Books for Kids (Of All Ages) Who Feel Worried or Anxious

Inside: A thoughtful collection of books for kids about feeling worried and managing anxious thoughts.

All kids worry at least some of the time, and some children struggle with anxious feelings on a regular basis. This collection of books features titles that can be used by teachers and parents to open discussion with children about feeling worried and managing anxious thoughts.

Books About  Feeling Worried or Anxious

Each title below is linked to both Amazon and The Book Depository (these are affiliate links) where you can find reviews and age recommendations for those you are not personally familiar with

Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival: Ruby loves being Ruby. And then one day she discovers a worry. Just a small worry. But when the worry starts to grow it just won’t leave her alone. A wonderful lesson in the importance of talking to others about our worries. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

When I’m Feeling Nervous by Trace Moroney: Feeling nervous is uncomfortable but it can also mean that you’re about to do something really, really brave! What do you do when you feel nervous? A useful tool for helping young children develop increased confidence, optimism and hopefulness. Available: The Book Depository

Hey Warrior by Karen Young: An insightful book that helps children to understand how and why our brains and bodies respond to anxiety, thus empowering them with knowledge of what is happening and how they can manage anxious thoughts and worries. Available: The Book Depository

When Worry Takes Hold by Liz Haske: When Worry sneaks into Maya’s mind one night after lights out, she finds it difficult to rid herself of it. It follows her everywhere and leaves no space for anything else. Then Maya learns the power of Courage in the form of a calming breath and in the process she breaks free from Worry’s hold. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Mr Huff by Anna Walker: Bill is having a bad day. Mr Huff is following him around and making everything seem so much worse. Bill tries to get rid of him but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger, and he just won’t go away. Can Bill ever be rid of this grey cloud hanging over his head? Available: The Book Depository

Worry Says What? by Allison Edwards: Worry Says What? can help children (and adults) flip their thinking when anxious thoughts begin, and turn them into powerful reminders of all they are capable of accomplishing. Available: Amazon

Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna: A beautiful story exploring how overwhelming fear can become, especially as we face new situations in our lives – in the case of the girl in the story, moving to a new country and starting school there. Includes special reminders that fear can be helpful, that we can learn to manage our fears, and that we ALL carry fear within us. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde: A thoughtful book that offers children a series of simple strategies for managing times of worry. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Worries Go Away! by Kes Gray: A simple story about facing worries, suitable for younger children. Told through engaging rhyme, this book emphasises the importance of turning to people who care when you feel worried. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Is A Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff: I really like this book although it might be a little dark for very young children strugging with anxiety. It talks about worries with humour and imagination and includes a number of strategies for helping manage worries. A great tool for oepning discussion about worries with children in the first grades of primary/elementary school. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Jack’s Worry by Sam Zuppardi: This book takes a common worry for children, performing in their first concert experience, and explores worry around the upcoming event through simple story and lovely illustrations. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside: I want to love this book, it has so many great messages in it and it’s a great introduction to worries for younger children but I don’t particularly like that the first worry for Jenny, the primary character, mentioned on the second page of the book was “She worried that she was getting too fat.” We try not to focus on physical appearance with our girls, especially not weight. Despite our personal, parenting choice, the book offers an engaging introduction to worries for young children as Jenny tries a number of different strategies in an attempt to rid herself of the big bag of worries she carries around each day. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Worry Monsters (Hey Jack! series) by Sally Rippin: Part of the Hey Jack! chapter book series for early readers, The Worry Monsters tells the story of what happens when Jack doesn’t want to study for his spelling test – because he hates spelling! Touches on a sore tummy as a symptom of worrying and Jack also imagines his worries as monsters at bedtime, the story turns when Jack confides his worries to his Dad who helps him find a solution, also Jack talks back to his worries as he won’t let them worry him any more. Available: Amazon

What to Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner: This book is my favourite on the list. It was a great resource for my eight year old, and I could see it being helpful for 6-7 year olds through to 11-12 year olds. It talks clearly about what worries are, how they make you feel and clearly explains a range of options for managing worries – from using logic to talking back to worries (self talk), and physical activity to relaxation. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Smart Girl’s Guide to Worry: How to Feel Less Stressed and Have More Fun by Nancy Holyoak: Part of American Girl’s Smart Girls series, this book shares lots of information about worries and anxiety in bite sized pieces just right for tweens. With sections covering symptoms of stress, self talk, perfection, facing fears, self care and managing stress and anxiety, it’s a really helpful resource for children aged 9+ who are experiencing worry or anxiety. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

No Worries by Mindful Kids: Includes encouraging activities and simple exercises to help kids tackle anxiety, sadness and stress, as they use creativity to combat negative feelings, work out why they feel worried and how to put stress back in its place through writing, colouring, doodling and drawing. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Keep Your Cool: How to Deal With Life’s Worries and Stress by Dr Aaron Balick: A very detailed books for older tweens and teen, it covers a wide range of topics that might cause stress or anxiety including family problems, school issues, friendship problems, bullies, sexuality and cyber issues. Available: The Book Depository

For more books that help children develop social and emotional learning, check out our great big list of Books That Help Develop Friendship, Communication and Social Skills.
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