World Gratitude Day for Secondary Education

By Tina Parmar | September 17 2026 | Secondary Education

World Gratitude Day celebrated on September 21st is a meaningful opportunity for middle and secondary school students to reflect on the people, experiences, and everyday moments that bring joy and support to their lives.

It is also a wonderful time to explore books with themes of gratitude, kindness, and appreciation, which can help young readers build empathy, strengthen relationships, and better understand the value of thankfulness.

Through stories that highlight generosity, perspective, and connection, students can discover how gratitude can inspire positive actions in their schools, homes, and communities.

See here for middle school books and here for secondary school books that feature themes about gratitude.

 

9780593406342
A gripping novel in verse by the author of the Printz Honor-winning Starfish, featuring a boy who bravely rides out all the storms life blows his way
$9.99 US
Jan 05, 2027
Paperback
272 Pages
Nancy Paulsen Books
World

9780593616314
A deeply moving middle grade novel in verse about a girl struggling with depression as she starts fifth grade amid a sea of changes. Now in paperback.
$9.99 US
Mar 24, 2026
Paperback
336 Pages
Nancy Paulsen Books
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780593566213
The Pura Belpré Honor winning novel in verse, in which a lost dog helps a lonely girl find a way home to her family . . . only for them to find family in each other along the way. From the Newbery Honor winning author of Iveliz Explains It All.“Trust me: this book will touch your heart." —Barbara O’Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Wish
$8.99 US
Jul 23, 2024
Paperback
272 Pages
Yearling
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9781984816085
One small act of kindness ripples out to connect four kids in this stirring novel by the author of the beloved The Benefits of Being an Octopus. Now in paperback.
$8.99 US
Aug 30, 2022
Paperback
256 Pages
Nancy Paulsen Books
World

9780147516770
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Fish in a Tree comes a compelling story about perspective and learning to love the family you have.
$9.99 US
May 05, 2020
Paperback
288 Pages
Nancy Paulsen Books
World

9780147516664
The explosive novel brimming with love, secrets, and enchantment by the Printz Award–winning and New York Times bestselling author of I’ll Give You the Sun
$14.99 US
Sep 23, 2025
Paperback
544 Pages
Dial Books
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9781524718992
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! In this romantic page-turner from the author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, Evie has the power to see other people’s romantic fates—what will happen when she finally sees her own?
$12.99 US
May 03, 2022
Paperback
304 Pages
Ember
US, Opn Mkt (no CAN)

9780147512970
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sweeping, multi-layered romance set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II, where gods hold the fates—and the hearts—of four mortals in their hands.“Pick an adjective—sweeping, sprawling, epic, Olympian—and yet none quite conveys the emotional width and depth of Julie Berry’s brilliant novel.”—The Washington Post
$14.99 US
Feb 04, 2020
Paperback
480 Pages
Penguin Books
World

9780807067994
A young adult edition of the bestselling classic about the Holocaust and finding meaning in suffering, with a photo insert, a glossary of terms, a chronology of Frankl's life, supplementary letters and speeches, and an introduction by renowned YA author John Boyne.
$11.99 US
Apr 25, 2017
Paperback
192 Pages
Beacon Press
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780375836671
Markus Zusak's debut novel on the Knopf list received five starred reviews (PW, School Library Journal, KLIATT, Booklist, the Bulletin), was an Original Voices selection at Borders, and won a Printz Honor award. This trade paperback edition featuring new, unbelievably cool cover art should provide across-promotional opportunities with the adult market and allow us to capitalize on the incredible success of The Book Thief, which is called out on the front. It will also help get booksellers and the reading public excited for Markus' new novel, Bridge of Clay, which is scheduled for fall 2010.
$12.99 US
May 09, 2006
Paperback
384 Pages
Knopf Books for Young Readers
US, Canada, Open Mkt