline Shannon
I hate my hero
Jacqueline Shannon
Shots on goal
Rich Wallace
Shots on goal
Rich Wallace
Gertrude Kloppenberg (private)
Ruth Hooker
Gertrude Kloppenberg (private)
Ruth Hooker
No friends
James Stevenson
No friends
James Stevenson
The frog and the beanpole
Charles Kaufman
The frog and the beanpole
Charles Kaufman
Bullfrog builds a house
Rosamond Dauer
Bullfrog builds a house
Rosamond Dauer
Leo and Emily
Franz Brandenberg
Leo and Emily
Franz Brandenberg
Rising damp
Barbara Corcoran
Rising damp
Barbara Corcoran
Friend for Little Bear, A
Harry Horse
Friend for Little Bear, A
Harry Horse
Ring! Yo?
Christopher Raschka
Ring! Yo?
Christopher Raschka
Lee Henry's best friend
Judy Delton
Lee Henry's best friend
Judy Delton
The tale of the yellow triangle.
Gustaf Sobin
The tale of the yellow triangle.
Gustaf Sobin
A letter goes to sea.
Lore Leher
A letter goes to sea.
Lore Leher
Good-bye, Kitchen
Mildred Kantrowitz
Good-bye, Kitchen
Mildred Kantrowitz
Friends
Satomi Ichikawa
Friends
Satomi Ichikawa
Will you be my brussels sprout?
Lucy Frank
Will you be my brussels sprout?
Lucy Frank
Socks for supper
Jack Kent
Socks for supper
Jack Kent
A story to tell
Dick Bruna
A story to tell
Dick Bruna
Mr. Happy at the seaside.
Roger Hargreaves
Mr. Happy at the seaside.
Roger Hargreaves
There's an enemy sub in Potter's Pond
George D. Durrant
There's an enemy sub in Potter's Pond
George D. Durrant
Friends Forever (Brookville C.C., #5)
Tziporah Elian
Friends Forever (Brookville C.C., #5)
Tziporah Elian
Quality concealed
Betty C. Briggs
Quality concealed
Betty C. Briggs
Meggie Moon
Elizabeth Baguley
Meggie Moon
Elizabeth Baguley
A friend in need.
Mouse Works
A friend in need.
Mouse Works
Ping and Pong
Dennis Lee
Ping and Pong
Dennis Lee
Walter and the no-need-to-worry suit
Rachel Bright
Walter and the no-need-to-worry suit
Rachel Bright
Will I Have a Friend
Morris L. Cohen
Will I Have a Friend
Morris L. Cohen
Will I Have a Friend?
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Division
Will I Have a Friend?
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Division
Jake and Jill
Judy Nayer
Jake and Jill
Judy Nayer
Browse all 228 friendship books
- Boys and Girls, Girls and Boys
- Punch's secret
- Tess and Ali, Going on Fifteen (Friends, No 4)
- Sheltering Rebecca
- The Tree Witches
- Bewitched (The Chickabees)
- Horrible Harry's Secret
- CORK & FUZZ (easy to read level 3)
- Herman and Rosie
- Angelina & Alice
- What's the Time, Rory Wolf?
- How Trollusk Got His Hat
- Ernie's Big Mess/Storybk
- Pokemon Adventure Series Box
- Cybil War
- The princess and Froggie
- Rinehart Lifts
- Meet my friends!
- More Witch, Goblin, and Ghost stories
- A little bit of winter
- Friendship How to Make, Keep, and Grow Your Friendships (Stories, Poems, Interviews, Advice, gifts to make and give your friends)
- The three friends go to school
- Revenge of the Snob Squad
- Friend Frog (Scholastic Audio)
- Friends to the End? The Ultimate Friendship Test
- Hello Kitty's Guide to Friends, Fun, and the Fabulous Me! (Hello Kitty)
- We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost!
- Iggy Pig's silly day
- Marvin Redpost
- Saving Dove
- Grind
- Too many pumpkins
- Almost home
- No Time to Cry (Dawn Rochelle, Book Four)
- The girl with 500 middle names
- P'tite nouvelle La
- Workin' for peanuts
- NIGHT NOISES & OTHER MOLE & TROLL STORIE
- Wild violets
- KISS AND MAKE UP (Seniors No 13)
- Berry best friends journal
- Horrible Hannah
- Maudie's Umbrella
- After school
- Allie Finkle Blast From the Past
- Friends
- The friendship matchmaker
- Meet the friends
- Million Ways Home
- Be fair and share!
- War zone
- ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND (Skylark)
- Broken horse
- Roosters
- The hog, the shrew and the Hullabaloo
- The Secret of the Attic
- Keep Secrets (Sweet valley twins and friends, vol 12)
- The 329th Friend
- Class Ring
- Two of a Kind
- Patti's luck
- Fear of Falling (The Gymnasts, No 16)
- The Roommate (Dear Diary #5)
- Playing Games (Totally Hot, No 6)
- Bunny Runs Away (School Friends Series)
- Best Wishes, Whoever You Are (Friends 4-Ever, No. 11)
- Hang on, Hopper!
