Children's Books About... Feeling Afraid or Anxious

These books are on the shelves of the Dorothy Henry Branch in Vernon, NJ. It will be updated as frequently as possible to ensure that the titles offered are either still on the shelves, or in some cases, up to date.

Updated February 24, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Lila Greer, teacher of the year /
Beaty, Andrea.
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of Ada Twist, Scientist and Rosie Revere, Engineer comes the story of the very first Questioneer: Lila Greer, Teacher of the Year! This moving picture book about an anxious girl's arrival at a new school celebrates...
Franklin in the dark /
Bourgeois, Paulette
Paper Book
Franklin is afraid of small, dark places-especially his own shell at night. After he asks other animals for advice, he figures out the best way to conquer his fear of the dark.
Just like Millie /
Castillo, Lauren,
Paper Book
In a gentle story from Caldecott Honoree Lauren Castillo, a shy young girl finds exploring her new city and making friends overwhelming--until a rescue dog helps her uncover the bravery that was always in her. A young girl and her mother move to an apartment in a new city....
Ramona the brave /
Cleary, Beverly
Ebook
Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary lovingly chronicles the ups and downs of elementary school woes. This is perfect for fans of Clementine. For a girl as enthusiastic about life as Ramona, starting the first grade should be easy! But with a teacher who doesn't understand her, a...
Lawrence & Sophia /
Cronin, Doreen.
When Lawrence makes a new friend, Sophia feels left out . . . and then acts out. It's a scenario that so many kids can relate to, told here with loads of laughs and charm. Lawrence and Sophia do everything as a pair. Together, they are big and bold and fast (sort of). But...
Francine Poulet meets the ghost raccoon /
DiCamillo, Kate
Paper Book
Deckawoo Drive's intrepid animal control officer meets her match--or does she? A funny, heartfelt, and fast-paced romp from Kate DiCamillo. Francine Poulet is the greatest animal control officer in Gizzford County. She hails from a long line of animal control officers. She's...
Mrs. Barr has gone too far! /
Gutman, Dan
Paper Book
With more than 30 million books sold, the My Weird School series really gets kids reading! In this ninth book in the My Weirder-est School arc, A.J. and his friends learn some new, exciting facts about geography from a world traveler. No need to pack your bags for this trip! After noticing...
Help! :
Keller, Holly
Paper Book
Mouse, Hedgehog, Rabbit, Squirrel, and Snake are friends. But one day Mouse hears from Skunk (who heard it from Fox) that snakes are dangerous, especially to mice. Oh, dear! Can friendship survive gossip? Should friends stick together, no matter what? And what do friends do when a...
Shona Finds Her Voice
Kessler, Liz/ Stone, Joanie (ILT)
Paper Book
With her best friend's help, can mermaid Shona get up the nerve to share her singing talents at school? A new reader for younger fans based on the New York Times best-selling Emily Windsnap novels. Emily Windsnap's best friend, Shona Silkfin, is a mermaid who loves...
The skull :
Klassen, Jon
Audiobook
Stacey's mistake
Martin, Ann M.,
Paper Book
A Baby-sitters Club graphic novel adapted by National Book Award longlister and Eisner-nominated cartoonist Ellen T. Crenshaw! Stacey is so excited! Her friends from The Baby-sitters Club are coming to New York City for a long weekend. It's going to be perfect -- a party and a sleepover on...
Junie B., first grader :
Park, Barbara
Ebook
"Hilarious. Barbara Park makes reading fun." --Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man Carve out family time for this Halloween read with the World's Funniest First Grader--Junie B. Jones! It's Halloween! But Junie B. is afraid to go trick-or-treating. 'Cause...
The Kissing Hand /
Penn, Audrey,
Paper Book
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming...
The Ickabog /
Rowling, J. K.
Paper Book
From J.K. Rowling, a warm, fast-paced, funny fairy tale of a fearsome monster, thrilling adventure, and hope against all odds. Once upon a time there was a tiny kingdom called Cornucopia, as rich in happiness as it was in gold, and famous for its food. From the delicate cream cheeses of Kurdsburg...
Owly :
Runton, Andy.
Paper Book
Owly, the little owl with a heart of gold, returns for another forest adventure in this Eisner-winning series about friendship! For Owly and Wormy, nothing beats the power of friendship! But fear can be a powerful force, too. There's a new visitor to the forest, an opossum who's misunderstood...
Scaredy Squirrel /
Watt, Mâelanie,
Paper Book
Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It's way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he's well-prepared. Scaredy Squirrel's emergency kit includes antibacterial soap, Band-Aids...
The pigeon has to go to school! /
Willems, Mo.
Paper Book
Mo Willems, #1 New York Times best-selling creator and three-time Caldecott Honoree, presents everyone's favorite Pigeon trying to escape . . . SCHOOL.   Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! And what if he doesn't like it? What if the...
Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world /
Willems, Mo.
Paper Book
A TERRIFICALLY TERRIFYING TALE! Sam is afraid of anything and everything-except for his friend Leonardo, the terrible monster. Kerry is afraid of everything and anything-except for her friend Frankenthaler, the other monster. ...
What about worms!? /
Willems, Mo.
Paper Book
A Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor award winner! From #1 New York Times best-selling author Ryan T. Higgins comes What About Worms!? Tiger is BIG. Tiger is BRAVE. And Tiger is NOT afraid of anything ... except WORMS! Are Tiger's worm worries worse than worms?

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.