Tag: anxiety

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Back to School means putting mental health first

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A new school year is coming! But it’s good to remember that school may be a source of anxiety for some kids: some kids are nervous about being away from home without their grownups for the first time, and some kids may be anxious about being in class; having to speak up in class, afraid of not knowing an answer, any number of reasons. There are some books out geared to help younger learners navigate this anxiety. Let’s take a look.

Just for Today, by Charlotte Agell/Illustrated by Ana Ramírez González, (July 2026, Scholastic Press), $19.99, ISBN: 9781546181323

Ages 4-8

Elba is a hippo who worries a lot; her worries can keep her up some nights. Norris is an alligator who believes that worry comes from “telling yourself the wrong story”. Norris persuades Elba to create a new story together with him, but the story takes an unexpected turn when they attempt to make the story a reality, sending Elba on an unexpected and frightening adventure! Elba discovers she must rely on herself and not to give in to her worries, and finds herself comforting Norris when the two friends reunite. The point of the story: sometimes, the story changes, but it’s within ourselves to write the ending and a good friend can help co-author a happy one. Cheerful, bright watercolor and graphite illustrations are soft and comforting, and Norris’s and Elba’s large, expressive eyes encourage interaction with the reader. All in all, a sweet and optimistic story that encourages resilience, especially when experiencing the unexpected.

 

 

 

Love, Panda, by Elaine Su/Illustrated by Charlene Chua, (July 2026, Scholastic Press), $19.99, ISBN: 9781546179580

Ages 4-8

A series of letters written by a panda in distress is as hilarious as it is charming. Panda’s human, Benny, left in the new baby’s room, and things are a little damp. (Panda’s ears. Panda’s ears are damp.) In a series of letters to Benny, Panda pleads for rescue: the baby doesn’t know what’s funny! The baby’s crinkly book isn’t entertaining! As the book progresses, we slowly see Baby Lou endear herself to Panda, who discovers that maybe they should stay with Lou a little longer. Panda is a stand-in for children with a new baby in the home: at first, there may be discomfort with a new situation; scoffing at things that Baby doesn’t do that they can do, being praised for rolling over, or just pooping! Panda also shows kids how to be a caring older sibling, noticing little things like Baby’s need for the “Nighty-Night water sounds” in order to fall asleep and the pride of being a baby’s chosen person to speak baby babble to. As Panda sees memories of Baby Benny in Baby Lou, parents can talk about what things were like when the older child was a baby, creating a bridge between the two siblings. Adorable illustrations show a put-upon Panda in laughable situations. Different notepapers give readers the feel of Panda grabbing whatever they could find to scribble missives. An adorable addition to new baby/social-emotional collections.

Posted in Uncategorized

Survive This Safari – puzzles and adventure for Back to School mode!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Survive This Safari, by Natalie D. Richards, (Apr. 2025, Delacorte Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9780593644164

Ages 8-12

Get ready to shift your brain into Back to School mode with this fun adventure set in an Ohio safari park challenge! Lucy is a 12-year-old who loves animals and wants desperately to be a Wildlife Ambassador at the park. She has the chance to compete in a Wildlands Safari Escape Challenge, where only one person will be the newest Ambassador. Lucy and a team of hopefuls have to solve a series of animal fact-based puzzles in order to unlock animal habitats all over the park in a race with the current Wildlands Ambassadors in order to win, but things go haywire when the team runs into communication problems, malfunctioning electronics, and open animal habitats. Lucy and her group come to the realization that things have been sabotaged and the animals – particularly a baby elephant – are in danger! Lucy will learn to manage her panic attacks and the team will learn to work together in order to save the animals and themselves. Filled with puzzles and adventure, readers will get a kick out of this book; entertaining footnotes add some animal facts and provide further character development throughout. Lucy’s character is immediately likable and her efforts to manage anxiety will resonate with many readers, as will fellow competitor Harrison, who is open about his ADHD (which leads to some amusing conversations). Themes of teamwork and friendship with some medium-stakes situations will appeal to readers. This would make a good book club choice.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Intermediate, Realistic Fiction

Catch up with some chapter books!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Chapter books are more fun than ever. Here are a few I’ve been reading:

Bodega Cats: Just Kitten Around, by Hilda Eunice Burgos/Illustrated by Siara Faison, (Jan. 2025, Henry Holt & Company), $16.99, ISBN: 9781250903761