- Sparky & Eddie
- Best Friends (A Trumpet Club Special Edition)
- The Secret Summer of L.E.B.
- Billy the Great (Dell Picture Yearling)
- Anne of Green Gables (Bullseye Step Into Classics)
- Mole and Shrew Are Two (Mole & Shrew
- Money to Burn
- How Do You Spell Geek?
- Horrible Harry and the Purple People
- Magic or Not (Odyssey/Harcourt Young Classic)
- The High King's Daughter (Circle of Magic)
- C/o Arnold's Corners
- Grady the Great
- Oscar (Furry Face)
- Sticks and stones and skeleton bones
- I'll Meet You at the Cucumbers
- Little Chicken & Little Duck
- Little Polar Bear And The Whales
- What Newt Could Do for Turtle
- Simon and the Witch
- My Friends and Me (MYBees)
- Chicken Soup for Little Souls Reader
- Pip and Posy
- Addie Meets Max (I Can Read Book, An: Level 2)
- Crossroads
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- Spongebob Squarepants
- The Best Friends' Handbook
- Little Bunny's Cool Tool Set (Concept Books (Albert Whitman))
- The Valentine Star (Kids of the Polk Street School)
- Max and Maggie in summer
- Dear God, Do You Really See Everything? (Dear God Kids Series)
- Dear God, Thank You for Friends (Dear God Kids Series)
- Don't Be My Valentine
- The Man Without a Face
- Just Friends
- The Boy in the Moon
- Madagascar 3
- Burnish Me Bright
- Blaze Shows the Way
- After the Goat Man
- Burger, Fries & a Friend to Go
- The jewel of friendship
- Getting Started (Brookville C.C., No 1)
- Ernie's Nursery Rhymes (Sesame Street Musical Storybook/#xa1002)
- Knick Knack Paddy Whack
- One Good Friend
- The Friend Factory
- Maddie
- The Baby Unicorn
- Too much Pinky Ponk juice!
- Relationships
- Cassies Crush
- Equestria Girls
- Now you see me
- Mickey's new friend
- That's Not Funny, Bunny!
- Moon rabbit
- King of Nothing
- Handsprings and Homework
- The Romeo Catchers
- Minecraft
- Show Your Love! (Shimmer and Shine) (Big Golden Book)
- Seaponies Make a Splash! (My Little Pony: the Movie)
- Unfamiliar Volume 2
- Trolls Holiday
- Luca
- How to Start Kindergarten
- The Marvellous Mongolian
- Hobee Scrogneenee ("Hobee Scrogneenee" Series)
- SAT Vocabulary-Building Novel
- Friendship
- The New B. Y. Times No. 18
- Black Beauty (Dalmatian Press Adapted Classic)
- Little Puddle 7" Plush
- The First Starry Night
- Firecracker
- Make up or Break Up
- My Little Pony
- My Little Pony Friends Forever
- Soft and Sticky
- Shark Wants a Friend, Level 3
- Whoops (Toddler Books)
- Someone I Like
- Making Friends (Growing Up)
- Go Away! (Good Friends)
- Alfie Kitten makes a friend
- Emily and Alice
- Emily and Alice again
- Fluffy and Sparky
- Finding Freia Lockhart
- Freestyle with Avery (Beacon Street Girls) (Beacon Street Girls)
- My pal, Victor
- Off the wall
- Little Dead Riding Hood
- Little Dead Riding Hood
- Magnus the Viking (The Adventures of Magnus the Viking)
- Going on Twelve
- Hamamelis, Miosotis Y El Senor Sorpresa/Hamamelis Miosotis and Mr Surprise
- Third Grade Is Terrible
- Ernie's Nursery Rhymes (Sesame Street Musical Storybook)/#Gnl154
Questions parents ask about friendship books
- What are the best friendship books for kids?
- HootRated catalogs 228 friendship children's books spanning picture books through Grade 8. Each is rated on reading level and content intensity. The picks above are sorted by quality signals — hook factor, discussion potential, and content appropriateness.
- Are friendship books appropriate for sensitive readers?
- 216 books (95%) are rated Gentle or Mild — safe for sensitive readers. 1 (0%) are rated Intense or Very Intense. Average intensity is 1.4/5. Filter by intensity badge to match your child's emotional readiness.
- What reading level are friendship books?
- Friendship books in our catalog span picture books through Grade 8. The typical reading level lands around Grade 3. Reading level measures text difficulty — separate from content intensity, which measures emotional weight. The two often don't track together for gifted readers — the Gifted Kid Paradox.