Books That Teach Tweens Important Life Skills
by Dena McMurdie
Before my oldest child started kindergarten, I attended an open house at her school, where they held a question-and-answer session. One of the other parents asked, “What does my child need to know before school starts?” The answers surprised everyone. Instead of asking parents to teach their children their ABCs or 123s, teachers wanted the children to know age-appropriate life skills: How to open a string cheese, use the bathroom independently, tie their shoes, and twist open an applesauce pouch.
As my kids grew, their need for life skills grew with them. The tween years were excellent for encouraging my kids to learn how to cook, clean, camp, use money, and deal with challenging social situations. My kids and I often turned to books to help fill in the gaps. Here are some fantastic titles that teach life skills to tweens.
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How To Talk So People Will Listen
Buy from:Public speaking, even to small groups of friends, can be a daunting task for tweens. This book brilliantly addresses this necessary life skill. Lizzie Waterworth uses hilarious cartoons, stories, and on-point advice to teach tweens how to speak confidently and effectively.
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Food Network Magazine The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook
Buy from:Learning to cook simple, nutritious meals is a life skill everyone needs to learn. This book offers young chefs 150 recipes they will love making and eating. Whether they enjoy kid-friendly fare or want to hone their cooking skills with more complex dishes, this book has recipes for everyone.
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Investing for Tweens
Buy from:The world of finance can be overwhelming, especially for kids. But Investing for Tweens makes this big topic simple, exciting, and achievable. By teaching kids the skills behind earning, saving, budgeting, and investing, they will gain confidence and feel ready to tackle anything. This book is definitely an investment in their future!
(On sale: 1/20/2026)
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Priceless Facts about Money
Buy from:Teach your tween financial literacy with the help of this excellent book from Mellody Hobson! This book offers kids much-needed financial advice and tips, from wage gaps to saving and investing. For even more financial literary advice, check out Get To Know: Money by Kalpana Fitzpatrick and Rebel Girls Money Matters by Rebel Girls with Alexa von Tobel.
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Social Situation Survival Guide
Buy from:This book can help young people who feel lost in social situations learn essential “soft skills.” Readers will learn to navigate tricky social situations, such as feeling awkward, making friends, collaborating with others, and learning new things. While the author wrote this book with girls in mind, it offers excellent knowledge for every young person, regardless of gender.
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The Amazing Generation
Buy from:Inspired by Jonathan Haidt’s blockbuster book, The Anxious Generation, this handbook for tweens teaches kids how to live a happy and exciting life that isn’t dominated by screens. Packed with surprising facts, interactive challenges, and more, tweens will feel empowered to stand up for themselves, and create a life that is amazing.
(On sale: 12/30/2025)
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The Startup Squad: You're the Boss
Buy from:With entrepreneurship on the rise for people of all ages, this book is a must-read for young dreamers. Whether your tween wants to start babysitting or launch an online store, they’ll find loads of advice, tips, and guidance on everything from cash flow to marketing.
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Essential Life Skills for Boys
Buy from:From washing laundry to staying safe online, this useful guidebook gives brief how-tos about a wide range of topics. Tweens will find advice on personal hygiene, making friends, money, communication, and caring for a pet.
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Essential Life Skills for Girls
Buy from:If you have a tween girl, check out this companion title! Filled with useful tips for navigating communication in the digital age, how to be successful in school, and tools to learn critical life skills, girls will build confidence and resiliency at home, at school, and out in the world.
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The Home Edit for Teens
Buy from:Books like The Home Edit for Teens proved essential reading as my pre-teen kids started middle school and took on more personal responsibility. This title guides tweens to finding their personal style, staying organized, and decluttering.
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Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars
Buy from:My husband and I come from outdoorsy families, so we wanted to teach our kids similar life skills. Books like this bestseller from the host of the TV show MeatEater, Steven Rinella, helped our kids seek adventure outdoors. With how-to guides on everything from fossil collecting to fishing and hunting, this book is a must-have resource for nature-loving families.
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100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up
Buy from:There are some skills every kid should learn as they get older. This entertaining and interactive guide presents all of the most important tips and tricks to become a fun-loving, well-rounded, totally competent young person. From learning what to do when someone is choking, to how to say you’re sorry, to how to make ice cream out of snow, there is something for everyone on this list!
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Let's Get Gardening
Buy from:Gardening is an essential life skill in many parts of the country and the world. This book gives kids 30 easy gardening projects to get them started. From windowsill plants and insect sanctuaries to growing fruits and vegetables, it offers plenty of inspiration and advice to help kids succeed at gardening.
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Manifest for Kids: 4 Steps to Being the Best You
Buy from:Manifesting is the practice of using your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs to bring your desires into reality. With this inspiring guide and journal, kids will learn how to use this practice to become their best and happiest selves. By learning to understand their feelings, grow their confidence, appreciate everything they have, and set and reach their goals, their biggest dreams are within reach!
(On sale: 2/3/2026)
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You might also like:
- Books To Teach Tweens and Teens Financial Literacy
- Helping Your Kids Find Healthy Coping Skills
- Mentoring vs. Monitoring Your Kids on Social Media
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2025 and updated in 2026.