Ever catch yourself thinking, “I wish I’d learned this in school?” As a parent of middle and high schoolers, I’ve noticed how many real-life skills never make it into the classroom. To help bridge the gap, I recommend these ten books for your home library. From managing credit cards and sewing on a button to cooking simple meals and preparing for emergencies, they offer the basics kids need for independence. These books top my list for ensuring teens feel confident and ready to face “real life” after graduation.

Sally Rippin’s School of Monsters series is likely to find its place as a favorite for many beginning readers. Bug’s First Day is an excellent addition to a family’s early learning home library. The underlying message supports children’s self-confidence, resiliency, and willingness to try new things.

A reassuring encyclopedia of over 100 “what ifs” for young readers, Worries Big and Small tackles many common concerns among children. With a unique question-and-answer format, the book helps children to normalize their worries and focus on developing emotion coping skills.

One common parenting struggle is dealing with tantrums, moody teenagers, or just feeling at a loss on how to help sensitive kids through big emotions. Starting at a young age and extending through the teenage years, there are a number of books that you can read to kids that will help them strengthen their emotional intelligence and develop stronger emotion coping skills. This list recommends five books to have on hand in your home library to help kids to navigate their feelings, develop empathy, and increase their emotion coping skills.

Families often want to raise kids who love to read, but it’s not always clear how to make it happen! Thankfully, it’s easier than it might seem. With a little patience and these five foundational steps, you can create a book-loving culture in your own home, too.

Popsicle bookmarks are a great afternoon project for older toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners that will leave your home nearly mess-free. Of course, I’m not counting the other hundred ways your kids will leave a mess in their wake (let’s be realistic here), but I can assure you that this craft, at least, isn’t likely to make things worse.

You know an easy way to raise your stress level? Try to keep a hyper kid busy on a truly soggy rainy day! It’s on these days that I loved rainy day books and activities that helped focus my boys’ energy and fill the hours!