Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: ANXIETY, FEAR & DEPRESSIONAuthor/authors: Colby Rodowsky; Illustrated by Amy June Bates
Year of Publication: 2005
Book Title: The Next-Door Dogs
ISBN #: 0374364109; 9780374364106
Age Level: upper elementary
# of pages: 103
Quality of illustrations: Black and white, nice illustrations
Brief Summary: Sarah Barker is a very brave 9 year old who has an embarrassing fear of dogs that she hides from everyone except her family. She manages to hide her secret well until a new neighbor with two big dogs moves in next-door and Sarah suddenly has to face her fears. The story goes into all of the physical and emotional symptoms of fear and the scary looking black and white illustrations help to convey the emotions in text. Sarah slowly starts to get exposed more and more to her fears in slow but meaningful ways until one day her neighbor falls, breaking her leg and Sarah has to over there and face her fear in order to help her fallen neighbor. This is a great story for kids needing to get encouragement to face a fear.
Post reading activity: Have the children draw black and white pictures of things they are most afraid of, irrational or not. Then have them write down three ways that they can face their fears or three instances where they would have to face their fears if placed in a situation like Sarah’s.
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