Books can give children a simple way to understand feelings that may otherwise be difficult to explain. To help alleviate anxiety in children, look for stories that help them recognize worries, fears, and anxious thoughts while showing them that they are not alone.
Whether a child worries about everyday situations or has difficulty with social situations, the right book can open the door to conversations about what they are experiencing.
Below, we’ve listed 25 books organized by different types of anxiety, worry, and fear that children may experience.
Some kids seem to have a new worry every day. These books can help children understand their worries, see them from a different perspective, and feel more comfortable talking about what’s on their minds.
If your child spends a lot of time worrying about things that might happen, this book is a great place to start. It uses simple explanations and activities to teach kids how to recognize anxious thoughts and work through them.
The message of the book is not necessarily never to worry again, but to learn how to stop feeding the worry so it doesn’t take over. The book uses cognitive-behavioral techniques to teach kids skills for handling worry.
Price: $8.95 on Amazon, $16.99 on Barnes & Noble
Wemberly is a mouse who always has something to worry about, whether it’s big or small. In this book, she is nervous about going to school because she doesn’t know what to expect. Because of this, she creates a list of “what ifs”.
The book shows us about anticipatory anxiety and the tendency to imagine negative outcomes before something happens. It gives children a character they can recognize themselves in. Parents can use it as an opening to talk about anxiety.
Price: $11.50 on Amazon, $9.99 on Barnes & Noble
Ruby is a cheerful girl who notices a small Worry following her around. The Worry starts small and eventually grows bigger. She also meets another child who also has a Worry of his own.
The book’s main takeaway is that worries can become more overwhelming when we keep them to ourselves, and talking about them can make them easier to handle.
Price: $14.60 on Amazon
Jenny’s worries are represented as a huge blue bag that follows her everywhere, from school to her home. Eventually, the bag becomes so burdensome that Jenny decides she needs to do something about her worries.
The bag is a very accessible metaphor for carrying different kinds of worries and emotional overload. So it works particularly well for children who feel like they can't switch their worries off.
Price: $9.99 on Amazon, $11.99 on Barnes & Noble
The main character, Wilma Jean, is a child who worries about a lot of different things, and her anxiety can show up physically too.
The book helps children understand that not every worry needs the same response. Some worries are problems they can actually do something about, while others are things they cannot control or fix themselves.
Price: $7.79 on Amazon, $10.95 on Barnes & Noble
Some children aren’t worried about everything. Instead, their anxiety centers around a particular fear, such as the dark, unfamiliar situations, or something that feels threatening. These stories can help children approach those fears with curiosity and courage.
The story features a narrator who repeatedly encounters a pair of empty green pants in strange places. Because there’s nobody inside them, he finds them creepy and becomes increasingly uneasy whenever they appear.
The story uses this silly situation to explore how fear can grow when we don't understand something. It also has a secondary message about accepting something that initially seems strange or unfamiliar.
Price: $8.64 on Amazon, $12.99 on Barnes & Noble
The story follows a little boy named Laszlo who is afraid of the dark. One night, the dark seems to lead Laszlo somewhere in the house. Instead of discovering something terrifying, he ends up encountering something unexpected that changes how he sees the dark.
The book gives parents an opening to talk about what makes the dark scary and how something unfamiliar can feel threatening even when it isn't actually dangerous.
Price: $17.38 on Amazon, $18.99 on Barnes & Noble
A young boy is convinced that there is a nightmare hiding in his closet. Every night, he worries about it being there, so eventually he decides he’s going to face it himself.
Many young children have a fear of monsters or nightmares at night. The story is about a child confronting something he has been afraid of instead of continuing to avoid it.
Price: $6.85 on Amazon, $8.99 on Barnes & Noble
Grover from Sesame Street becomes increasingly worried because he has heard that there is a monster at the end of the book. So he tries to stop the reader from turning the pages by putting up barriers, tying things down, and doing everything he can to prevent reaching the end.