As a lifelong Metro NY resident, I am a big fan of the bodega cat and love that there is a chapter book series dedicated to these noble cats and their profession. Just Kitten Around is the second Bodega Cat series, but readers can jump right in. Yesenia is a kid whose parents run a bodega and expect their kids to excel in school, which gives Yesenia a lot of anxiety. Her therapist recommends a cat, which Yesenia is excited about – but her parents aren’t. When adorable kitten Candy joins the family, she’s a LOT. She’s a kitten, after all! At first, Yesenia is willing to overlook Candy’s misbehavior, but when Candy inadvertently exposes Yesenia’s bad test grade – with a forged parental signature – even Yesenia is exasperated, and Candy runs away. Burgos gives readers differing points of view by having chapters alternate between Yesenia’s and Candy’s experiences. Faison’s black and white illustrations offer crochet instruction – one of Yesenia’s hobbies – and keep  thereader’s interest. Tackling relatable kid concerns like stress and anxiety, Just Kitten Around is a solid addition to the Bodega Cats series and to chapter book/middle grade collections. No need to read the series in order; each book features different characters in the same universe.

 

Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies, by Megan McDonald/Illustrated by Lenny Wen, (Feb. 2025, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536201420

The celebrated Judy Moody author has a new series! Eliza gets home from school and escapes to her secret hideaway, free from Mom nudging her to complete her chores or her sister, who wants to play horsie. She’s magically transported to the Land of the Flower Fairies, where every flower has a fairy attached to it; her dragonfly pin becomes a real-life dragonfly companion, Haiku. Eliza and Haiku explore the magical world but end up in the “Evil Ones” territory: Wolfsbane and Belladonna send a Demon Wind to steal the flowers’ scents and colors, and it’s up to Eliza to save the day. Colorful gouache and colored pencil illustration weave an enticing fantasy world for readers, and McDonald gets immediately into the action, sending readers right into the Land of the Flower Fairies and introducing the antagonists early on. Readers will delight in this magical new series. Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies has a starred review from Booklist.

 

 

Rica Baptista: A Week of Shenanigans, by Janet Costa Bates/Illustrated by Gladys Jose, (Apr. 2024, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536227666

Ages 6-9

Rica – short for Frederica – is so excited! Her Grampy’s coming to visit for their Adventure Week: it’s the one week a year he’s off from work, and they always have exciting things planned to do together and with her best friend, Laini. This year, though, Grampy arrives on crutches and a bandaged ankle. He’s sprained his ankle, and Adventure Week is now Stay-venture Week! Rica, Grampy, and Laini come up with some fun ideas for Stay-venture Week, but Rica is worried that Grampy’s not having enough fun. What’s a kid to do? This second book in the Rica Baptista series is a light-hearted story with a glimpse into Cape Verdean culture and a warm intergenerational relationship at the heart of the tale. Grampy is a playful, fun-loving grandparent who’s happy to eat his fill of candy and tell “almost true almost all of the time” tall tales. Rica’s parents are very present and involved. Black and white illustrations run throughout and include excerpts from Rica’s prayer journal, where she hopes for her grandfather to feel better and to do well at the talent show. Rica and her family are brown-skinned; best friend Laini is light-skinned and of Irish descent. The next book in the Rica Baptista series is out in November – pick up the first two now and get them on your chapter book shelves.

 

Unicornia: Learning to Fly, by Ana Punset/Illustrated by Diana Vicedo, (Dec. 2024, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536241006

Ages 6-9

Originally published in Spanish in 2022, this chapter book series has been very popular for my Spanish-language collection; I was happy to read it in English and see what the hype is about. Claudia is a young girl whose family has just moved to Unicornia, “the most magical hidden city in the entire universe”. It’s a haven for unicorns, created when the magical beings were in danger of going extinct; select humans seem to be able to make the move. Claudia is delighted to start school at the Unicornia Academy of Magic, but she has a bit of a rough start: her potions class is confusing (and messy), and riding a unicorn? No way! Luckily, Claudia meets Sara and Pippa, two friendly lifelong residents of Unicornia, who are only too happy to get her caught up. Now, all they have to do is help Claudia develop the confidence to ride a unicorn… by encouraging her to spend time with Chai, her class unicorn, the three friends may have this school year in the bag. A fun, cheerful story about friendship, confidence, and taking on new challenges and narrated by Claudia, Learning to Fly is a good introduction to a fantasy world. Two-color pink and white illustrations add to the cotton-candy cartoon feel of the story. A helpful map guides readers around Unicornia. A charming addition to chapter book collections.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Rock out with Goth Moth

