In this wordless graphic picturebook, a young boy feels alone with his worries. He isn’t fitting in well at school. His grades are slipping. He’s even lashing out at those who love him.
Small Things has been discussed in My Take/Your Take for October 2020.
Beware: Life ahead. Sixteen-year-old Petula de Wilde is anything but wild. A former crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula shut herself off from the world after a family tragedy. She sees danger in all the ordinary things, like crossing the street, a bug bite, or a germy handshake. She knows: life is out to get you. The worst part of her week is her comically lame mandatory art therapy class with a small group of fellow misfits. Then a new boy, Jacob, appears at school and in her therapy group. He seems so normal and confident, though he has a prosthetic arm; and soon he teams up with Petula on a hilarious project, gradually inspiring her to let go of some of her fears. But as the two grow closer, a hidden truth behind why he’s in the group threatens to derail them, unless Petula takes a huge risk
An anxiety disorder disrupts 14-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.
Asleep in his hospital bed, Jim dreams of a great lion with white teeth and amber eyes. This lion is Jim’s finder. According to Nurse Bami, everyone has a finder, a creature who comes looking for us when we are lost. But when the time comes for Jim’s operation, will his lion be able to find him and bring him safely home? Dramatically re-imagined as a graphic novel by award-winning illustrator Alexis Deacon, with the inclusion of powerful dream sequences, Russell Hoban’s tale of a boy’s search for strength and courage will resonate with any child dealing with adversity.
What if Joe doesn’t like the party he’s going to? What if he doesn’t like the food or the games or the people? As Joe and his mom walk down the darkening street, Joe’s imagination starts to run wild. And as they search for the right place, he wonders “what if …” at each house, peeking in to see some surprising sights.
A quirky safety guide combines practical tips with step-by-step instructions featuring an anxious Scaredy Squirrel, who prepares himself for the worst during the spookiest night of the year.
To help with his anxiety, Billy uses the worry dolls his grandmother recommends, but he finds that they do not quite solve his problem.
Noni is nervous about playdates and global warming and, most of all, the first day of school. Her parents are worried too, and even her brother is a little wary. But Noni finds a friend, someone a little more outgoing than herself, and discovers that through friendship, she can belong and succeed in a world that once filled her with dread.
When his mother tries to commit suicide, 15-year old Declan Kelly is forced to move from a Belfast housing estate to the glamorous home of his aunt Colette and cousin Vicky. Declan is a troubled young man and terrible student who responds to his problems with violence. Vicky is a spoiled young woman, hard-working student and accomplished rider who loves horses. She is having trouble dealing with her parents divorce, and her father’s new family.
When desperately unhappy Laura, who secretly performs self-mutilation, finds her talisman and transports to Fortezza, a parallel world that resembles the Italian Renaissance city-state of Lucca, she faces battles on the field and of the heart.