Gretchen Groundhog, it's your day!

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: Anxiety in children

Authors: Abby Levine

Year of Publication: 1998

ISBN # 0807530581

Age Level: 3-5 years old

Quality of illustrations: The watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations--full-page, half-page, and cameos--have lots of child appeal.

Brief Summary
An interesting introduction to Groundhog Day prefaces the story. Then it's all about Gretchen Groundhog, who comes from a long line of groundhog prognosticators but is too shy to go out in front of the crowd and peer at her shadow. The one joke goes on a little too long, but things take a twist when Hester, the daughter of the town historian, comes with clippings that prove many of Gretchen's illustrious ancestors have been shy on their day of duty as well. Few things are available for Groundhog Day, so libraries may find this useful for the holiday story hour; they may also want it on hand when requests come in for books about shyness.

Activity: After reading out loud, children could draw pictures of his favorite pet in front of a crow. Is it shy?

The thought that counts

Author: Jared Dougles Kant with Martin Franklin and Linda Wasmer Andrews

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: OCD/ anxiety

Year of Publication: 2008

Publisher & Location: Oxford University press: New York

ISBN#: 978-0-19-531689-6

Target Age Level: High school- adult

# of Pages:169

Quality of Illustrations: NA

Brief Summary:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects an estimated 2.2 million Americans, and in this introduction to the illness, written for older teenagers and young adults, Kant provides a personal account of his OCD experience. He relates how even the most mundane activities may be permeated by depression and terror, recalling for instance how changing for gym class in school was fraught with anxiety. Kant shows how patience, perseverance, empathetic parents and friends, and, especially, good treatment-medication and a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy known as Exposure and Response Prevention-helped him flourish as a college student. He is aided, particularly in providing more in-depth clinical information, by Franklin (clinical director, Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety) and freelance health and psychology writer Andrews (co-author, If Your Adolescent Has an Anxiety Disorder). The authors address a host of practical questions, including educating others about OCD, how those experiencing OCD can divert themselves from the disorder (through regular exercise, among other strategies), and adjusting to life in college. In the sometimes jargon-ridden mental health world, it's refreshing to see a book that is so succinct, straightforward, reasonably priced and helpful.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:

It is intended for an older audiance. I think it would be great for friends and family of children suffering from OCD as well.

Activitiy:

I might have the child with OCD write a daily diary of their experiances. and then as we read the book we can compair their experiances to the authors.

Up and Down the Worry Hill

Author: Aureen Pinto Wagner & Paul A. Jutton
Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: anxiety
Year of Publication: 2004
Publisher and Location: Lighthouse Press, Inc.
# ISBN-10: 0967734762
# ISBN-13: 978-0967734767
Target Age Level: Ages 9-12 Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary
# of Pages: 48
Quality of Illustrations: very good
Brief Summary: Casey's struggle with OCD, his sense of hope when he learns about treatment, his relief that neither he nor his parents are to blame, and eventually, his victory over OCD.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:
This book makes OCD and its treatment easy for children to understand. Along with its companion guide for parents brings hope and help to children and families who suffer from this illness.
Activity: After reading the book, each children can create their own history about a imaginary friend that suffers of OCD

The Good-bye Book

Author/Authors: Judith Viorst

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: ANXIETY

Year of Publication: 1988

Publisher & Location: Atheneum, New York

ISBN #: 0689715811

Target Age Level: Lower elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: Good colored pencil drawings

Brief Summary: A boy’s parents are getting ready to go out for the evening. The boy does not want his parent’s to go and he throws a fit and tries to convince his parents not to go. He is also very anxious about the baby sitter and what the baby sitter will make him do. In the end, the baby sitter turns out to be nice and the boy is then able to say good-bye to his parents. The last few pages of the book do not have words but shows the boy relaxing and doing things with the baby sitter. These pages allows some dialogue about what is going on and talking about him discovering that the baby sitter is OK.

Post reading activity:
Talk about the ending of the book and how the boy decided that it was OK if his parents left. If working with a child and parents, have them come up with a leaving ritual they will do for when they leave their child. For example, it could be a special kiss or wave. They may also have a special activity that the child only gets to do when left with the baby sitter. Use puppets to role play the leaving ritual.

The Next Door Dogs

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: ANXIETY, FEAR & DEPRESSION

Author/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.

First Day Jitters

Author: Julie Danneberg

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: First day of school; anxiety

Year of Publication: 2000

Publisher & Location: Charlesbridge Publishing; Watertown, MA

ISBN#: 1-58089-061-X

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 30

Quality of Illustrations: Humorous, colorful illustrations.

Brief Summary: Sarah Jane Hartwell is nervous about her first day at her new school. As her dad tries to get her out of bed and off to school, Sarah worries about what the other students will be like. Her head hurts, her hands are cold and clammy, and she feels like she can't breathe, but Sarah makes it to school where the principal takes her to her new class.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This book has a surprise ending, because Sarah Jane Hartwell turns out to be a teacher, not a student. Students I've read this to have loved the ending and it opens up a great discussion about how feeling anxious is something many people feel, including adults.

