Bonding & Beyond Recommended Reading

• The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

A clear and compassionate guide to helping children integrate emotion and logic for better regulation and relationships.

• No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

Focuses on connection before correction, offering a neuroscience-based approach to discipline that strengthens attachment.

• Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel J. Siegel & Mary Hartzell

Helps parents understand their own emotional histories and how they shape parenting patterns.

• Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman

Introduces the concept of emotion coaching for parents and provides step-by-step guidance.

• The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Karyn Purvis, David Cross, & Wendy Lyons Sunshine

An essential guide for parents of adopted or trauma-affected children, offering attachment-based tools and empathy-driven strategies for connection and healing.

• The Power of Showing Up by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

Explores the four S’s — Safe, Seen, Soothed, and Secure — that form the foundation of attachment.

• Circle of Security: Roadmap to Building Secure Attachment in Children by Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper, & Bert Powell

Based on decades of attachment research and the Circle of Security parenting model.

• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

A timeless, practical guide for communicating with empathy and respect.

• The Wholehearted Child: Raising Emotionally Resilient Children through Play by Kristy S. Hooten

Blends play therapy principles with parenting strategies for everyday connection.

• Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship by Garry Landreth

A foundational text on how play fosters healing and connection, accessible for interested parents.

• The Emotional Life of the Toddler by Alicia F. Lieberman

A deep yet gentle look into the inner emotional world of young children.·        

• Brain-Body Parenting by Mona Delahooke

Bridges neuroscience and parenting to help parents respond rather than react.·        

• The Science of Parenting by Margot Sunderland

Explains the brain basis of emotions and relationships in an engaging, illustrated format.

• Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour

A compassionate, research-based guide to understanding the developmental journey of adolescence and supporting girls as they grow in independence and emotional maturity.·        

• The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour

A science-informed, practical book that helps parents make sense of adolescent emotions, stress, and resilience.·        

• Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel

Explains the unique neurobiology of adolescence and how parents can channel teenage energy and emotion toward creativity and growth.·          

• Parenting a Teen Who Has Intense Emotions by Pat Harvey & Jeanine Penzo

Offers strategies grounded in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help parents navigate emotional ups and downs with empathy and skill.·        

• How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

An engaging, practical follow-up to the original classic that adapts communication tools for parents of adolescents.

For access to these and other excellent books, check your local library:

• Lee County Library System: https://www.leegov.com/library

Many of these titles, along with other parenting books, children’s books, and free family programs, are available at your local branch or online through the library catalog.