At some point, every child will feel the pressure to fit in at school to make friends and feel accepted. As a teacher, you know how important it is to share lessons about self-esteem and confidence — and the value of embracing the good and less-than-perfect parts of the people we love — with kids. "The Bad Seed" picture book series is one incredible way to do so. 

These popular books go beyond The Bad Seed (think "The Cool Bean" and "The Good Egg") and provide an entertaining way for your students to learn about the complexities of human emotion and behavior, all while teaching them how to show empathy and kindness to others.

Your students will get a hearty laugh following the trials of a little seed with a bad attitude searching for happiness, a good egg cracking from the expectation to always be perfect, and a cool bean wanting to be everyone’s friend.

Shop these books by author Jory John below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.

(If you’re stocking up on read-aloud picture books, on a budget, for your classroom, be sure to also explore read-aloud favorites for grades PreK–3 and five books and activities to inspire kindness in the classroom.)