This book is a great option for exploring fear of the unknown. Sometimes the anticipation of something scary can be worse than the actual experience.
Price: $5.87 on Amazon, $6.99 on Barnes & Noble
The story follows Daniel, a little boy who says he isn't afraid of dogs, even though he actually is. As the story progresses, Daniel encounters a dog who is afraid himself.
Daniel's fear changes when he understands what the dog is experiencing, which introduces empathy and helps him see the situation differently. The book is a valuable resource in helping children explore and rethink a specific fear.
Price: $12.82 on Am azon
Separation anxiety is common in younger children, and typically begins around 6-12 months and fades around 3 years old [*].
For some children, saying goodbye to a parent can be one of the hardest parts of the day. These books show characters working through separation while reassuring kids that being apart doesn't mean they're no longer connected.
The Invisible String is about two siblings who become frightened when they wake up during a storm and realize their mother isn’t immediately there. Their mother reassures them by explaining the idea of an invisible string that connects people who love each other.
The book gives children a comforting way to understand that love and connection don't disappear just because someone leaves the room, goes to work, or takes them to school.
Price: $5.28 on Amazon, $9.99 on Barnes & Noble
Chester Raccoon is nervous about starting school because he doesn’t want to leave his mother. His mother gives him a special way to feel connected while they're apart: she kisses the palm of his hand and tells him that whenever he misses her, he can press his hand to his cheek and remember that her love is still with him.
This book is very specifically about separation from a parent, particularly the anxiety that can come with starting school. The most useful part is that it gives children a concrete reminder of their parent that they can use when they're apart.
Price: $12.99 on Amazon, $12.99 on Barnes & Noble
Llama Llama is staying home with a babysitter while Mama Llama goes out. At first, Llama isn't comfortable with the idea of being separated from Mama. The unfamiliar situation makes him nervous, and he has a hard time settling down.
Llama eventually discovers that he can have a good time with another trusted adult while Mama is away, and Mama comes back as promised. This book is useful for children who struggle when their parents leave them with another caregiver.
Price: $8.35 on Amazon, $18.99 on Barnes & Noble
What to Do When You Don't Want to Be Apart is a hands-on guide for kids who feel very anxious when they have to separate from their parents or another person they feel close to.
The important part is that it doesn't simply reassure the child with “Don't worry, your parent will come back.” It helps them build skills for handling the uncomfortable feelings that come with separation.
Price: $14.99 on Amazon, $16.99 on Barnes & Noble
A young girl has a beloved stuffed bear that is her constant companion and source of comfort. When she has to start school and can't have Bear with her, being separated from him feels difficult.
But as she spends time at school, she gradually discovers that she can handle the separation and that she can still feel safe and comfortable even when Bear isn't physically beside her.
Price: $18.04 on Amazon
School can bring a whole list of worries with it. A child may be nervous about starting a new class, meeting other kids, getting something wrong, or not knowing what to expect.
Anxiety can affect more than how a child feels about school, too. Research has found that higher levels of anxiety are associated with poorer academic performance among children and adolescents [*].
The stories below explore different school-related worries, from first-day nerves and fear of making mistakes to feeling out of place and worrying about tests. They can help make those experiences feel a little more familiar and give kids a chance to see how other characters handle similar worries.
Sarah Jane Hartwell is extremely nervous about going to school on the first day. She doesn't want to get out of bed, feels worried about the day ahead, and tries to avoid going.
But there is a fun twist at the end: Sarah isn’t a student. This story shows that everyone gets nervous when they’re facing something new. It makes those first-day jitters feel normal and manageable.
Price: $5.98 on Amazon, $8.99 on Barnes & Noble
Lena has picked out her dress, socks, and headband for school, but her shoes are the only ones that aren't ready. Her shoes are nervous!
The idea is that the shoes are a way for children to see Lena's own anxiety from the outside. Instead of simply telling a child, "It's normal to feel nervous," the story gives that nervousness a character they can understand and relate to.