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Goth Moth, by Kai Lüftner/Illustrated by Wiebke Rauers, Translated by Tim Mohr, (Sept. 2024, North South Books), $19.95, ISBN: 9780735845558

Ages 4-8

Shy moth Walter keeps to himself in his little attic home, but inside, he’s got the heart of a musician: “Unwatched, pumping hands and feet, / He bashes out a nonstop beat, / Whirly, twirling his drumsticks, / Pounding tom-toms, hi-hat tricks”. He’s a “Goth Moth” and a big fan of Lady B. Marie, aka Jitterbug, but to actually go to one of her shows? Yikes, that’s going out in the daytime! When Goth Moth ultimately ends up at a Jitterbug show, the unthinkable happens: can Goth Moth save the show by taking the stage and playing the drums for real? This sweet story, originally published in Switzerland, has a playful rhyme scheme and takes on overcoming anxiety and fear. The details in the illustration are spot on, with deep browns to give the goth-y look, and a little bit of zing within those browns to wake them up; there are bursts of color around Walter to bring light to the drab. Mohr uses wordplay to create buggy versions of popular albums, including works by Iron Mantis and Def Lepidoptera. Walter sports skulls on his wings;  his buddies have very gothy black t-shirts. Goth Moth is an adorable companion to Lüftner and Rauers’s Jitterbug (2023). The duo makes a fun addition to storytime collections – if your readers liked Punk Farm by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, these will be wildly received.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Harold the Iceberg Melts Down is all about anxiety and climate change

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Harold the Iceberg Melts Down, by Lisa Wyzlic/Illustrated by Rebecca Syracuse, (March 2023, Feiwel & Friends), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250830623

Ages 3-6

Harold is a head of iceberg lettuce with a bit of an anxiety problem, which he calms by watching documentaries. He watches a documentary on icebergs and climate change, though, and that sets off a series of worries: He’s melting! Can he slow it down? How can he survive longer? His friends lead him through some calming exercises in an attempt to calm him and finally help him understand that he has a head of iceberg lettuce, not an iceberg. Relieved that he isn’t melting, Harold now discovers a new worry: climate change! This time, though, Harold has the tools to help him calm down and take action. A delightful read with cartoon art produce, Harold speaks to children’s anxiety and fear while teaching self-soothing techniques and empowering them with ways that they can be part of positive change. Back matter includes helpful ways to “cool down” and tips on combating climate change. Endpapers show a colorful spread of food labels. Narration moves between an omniscient narrator and speech bubbles to denote conversations between characters. All in all, a fun readaloud for kids and a good choice for collections. Download a free activity kit and coloring pages to enhance a storytime.

 

Posted in Graphic Novels, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Conquering social anxiety through Improv

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Improve : How I Discovered Improv and Conquered Social Anxiety, by Alex Graudins, (Sept. 2022, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250208231

Ages 14+

Graphic novelist Alex Graudins – you may recognize the name from Science Comics and History Comics – uses her pencils to tell her story in this autobiographical graphic novel. Graudins illustrates her history of social anxiety, often at odds with her desire to be part of the “theatre kids” groups. Intrigued by improv, she signs up for improv classes as a way to work through her anxiety and negative self-talk. As she works with others in the group, she learns to work with the ebb and flow of her anxiety spikes. Part autobiographical study and part improv guide, Graudins explains different routines, made more helpful through illustration, letting readers see skits that explain different improv games, including “One Word at a Time”, where partners create a story through alternating words and “Advance & Expand”, where partners direct each other to move the story along (advance) or provide more detail (expand). Graudins is frank about her struggles with depression as well as the camaraderie and support that her improv groups provide. Graudins’s realistic artwork has a cartoon softness – think Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson – that puts readers at ease. Back matter includes an author’s note, further reading, and additional improv games make up the back matter.