Activity: Make copies of an outline of a body. Discuss as a class situations that cause students to experience anxiety and how they feel when they are anxious (e.g., heart beating, palms sweating, out of breath, etc.). Then have students label their own picture about what happens to them when they are nervous. Around the body have them list things that help them calm down.

When I Feel Scared

Author: Cornelia Maude Spelman

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Anxiety, Basic Emotions

Year of Publication: 2002

Publisher & Location: Albert Whitman & Company, Morton Grove, IL

ISBN#: 0-8075-8900-4

Target Age Level: Pre-K

# of Pages: 22

Quality of Illustrations: Good

Brief Summary: A little bear explains situations that bring about fear, how it feels to be scared and what can make things better.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Describes fear in a way that young children can understand it.

Activities: Talk about what we are afraid of, what ideas the book suggests that we could do and which one we would do for each scenario.

When I Feel Good About Myself

Author: Cornelia Maude Spelman

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Self-Esteem, Anxiety

Year of Publication: 2007

Publisher & Location: Albert Whitman & Company, Morton Grove, IL

ISBN#: 0-8075-8901-2

Target Age Level: Pre-K

# of Pages: 22

Quality of Illustrations: Good

Brief Summary: A young guinea pig explains that self-confidence comes from learning new things, without being afraid of making mistakes and to remember that everyone has different qualities that makes them loveable.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Briefly touches on topics that may cause anxiety.

Activities: Talk about what we do that are the same and what we do different. Each child chooses something they are good at and why they are good at it.

One Dark and Scary Night

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: Fear

Author/authors: Bill Cosby

Year of Publication: 1999

Book Title: One Dark and Scary Night

ISBN #: 0-590-51476-8

Age level: Lower Elementary

# of pages: 36

Quality of illustrations: Good

Brief summary: Little Bill is scared of ordinary night sounds and shadows; he is convinced that something is lurking in his closet. His mother shows him there is nothing there, but it takes his great-grandmother showing him a magical way of fixing his covers to help him overcome his fear.

Activity: Have the child draw a picture of what scares them and talk about it with you. If the fear is imaginary (a monster in the basement, a ghost, etc.), have them think of a magical way they can protect themselves.

Touchtender

Title: Touchtender

Author: Niid La'i; Illustrated by Tyler Thompson

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: self-esteem, depression, anxiety, fear, therapy, love, twisted thinking

Year of Publication: not yet published, copy right 2001

Publisher & Location: none (I can order copies if you are interested)

ISBN#: none

Target Age Level: Lower and Upper Elementary. I also use with Junior High and High School

# of Pages: 34

Quality of Illustrations: black and white, non-threatening, excellent use of drawings

Brief Summary: A child talks about different feelings, including feeling left out and depressed, angry, hurt, having poor self-esteem. Child also talks about being in therapy and getting mad at therapist sometimes.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: I like this book a lot. It covers a range of topics and can be used for a variety of situations. non-threatening and easy to read to a child or with a child. And, again, I use it with adolescents who have been hurt as children.

Activity:
Discuss what makes the child feel "touch tender" and compare it with person in book. Have the child write their own book of what makes them feel "touchtender".

Let's Talk About Feeling Afraid

Author: Joy Berry; Illustrated by Maggie Smith

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Fear, anxiety

Year of Publication: 1995

Publisher & Location: Scholastic; New York City, NY

ISBN#: 0-590-62384-2

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary, can be used with some Upper Elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: colorful images, Asian family

Brief Summary: Told from perspective of pet mouse (Squeaky) of a boy named Kim. Talks about things Kim is afraid of and how to avoid feeling afraid. Also validates that it is okay to feel afraid.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: I used these books when working K-6 (used it mostly with K-2) children who had excessive fears or anxiety. I like that the family is culturally diverse (for this area), it defines fear. It also talks directly to the reader about what people might feel in their bodies when afraid (very important for children to understand), but then talks about how to overcome the fears.

Activity:
Give the child an outline of a body. Have them color in the body (with a color of their choice) where they feel fear in their own bodies. Talk about fear, what they are afraid of, and have them draw what they can to do be less afraid.

Life Doesn't Frighten Me

Author: Maya Angelou, Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: anxiety, self-image, fear

Year of Publication: 1993

Publisher & Location: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York

ISBN#: 1-55670-288-4

Target Age Level: Upper Elementary, Junior High. Can use for High School if creatively used.

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: colorful, sketch-style art, some skull-looking sketches

Brief Summary: A poem about facing life and things that scare you. About bravery and facing fears.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Be careful with the pictures, if a child is afraid of skeletons there are skeleton-type illustrations. Poem is good for helping children face fears, intended to build self-esteem and ability of children to deal with things that cause negative emotions.

Activity:
Talk about fears, bravery, and facing fears. Have the children write their own poem (as a group or as individuals) about their fears. Have them illustrate their poem.