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
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Franklin in the dark
Bourgeois, Paulette.
Paper Book
Jill and Donna are cousins and lifelong best friends but could not be more different. Despite their contrasting characters, fiercely independent, dark, street-smart Jill and pretty, blond, alluring Donna are very close, attending college together in Ann Arbor and then moving to New York City...
Ramona the brave
Cleary, Beverly.
Paper Book
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...
Llama Llama misses Mama /
Dewdney, Anna.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . Join Llama Llama as he attends his first day of preschool in this charmingly illustrated picture book, perfect for introducing little ones to a big milestone. Strange new teacher. Strange new toys. Lots of kids and lots of noise!...
Alvin Ho allergic to girls, school, and other scary things /
Look, Lenore.
Paper Book
Here's the first book in the beloved and hilarious Alvin Ho chapter book series, which has been compared to Diary of a Wimpy Kid and is perfect for both beginning and reluctant readers. Alvin, an Asian American second grader, is afraid of everything--elevators, tunnels, girls,...
Countdown to kindergarten
McGhee, Alison
Paper Book
It's just ten days before kindergarten, and this little girl has heard all there is to know--from afirst grader--about what it's going to be like. You can't bring your cat, you can't bring a stuffed animal, and the number one rule? You can't ask anyone for help. Ever. So what do you do...
Julia Gillian (and the art of knowing) /
McGhee, Alison,
Paper Book
Ten-year-old Julia Gillian is a girl of many accomplishments. Among others, she is skilled in the Art of Knowing--about her quirky neighbours, her Minneapolis neighbourhood, even the inscrutable "claw machine" in the back of the corner hardware store. Unfortunately, the one skill Julia Gillian doesn...
Junie B. Jones has a monster under her bed
Park, Barbara.
Paper Book
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES WITH OVER 80 MILLION COPIES SOLD * Monsters definitely aren't real, and Junie B. Jones is definitely not scared of them in the hit chapter book series that keeps kids laughing and "makes reading fun" (Dav Pikey, author of Dog Man).
Junie B. Jones has a peep in her pocket
Park, Barbara.
Paper Book
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES WITH OVER 80 MILLION COPIES SOLD * Junie B. Jones takes a field trip to a farm in the hit chapter book series that keeps kids laughing and "makes reading fun" (Dav Pikey, author of Dog Man). "Junie B. is the darling of the...
Junie B., first grader :
Park, Barbara
Paper Book
"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...
Jumpy Jack & Googily /
Rosoff, Meg,
Paper Book
Meet Jumpy Jack, a very nervous snail who's afraid of monsters, and Googily, whoisa--well, who is a very good friend, indeed. Wherever they go, Googily kindly checks high and low just to make sure there are no scary monsters about. But as every child knows, monsters come in many shapes and...
Scaredy Squirrel at night
Watt, Mélanie
Paper Book
Scaredy never sleeps --- sleep might mean bad dreams about dragons, ghosts, vampire bats and polka-dot monsters. Our wide-eyed hero has a plan: stay awake all night, every night. Between counting stars, playing cymbals and making scrapbooks, he does a good job of avoiding dreamland. ...
Love waves /
Wells, Rosemary
Paper Book
How to comfort a young child who misses a special person when he or she is away? A treasured picturebook creator has the perfect solution. Love Waves are what we send to our loved ones until we can be together again. Invisible and strong, they can fly across town or around the...
Mama, don't go!
Wells, Rosemary.
Paper Book
There's always a new adventure with Yoko, Timothy, Doris, the Franks and the rest of the gang in Mrs. Jenkins' classroom.With help from each other, their teacher and their families, Yoko and friends explore their similarities, their differences, and their relation to the world in this funny,...
Bear feels scared /
Wilson, Karma.
Paper Book
Bad weather frightens Bear, but his woodland friends are there to help him in this sweet, reassuring Bear story from bestselling duo Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman! In the deep, dark woods by the Strawberry Vale, a big bear lumbers down a...

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