An excellent addition to YA biography collections. Teens will connect with the graphic delivery and appreciate the honest and creative discussions on anxiety. Visit Alex Graudins’s webpage for more of her artwork and webcomics.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Pout-Pout Fish returns!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Pout-Pout Fish and the Worry Worry Whale, by Deborah Diesen/Illustrated by Dan Hanna, (June 2022, Farrar, Straus & Giroux), $18.99, ISBN: 9780374389307

Ages 3-6

The Pout-Pout Fish is back and helping a friend overcome anxiety in the newest Pout-Pout story! Pout-Pout is off to a party when he meets his friend, Willa Whale. Willa, who’s also supposed to be going to the party, is petrified with anxiety. What if there are too many guests? What if she doesn’t know what to say, or if no one wants to play with her? There is so much to worry about, but Mr. Fish is ready with some easy-to-follow tips to relieve her stress and get her to the party, where he checks in with her and makes sure she’s having a good time and feeling supported.  The tips are great for Willa, and for younger readers who may need some coping tips for anxiety, too. Rhyming text and familiar, friendly faces will draw readers in right away. Kids may relate to Willa’s dilemma and appreciate seeing others with the same worries and ways to overcome them.

The Pout-Pout Fish books fit nicely into the CSLP Summer Reading “Oceans of Possibilities” theme. Visit the Pout-Pout Fish website for a look at all the Pout-Pout titles and free downloadables. Pair and display with Guido van Genechten’s Little White Fish books. For more about breathing exercises to relieve anxiety for children, visit this page on The Children’s Bureau’s website.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The joy of self-expression: John’s Turn

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

John’s Turn, by Mac Barnett/Illustrated by Kate Berube, (Feb. 2022, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536203950

Ages 4-8

Every Friday, a school cafeteria turns into a place where kids put on performances for one another: an artistic show and tell. This week, it’s John’s turn, and he’s a little nervous. When it’s time, he changes into his leotard, pants, and ballet slippers, and begins to dance. It’s tense at first, as John’s fellow students watch him, but as John gives himself over to the music and the dance, his confidence builds; his joy is evident. At the end of his dance, his classmates cheer and applaud, and John beams, having shared a special moment with them. Kate Berube’s ink and paint illustrations gracefully capture the tension and anticipation that goes into a performance; those moments where the performer goes through the day with butterflies in their stomach, the worry, the pre-show jitters. He knows kids, and the thinking that ballet dancing is largely thought of as “a girl thing”, and the nervous snickers when the music begins. Mac Barnett’s narration is simple, elegant, to the point, and pausing to let Kate Berube shine during the performance: she beautifully captures the shifting emotions surging through John as he begins his dance; a nervous, almost nauseated feeling on his face at first, moving into a slight smile as he moves through the routine, and the background color shifts from a dull brown to a positively incandescent rose as he loses himself in the emotion of his dance, ending with soft pastels as, cheeks flushed, he takes a bow. It’s a gorgeous story.

John’s Turn has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, and BookPage.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Greatest Thing takes a real look at adolescence, art, and anxiety

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Greatest Thing, by Sarah Winifred Searle, (Feb. 2022, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250297235

Ages 13+

A fictionalized memoir, The Greatest Thing follows Winifred as she starts the school year after her two closest friends go to a different school. Winifred is talented, creative, and plagued by anxiety. Uncomfortable with her body, she engages in habits like “tricking” her body into “forgetting it was hungry by making it sick”. When she meets new friends April and Oscar, her world opens up: the three friends love art and also deal with self-esteem and anxiety; together, the three find their voices by creating a zine, Gutterglimmers. Eventually, Winifred – with the help of her supportive mom – seeks help, and starts finding comfort in real life as well as the pages of her zine. Filled with helpful instructions on making a zine, and positive portrayals of nonbinary and pansexual characters, The Greatest Thing provides an honest and raw look into adolescent anxiety and depression, and the role art can play in working through emotions and feelings. If you haven’t purchased this book for your YA graphic novels collections yet, you really should.

Visit Sarah Winifred Searle’s website and seem more of her artwork and learn about more of her books.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

‘Tis the season for great graphic novel reading!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I know, that was awful, but trying to find new graphic novel headlines is tough! With that, let the games begin.

