Staff Picks
Anxiety is overwhelming. These books can help.
- Thomas M.
- Monday, October 11, 2021
Collection
Anxiety comes in many forms, all of them personal. Recognizing and describing anxiety is an important step in learning how to manage it. The books below include fictional stories where characters struggle with and confront their anxiety, as well as nonfiction books that deal directly with causes and solutions regarding anxiety.
Other Boys
Published in 2021
Starting a new school, seventh-grader Damian takes a vow of silence to avoid being bullied, making him wonder, if boys can be so cruel, why he has a crush on one?
The Anxiety Toolkit
Strategies for Fine-tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points
Published in 2015
"Drawing on extensive social psychology research, and the author's training and clinical experience in Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, The Anxiety Toolkit offers actionable strategies that anyone can use to manage their anxiety--both personal and professional. Anxious people often think a great deal about why they think and behave the way they do. They seek self-improvement information yet often get stuck in applying it. They read popular self-help books for anxiety, but these books are highly simplified, to the extent readers can't make the leap from the examples in the books to their more complex real world problems. They turn to business books because they're motivated to achieve greater success, but since these books don't address the reasons anxious people get stuck, they're not especially helpful. The Anxiety Toolkit provides the information anxious people look for but can't find. It draws on extensive social psychology research, and the author's training and clinical experience in Cognitive-Behavioral psychology, addressing the core problems that impede people who are anxious--inhibition, biased thinking, rumination, intolerance of uncertainty, excessive responsibility taking, self-criticism, perfectionism, and avoidance coping--and providing readers with the tools to manage these tendencies"-- Provided by publisher.
Just Peachy
Comics About Depression, Anxiety, Love, and Finding the Humor in Being Sad
Published in 2019
"Adventures in Dealing with Everyday Struggles, Getting Help, and Doing Just OK Sometimes. Just Peachy is a comic series that explores what the day-to-day is like with depression and/or anxiety. The all-too-real cartoon protagonist gives readers a character to empathize with, and helps explain some of the not often talked about consequences and symptoms of having depression. The comics also explore the themes of heartbreak, finding love, dealing with stress, and capturing the magical moments in life that keep us going. Through dark humor and cute illustrations, the subject matter becomes a bit more bearable, allowing for honest discussion about things like treatment and getting through anxiety attacks and providing some comfort in times of struggle. For anyone affected by mental illness, Just Peachy shows that you are not alone. Simply put, this is an encouraging collection of comics about being just okay sometimes"-- Provided by publisher.
Living with Viola
Published in 2021
"Heartbreakingly honest and quietly funny, this #ownvoices graphic novel from a debut creator is a refreshingly real exploration of mental health, cultural differences, and the trials of middle school. Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school--and then there's Viola. Viola is Livy's anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola's relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola's days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola. Rosena Fung draws on her own early experiences with anxiety and the pressures of growing up as the child of Chinese immigrant parents to craft a charming, deeply personal story that combines the poignancy of Raina Telgemeier's Guts with the wacky humor of Lumberjanes. Exuberant, colorful art brings Livy's rich imaginative world--filled with everything from sentient dumplings to flying unicorns--to life on the page."-- Provided by publisher.
The Anxiety First Aid Kit
Quick Tools for Extreme, Uncertain Times
Published in 2020
A quick-relief guide for calming anxiety and stress right now-during the COVID-19 pandemic If you're feeling unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety right now, please know that you aren't alone. In these extreme and uncertain times, it's natural to be in a constant state of mental and physical strain. Whether you're dealing with job loss, a sick loved one, or just feeling the weight of the world during your 2 a.m. doomscroll-you need quick tools you can use right now, whenever and wherever you are, to lower stress and soothe anxiety. This emergency kit has you covered. Written by a dream team of mental health experts and grounded in evidence-based therapy, The Anxiety First Aid Kit offers powerful tools for triaging stress and anxiety in the moments when you need it most. You'll find easy and doable ways to help you press pause on panic, and find your calm spot right away. You'll discover in-the-moment interventions to help you relax before your anxiety and stress go into overdrive. And finally, you'll learn how to make healthy and workable lifestyle changes to improve your mental health and increase resilience, so you can effectively deal with stressful situations in the future-no matter what life throws at you. Between pandemic-related economic fears, the frustrations of social distancing, indoor confinement, work and household double duties (now including homeschooling!), and the looming threat of serious illness, is it any wonder you're feeling completely stressed out and anxious? If you need immediate relief, The Anxiety First Aid Kit has everything you need to manage stress and anxiety-right now. When anxiety and stress feel too intense to handle, readers need quick, in-the-moment relief-not psychological jargon. Written by a dream team of mental health experts and grounded in evidence-based therapy, The Anxiety First Aid Kit offers simple tools for triaging stress and anxiety in a crisis.
Unearthed
A Jessica Cruz Story
Published in 2021
Jessica is a dedicated student and part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but as xenophobia in Coast City increases and her father is detained by I.C.E. Jessica must fight her fears and become a voice for her community.
Unearthed
A Jessica Cruz Story
Published in 2021
Acclaimed author Lilliam Rivera and artist Steph C. reimagine one of DC's greatest Green Lanterns, Jessica Cruz, to tell a story about immigration, family, and overcoming fear to inspire hope. Jessica Cruz has done everything right. She's a dedicated student, popular among her classmates, and has a loving family that has done everything they can to give her a better life in the United States. Jessica usually worries for her undocumented parents, but her fears and anxiety escalate as a mayoral candidate with a strong anti-immigration stance runs for office. As the xenophobia in Coast City increases, Jessica begins to debate if it's worth staying in the U.S. or moving back to her home in Mexico. And despite her attempts to lean on her friends and family, she finds herself constantly visited by visions of Aztec gods, one pulling her toward hope and the other toward anger. But when her father is detained by I.C.E., Jessica finds herself being pulled into an abyss of anxiety. Despit feeling helpless with her father, Jessica must find her way out of her fears and ultimately become a voice for her community.
The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens
Published in 2015
For teens, feeling independent is critical for building self-confidence. But for anxious teens, fears, worries, and rumination can stand in the way of achieving the developmental milestones that lead to independence?such as socializing, dating, academic success, or taking on more mature responsibilities. Based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), The Anxious Teen Survival Guide is an engaging, illustrated resource to help teens skillfully work through situations that cause anxiety so they can focus on their goals. By identifying their "monkey mind"?the part of their brain where anxious thoughts arise?teens will start to feel more independent, more confident, and ready to take on the world.
Guts
Published in 2019
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on? Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face ? and conquer ? her fears.
Guts
Published in 2019
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?