Price: $10.99 on Amazon, $19.99 on Barnes & Noble
As the school year begins, things don't go exactly as planned for Thea. She makes mistakes and realizes that trying to make everything perfect can make school feel much more stressful.
With support from the people around her, she starts to understand that mistakes are a normal part of learning. This book is for kids who put a lot of pressure on themselves and become worried when things don't go as planned.
Price: $18.00 on Amazon, $18.99 on Barnes & Noble
The story follows Angelina, who feels like she doesn't belong and worries that she has nothing in common with her classmates. Then, as the children begin sharing stories about their lives, Angelina realizes that other kids can feel like outsiders too.
The book shows that feeling different doesn't necessarily mean you're alone. Sometimes connecting with others starts with sharing a little bit about yourself and discovering that other people have their own experiences and insecurities, too.
Price: $8.17 on Amazon, $19.99 on Barnes & Noble
The students in Mrs. Hartwell’s class prepare for an important test. They start getting nervous as the test approaches, and their anxiety shows up in different ways.
The book explores the pressure children can feel around testing and the fear that one test might determine whether they're smart or successful.
Price: $6.69 on Amazon, $8.99 on Barnes & Noble
Making friends, talking to classmates, or being around a group of people can feel overwhelming for some kids. Social anxiety can show up even in the early school years.
Research involving preschool and early elementary children has found that higher social anxiety is associated with difficulties in social and school adjustment [*]. Identifying these difficulties early can help parents and teachers understand what a child may be going through and provide support before anxiety starts to interfere more with everyday experiences.
The books below feature characters who explore friendship, belonging, and the challenges of interacting with other people.
This guide is for kids who feel very uncomfortable in social situations. It explains why social situations can feel scary and what kids can do when those feelings show up.
It's designed for children around ages 6–12 and is based on cognitive-behavioral techniques.
Price: $16.99 on Amazon
Shelli is a young girl who feels comfortable and confident around her animal friends, but she wants to make more friends at school.
The story follows her as she works through that discomfort and gradually becomes more comfortable interacting with other kids. Shelli learns that she can take small steps toward interacting with other children rather than expecting herself to suddenly become outgoing.
Price: $14.63 on Amazon, $16.99 on Barnes & Noble
A quiet child named Sam is comfortable doing things on his own but becomes nervous when he has to speak in front of his classmates. His biggest problem is show-and-tell. He worries about what might happen when it's his turn.
As the story progresses, Sam finds a way to conquer his fear. The experience helps him realize that speaking in front of his classmates isn't quite as frightening as he imagined.
Price: $9.54 on Amazon, $7.95 on Barnes & Noble
Tomasso is the new kid at school. He doesn’t have anyone to play with at recess, and his dad keeps asking him whether he’s made any friends yet. Instead of simply approaching the other children, Tomasso starts making friends with things around him.
The story explores loneliness, the pressure to make friends, and how hard it can be for kids to admit when they're struggling to connect with others. It also shows the importance of having a parent who responds with understanding rather than judgment.
Price: $16.03 on Amazon, $18.99 on Barnes & Noble
This book is about Herman, a boy who gets nervous when he has to talk to people, introduce himself, and make friends. When he tries to say hello, his anxiety makes it difficult for him to get the words out.
The story gives kids a concrete situation they may recognize, like wanting to talk to someone but getting too nervous to actually do it.
Price: $10.95 on Amazon, $11.95 on Barnes & Noble
Books can be a helpful way to introduce children to anxiety, worry, and fear. The right story can help a child recognize feelings they may not know how to explain and show them that they aren’t alone in experiencing them. Some offer practical strategies, while others give children a relatable character or story they can use to start a conversation with a parent or caregiver.
If you’re looking for more hands-on ways to help your child understand and manage anxious feelings, check out our anxiety worksheets. These printable activities can give another way to explore their worries and practice skills for managing anxiety.
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