Relationship Skills in Secondary Education

By Tina Parmar | April 7 2026 | EducationSecondary Education

Relationship skills are essential in middle and high school classrooms, helping students in effective communication, collaboration, and navigating social challenges. Strong friendships, built on empathy, trust and respect, foster a sense of belonging that enhances both well-being and learning.

These skills are equally important in preventing and addressing bullying. When students learn to understand others’ perspectives and advocate for their peers, they contribute to a safer, more inclusive school environment. By prioritizing relationship skills, schools empower students not only to manage conflict, but also to cultivate a culture of kindness that extends beyond the classroom.

The books included below engage students while exploring understanding, tension, and friendships, helping to build stronger relationships in the classroom.

For more books on friendship see here.

For more books about bullying see here.

For more books on Social-Emotional Learning see here.

9780385730587
Fall in love with the first novel in the groundbreaking series that “fits like a favorite pair of pants” (USA Today) about four girls, a pair of jeans, and their unforgettable summers, together and apart. Celebrating twenty-five years of the worldwide phenomenon that has sold over nine million copies and inspired two hit films, these deluxe paperback editions are must-haves for original fans and a new era of sisterhood, featuring: Gorgeous new cover artDazzling sprayed edge designNever-before-seen bonus materialA foreword by actress Amber Tamblyn
$11.99 US
Mar 11, 2003
Paperback
336 Pages
Ember
World

9780553535679
Author Julie Buxbaum's New York Times bestseller Tell Me Three Things mixes comedy and tragedy, love and loss, pain and elation in a heartfelt novel whose characters will come to feel like friends.
$12.99 US
Mar 14, 2017
Paperback
352 Pages
Ember
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780142401767
From the bestselling author of The Truth About Forever comes an unforgettable lesson about never underestimating the power of friendship.“Teens will want to cheer.”—School Library Journal, starred review“A cut above.”—PeopleWhen Colie goes to spend the summer at the beach, she doesn’t expect much.But Colie didn’t count on meeting Morgan and Isabel.Through them, she learns what true friendship is all about, and finally starts to realize her potential.And that just might open the door to her first chance at love. . . .
$11.99 US
May 11, 2004
Paperback
256 Pages
Speak
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780140389661
AN ALA NOTABLE BOOK • Another gripping novel of two friends in a world out of control from the internationally bestselling author of The Outsiders."A mature, disciplined novel which excites a response in the reader . . . Hard to forget."—The New York Times“S. E. Hinton gave a realistic portrayal of teenage slum life in The Outsiders. [That Was Then, This Is Now] is equally remarkable—it is brutal, harsh, yet always incredible.”—Publishers WeeklyFrom the time they were children, Mark and Bryon had been as close as brothers. Now, at sixteen, they were still inseparable, but things were changing. Byron was spending more time with girls, while Mark was still just seeing how much he could get away with—like the set-up pool games in Charlie’s Bar. Nothing serious could happen to them—they were just kids after all. Then Charlie got shot—dead—trying to protect them from an ugly little set-to behind the bar. Mark called it fate, but it bothered Byron. Why, as soon as anyone did anything because he cared for them, did it lead to trouble? Still close to Mark, and falling in love with Cathy, Byron didn’t want any more trouble in his life. Then tragedy struck, and Byron knew who was responsible. He had to make a terrible decision—a decision that would change his life and Mark’s forever. In this compelling follow-up of her groundbreaking novel The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton again proves her ability to capture the hopes, desires, and frustrations of a generation. Full of gritty realism and a compassionate understanding, That Was Then, This Is Now is a captivating portrait of young people struggling to find their place in a changing world.
$12.99 US
Apr 01, 1998
Mass Market Paperback
192 Pages
Speak
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780142423912
From the award-winning, bestselling author of Hold Still and We Are Okay.Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall. But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next? Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.
$14.99 US
Apr 18, 2013
Paperback
336 Pages
Speak
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780385744782
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “compulsively readable” (Entertainment Weekly) thriller told in reverse—a mind-bending vision of female friendship and betrayal that could only come from the author of the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars. “A brilliant, twisty thriller—I loved it!”—Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying “You will devour it.”—Gayle Forman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay
$12.99 US
May 07, 2019
Paperback
288 Pages
Ember
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780525515593
This heartrending YA tale set in a Swaziland boarding school and featuring an unlikely friendship between girls of different castes won the LA Times Book Prize and is now available in paperback.
$10.99 US
Jun 01, 2021
Paperback
288 Pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
World

9780399556821
"A high-octane thriller . . . Nyxia grabs you from the first line and never lets go." --Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Young Elites seriesEvery life has a price in this sci-fi thriller that has the nonstop action of The Maze Runner and the high-stakes space setting of Illuminae. This is the first in a new three-book series called the Nyxia Triad that will take a group of broken teens to the far reaches of the universe and force them to decide what they're willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune.
$13.99 US
Jun 19, 2018
Paperback
400 Pages
Ember
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780375856440
When we published Stargirl in 2000, it took the YA market by storm--for its depiction of a nonconformist with a heart of gold, for its lyrical writing from a Newbery Medalist, for its innovative jacket design. We now have over a million copies in print. We were thrilled when Jerry Spinelli decided to write another story about this seminal YA character. This companion novel is told from Stargirl's own point of view (Stargirl was told from Leo's perspective)--at last, we see inside the mind of this mysterious girl! With its compatible and equally compelling cover, Love, Stargirl, which has already sold over 300,000 copies in hardcover, should continue to thrive in paperback.
$10.99 US
Apr 28, 2009
Paperback
288 Pages
Ember
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780147512550
Maya Van Wagenen, bestselling author of Popular, tells Dolores’s story with humor, heartache, and an occasional bit of telenovela flair. Now in paperback!
$12.99 US
Mar 25, 2025
Paperback
320 Pages
Dutton Books for Young Readers
World