Ten of the Best Books for Coping with Anxiety


All of this talk of anxiety is making us anxious! How about you? Beth Cox and Natalie Costa have put together a list of books that adults can read with children, or in some cases children can read on their own, to help everyone involved manage their emotions. As the co-authors of the Level Headers series, activity books about confidence and self-esteem, they argue it’s important to start talking about feelings and emotions at a young age. Being open about feelings and learning useful techniques from experts are the best ways to cope with anxiety.


10 Charlie Star


Terry Milne, Old Barn Books, 978-1-910646-38-0, £10.99 hbk


Charlie is a dog who likes structure and worries that something bad might happen if he doesn’t stick to his routine. But one day he misses out certain things as he goes to rescue his


friend. And everything turns out okay. What is great about this story is that Charlie still continues with his usual routine after this, but occasionally tries something different. It’s useful to learn that things don’t always have to be exactly the same and you can try something new or different without having to change who you are completely.


The Lion Inside


written by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field, Orchard Books, 978-1-408331-60-6, £6.99 pbk


This is a beautifully illustrated story about a shy mouse who finally finds the courage to speak up. The mouse discovers that appearances can be deceiving - not only is the big lion not that brave after all, the lion is in fact scared of mice! The message is a really empowering way to build confidence and


encourage empathy: you can do things that other people think you can’t, and other people can do things you think they can’t.


6 Books for Keeps No.238 September 2019


In My Heart: A Book of Feelings


written by Jo Witek, illustrated by Christine Roussey, Abrams Books, 978-1-419713-10-1, £11.99 hbk


A delightful book that explores all of the feelings that are in our hearts. There is a focus on how feelings feel


in helps


our body, which children


connect with their emotions. The


little girl in the story sometimes feels sad or angry but the feelings don’t last. This approach is great for opening up conversations about feelings and how to manage them.


Odd Dog Out Rob Biddulph,


HarperCollins Children’s Books, 978-1-000759-15-3, £6.99 pbk


A wonderful story about


being yourself. Odd Dog Out feels like she doesn’t fit in, so she goes somewhere where everyone is like her. Then she spots another dog standing out from the crowd! This dog teaches her the importance of being yourself. When she returns home, Odd Dog Out discovers just how much her friends and neighbours have


missed her. They love and value her for who she is. A fantastic book for teaching children the importance of being true to who you are.


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