"Rahul Kapoor is heading into seventh grade in a small town in Indiana. The start of middle school is making him feel increasingly anxious, so his favorite person in the whole world, his grandfather Bhai, gives him some well-meaning advice: Find one thing you're really good at. And become the BEST at it. Those four little words sear themselves into Rahul's brain. While he's not quite sure what that special thing is, he is convinced that once he finds...

Abbie Wu is FRAZZLED as she navigates locker thieves, diabolical cats, and other hazards of middle school. Things are looking up for Abbie Wu: this year she'll run for class president and get a brand-new shiny locker. Until--she doesn't ... Not only does she discover that her locker has been hijacked by a complete stranger, but it turns out the culprit also happens to be her new science partner. To make matters worse, there's an addition to the Wu...

"Now it's time for her family's annual soirée, and Opal has been given a big responsibility: picking up extra-special dessert for the party! She is having a serious case of The Noodles. What if she does something wrong? What if somebody gets mad at her?

Fifth grader Penny, who doodles to cope with anxiety, worries that her best friend is drifting away. Why does the cubby room always smell like farts? Who etched the words "I Am Bug Man" inside my desk? Why is Mom suddenly acting like she has a secret? Nobody said starting fifth grade would be easy, and Penny Lowry's anxiety means a million questions are always spinning through her thoughts. Luckily she's got a lot to look forward to, like her favorite...

"Lawrence stays close to home because "out there" is too big and loud. Sophia stays high up in the tree branches because "down there" is too dark and dangerous. When they meet and become friends, they find ways to enjoy each other's company without leaving their own safe spots . . . until a storm comes, and both are so worried about the other that they are finally able to take a huge, scary leap into the unknown.

When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.

When Lila, a worrier, moves to a new town, the what ifs only grow, and she feels alone and invisible until her teacher finds a creative and kind way to make Lila feel welcome and open to new experiences, a lesson that will stay with her long after second grade.

A gentle metaphor for understanding and processing anxiety and sadness.

On the last day of fifth grade, super-smart eleven-year-old Ginny learns that her father, who is a military ER doctor, is being deployed to Afghanistan, devastating news because they are already moving to another post in Maryland and Ginny depends on her father to help her manage her obsessions, panic attacks and general meltdowns; one of her obsessions is geographical facts, and somehow Ginny hopes to use her geographical knowledge to overcome her...

Nervous about her big dance performance the next day, Angelina Ballerina goes through a comforting bedtime routine with her parents that eases her worries and brings her sweet dreams.