When I Feel Afraid

Author: Cheri J. Meiners
Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: Fear
Year of Publication: 2003
Publisher and Location: Free Spirit Publications, Minneapolis, MN
ISBN# 1575421380
Target Age Level: Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary
# of Pages: 35
Quality of Illustrations: Good
Brief Summary: Explains that many things can be frightening and provides examples of what one can do to feel less afraid, such as asking for help from a person one trusts. Includes information and extension activities for parents or teachers.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: An excellent book that guides children through possible solutions when they are afraid.
Activity: Have the children list people they trust that can help them when they are afraid.

Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth

Author:Alison McGhee

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

Year of Publication: 2004

Publisher & Location: Harcourt, Inc. Orlando, Fl

ISBN#: 0152049317

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 36

Quality of Illustrations: Good

Brief Summary: A first grader is frightened on her first day of school after hearing a rumor that her teacher is a 330-year-old alien with a purple tongue who steals baby teeth from her students. The student has a loose tooth and looses it on the first day. She learns that her teacher does not steal teeth but is very nice.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This book is helpful for children to realize that rumors can be false and not to worry about rumors until they know what is true. It can also be used to discuss fears that children typically have because they do not have enough information to know other wise.

What are You Afraid of?

Author: Donald R. Gallo

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Phobias, Fear, Adolescence, Anxiety, Loneliness

Year of Publication: 2006

Publisher & Location: Candlewick Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts

ISBN#: 076362654-6

Target Age Level: High School

# of Pages: 178

Quality of Illustrations: No illustrations

Brief Summary: 10 short stories about different high school students who suffer from phobias, including a fear of gaining weight, clowns, cats, string, knives, crossing the street, etc.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: In most of these stories, the main character does not overcome the phobia. The focus is on their thoughts and feelings (about hiding the phobia, about the control the phobia has over them) and how it affects their relationships. Those stories usually end with the character recognizing he/she has a problem or asking for help.

Activities:

1. Have the students brainstorm about or write an epilogue to one of the stories, so the student can take control of what will happen.
   
2. Have the students write a short story/journal entry about their own phobia.

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.

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.

Quincy's Dream

Author: Marcy Kelman

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: fear of nightmares

Year of Publication: 2007

Publisher & Location: Disney Press, New York, NY

ISBN#: 13: 978-142310216-8 10: 142310216-9

Target Age Level: Pre-K, Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 23

Quality of Illustrations: Excelent

Brief Summary: Quincy's is afraid of sleeping because he had a nightmare. He talks to his friends about his fears and learns how to cope with his feelings by "catching the dream with a dream catcher, use imagination transformation and overcome his fear of having nightmares.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: For young children, who don't read, parents could read the book and use the suggestions for dealing with nightmares.

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.