 

Barb the Last Berzerker, by Dan Abso & Jason Patterson, (Sept. 2021, Simon & Schuster), $13.99, ISBN: 9781534485716

Ages 8-12

A young Berzerker warrior is on a mission to save her fellow warriors after a villain named Witch Head takes them captive. With the help of a Yeti named Pork Chop, and wielding the Shadow Blade that she took from Witch Head, Barb goes on a journey that changes her thinking: where she once fought monsters, she’ll learn that monsters – including sausage-eating yetis – aren’t all bad, and not all humans are good. She meets snot goblins, vampire goats, and a giant who’s sensitive about his foot odor while calling on the power of the Shadow Blade to help her in battle. But the Shadow Blade’s power is not something to be used lightly, and Barb may find that relying on it too much could hurt more than it could help. The first in a new series, Barb is chaotic and hilarious, with gross-out jokes and positive messages about independence and unlearning endemic bias. Readers will cheer for Barb and Pork Chop, who are a buddy movie waiting to happen. Dan & Jason are the creators behind the younger readers’ series Blue, Barry, & Pancakes; visit their website to find out more about their graphic novels.

Barb the Last Berzerker has a starred review from Kirkus. It hasn’t been nominated for a CYBILS yet, hint hint!

 

Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero, by E. Lockhart/Illustrated by Manuel Preitano, (Sept. 2021, DC Comics), $16.99, ISBN: 9781401293222

Ages 13+

Yet another great DC YA graphic novel, this time from award-winning author and National Book Award Finalist, E. Lockhart. Willow Zimmerman is a 16-year-old Jewish teen activist, living in the Down River section of Gotham. It’s a run-down neighborhood and she’s tired of it being overlooked; she takes to the streets in protest when she’s not at school or at home, caring for her mother, who’s going through treatment for cancer. She works part-time in an animal shelter and feeds her friend, a stray Great Dane she’s named Leibowitz, on the side. When E. Nigma – her mom’s estranged friend – gets in touch with Willow, she learns that he’s cleaned himself up and is a successful real estate entrepreneur who runs an underground gambling promotion on the side, and he wants to give her a job. Faced with mounting bills and the fear of eviction, Willow accepts and starts earning more money than she could have ever imagined. When she and Leibowitz are attacked by Killer Croc, who has a grudge to settle with Nigma, the two realize that they can understand one another – where other people hear assorted growls and barks, Willow hears Leibowitz talking! The two decide to become a superteam and do their part to clean up Gotham: even if it means playing double agents to Nigma, aka The Riddler, and Pamela Isley, who’s helping Nigma out as her alter ego, Poison Ivy. I love the origin stories DC’s YA authors have been putting out, and their new heroes are go good, I can’t help but hope they’ll eventually show up in the big titles. Willow is a smart, likable heroine faced with big, real-world issues: lack of healthcare, a single, ailing parent, and the aggravation of living in a neighborhood that’s ignored by all but real estate developers who will gentrify for cheap and push the incumbent citizens out. She combats this first by taking it to the streets; when that isn’t working fast enough, she learns to play both sides of the game. Leibowitz is her steadfast sidekick with a funny, sly sense of humor (once we can hear him talk), and it’s great to see some Gotham familiar faces (including a surprise cameo) and a new spin on The Riddler. All around, a solid hit from DC yet again.

Whistle has not yet been nominated for a CYBILS yet – you know what to do.

 

 

Friends Forever, by Shannon Hale/Illustrated by LeUyenPham, (Aug. 2021, First Second), $12.99, ISBN: 9781250317568

Ages 9-13

The third installment in Shannon Hale’s autobiographical “Friends” series sees Shannon in eighth grade and dealing with anxiety over her looks, her grades, and her popularity. She sees her friends dating, but worries that no one wants to date her. She wants eighth grade to be her perfect year, but she just can’t seem to be happy. She becomes increasingly anxious, with OCD behaviors starting to creep into her daily life. A solidly relatable, realistic picture of the big emotions and worries facing kids as they become teens, Shannon’s adolescence in the 1980s is still every bit as relevant to tweens and teens today; with mental health issues gaining more mainstream attention today, Friends Forever can spark important conversations about the pressures tweens and teens face and coping mechanisms that can help. Friends Forever is about change and finding the courage to accept and love yourself. Beautifully illustrated, and with back matter that includes an author’s note from Shannon Hale that addresses mental health, actual school photos, a peek at LeUyen Pham’s sketchbook, and notes from Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham to one another, just like real friends share. Download a free activity kit with discussion questions and a Readers Theater script, and find activities for all three Friends books at the Real Friends website.

Friends Forever is a first round Graphic Novels CYBILS nominee.

More to come!