Dr. Annie's Bookshelf

A child psychologist's book recommendations for growth and healing

Psychoeducation

Knowledge is power! Psychoeducation is the provision of psychologically-relevant factual information (e.g., many people with depression feel more tired than usual, even if they get a full night’s sleep). Psychoeducation can correct misconceptions children have about themselves or others, help children know what to expect, and reduce the unknowns of a situation.

The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Dream

Written and illustrated by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.
Recommended for: This vintage Berenstain Bears book explains what nightmares are to children–that they are not real and that they are often a jumbled up collection of things the child was thinking about or feeling throughout the day. This explanation could be really useful to a child who has been having nightmares. It demystifies a nightmare and although it won’t prevent a bad dream, it could help a child to calm down more quickly once they are awake and to fall back asleep more quickly.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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Step Back from Frustration

Written by Gill Hassan
Illustrated by Sarah Jennings
Age range: 1st grade through 4th grade.
Recommended for: This is a good introduction to the feeling of frustration and how to manage it. It is applicable to children who blow up when they’re frustrated (e.g. kids who will smash apart a Lego creation if they’re struggling to get something right), as well as kids who are more inclined to quickly give up and avoid a frustrating situation.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Emotional Literacy, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Emotion Regulation
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Tiger Vs. Nightmare

Written and illustrated by Emily Tetri
Age range: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Recommended for: Written in comic book style, this book teaches children that they can stand up to a nightmare and dispel it by reminding themselves that the nightmare isn’t real. It’s best for a kid who enjoys some action, as the scenes depicting Tiger and her friend Monster battling the nightmare are a bit scary.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Visualization
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Tic Talk: Living with Tourette Syndrome

A 9-year-old boy’s story in his own words

Written by Dylan Peters
Illustrated by Zachary Wendland and Kris Taft Miller
Age range: 2nd grade through 5th grade.
Recommended for: This book is great for a child who has recently been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and/or who is considering whether and how to share about their diagnosis with friends and classmates. Written by a 9-year-old boy with Tourette Syndrome, it normalizes and validates many experiences common to kids with tics. It provides hope that others will accept them and that Tourette Syndrome will not hold them back from pursuing their dreams (make sure to read the foreword and afterword!).
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Medication
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How I Learn

A Kid’s Guide to Learning Disability

Written by Brenda S. Miles
Illustrated by Jane Heinrichs
Age range: 1st grade through 3rd grade.
Recommended for: This book features three children with learning disabilities in reading, writing, and math. It explains the concept of a learning disability and instills hope that with the right accommodations and lots of practice, a child “can do anything.” This book is a good read for a child who has recently been diagnosed with a learning disability and who will benefit from normalization and hope that accommodations will help them to learn.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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What Happens When Dads Divorce/ Moms Divorce/ Parents Get Divorced

Written and illustrated by Sarah Olsher
Age range: Preschool through 3rd grade.
Recommended for: These books are an excellent first introduction to the many changes that come with divorce, and they gently scaffold early conversations about a child’s fears and feelings about these changes while introducing a visual calendar to help a child track when they will be at each parent’s home. The books come in three nearly-identical versions featuring two moms, two dads, and a mom and a dad. The books are best for a child who will be spending time with both of their parents, but they don’t assume 50/50 shared custody.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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A Kids Book About Autism

Written by Justin Flood and David Flood
Age range: 2nd grade through 6th grade.
Recommended for: This book is written by an autistic young adult and his father and describes the challenges of autism, as well as what they love about it. It is a good read for the allistic (i.e., non-autistic) siblings or friends of autistic children, as well as for autistic children who might relate to Justin (i.e., shared challenges, shared interests). It validates the challenges of autism but ultimately ends on a positive, inclusive note.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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What To Do When It’s Not Fair

A Kid’s Guide to Handling Envy and Jealousy

Written by Jacqueline B. Toner, Ph.D. and Claire A. B. Freeland, Ph.D.
Illustrated by David Thompson
Age range: 1st grade through 5th grade.
Recommended for: This interactive workbook based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques helps children to learn cognitive restructuring and relaxation strategies to manage envy when something is “not fair.” It includes techniques to navigate situations when “someone else has something you think is better than what you have, or does something better than you, or gets more attention than you do.” This book is best for a child who has some insight into their thoughts (i.e., can name their thoughts about specific situations).
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Cognitive Restructuring, Relaxation, Diaphragmatic Breathing
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It Hurts When I Poop!

A Story for Children Who Are Scared to Use the Potty

Written by Howard J. Bennett, MD
Illustrated by M.S. Weber
Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.
Recommended for: This story is for children who withhold their poop due to a fear that it will hurt to let it out. It teaches about the importance of poop and how a child’s diet can soften a poop to make it come out more easily.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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What To Do When Your Temper Flares

A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger

Written by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.
Illustrated by Bonnie Matthews
Age range: 1st grade through 5th grade.
Recommended for: This excellent interactive workbook empowers children to learn strategies to calm their temper. It reviews cognitive strategies (e.g., “cool thoughts”) and behavioral strategies (e.g., deep breaths, squeezing a pillow), and it touches on problem solving, compromise, flexible thinking, and avoiding “payback” escalation. It’s best for a child who is able to articulate their thoughts to some extent, but if a child isn’t yet able to do this, many of the other chapters on “anger-dousing” strategies will still be applicable and helpful. This workbook is great for a child who is ready to learn some strategies as well as a kid who is ambivalent about managing their anger or who doesn’t yet feel that it’s possible.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Cognitive Restructuring, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Relaxation
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What to Do When You Don’t Want to Be Apart

A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Separation Anxiety

Written by Kristen Lavalee, Ph.D. and Dr. Silvia Schneider
Illustrated by Janet McDonnell
Age range: Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Recommended for: Children who are ready to be more independent and less bothered by their separation anxiety will likely find this workbook to be helpful and non-judgmental. It’s not the most fun book, but it lays out a clear path to being able to enjoy birthday parties and tolerate nights with babysitters, which will be a relief to many children bothered by separation anxiety. Children who aren’t yet self-motivated to practice coping with separations may or may not be engaged enough by the metaphor of flying a hot air balloon to get on board with the activities presented. That said, it is a collection of the most effective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools for reducing separation anxiety, so it could be useful for a caregiver to read even if a child isn’t quite ready for it. Therapists may also find this book helpful to use during therapy sessions and/or as between-session homework for caregivers and children to complete each week.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Cognitive Restructuring, Self-soothing, Exposure
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Wishing Wellness

A Workbook for Children of Parents with Mental Illness

Written by Lisa Anne Clarke
Illustrated by Bonnie Matthews
Age range: 2nd grade through 5th grade.
Recommended for: Children with a parent or caregiver who is experiencing psychosis (i.e., hallucinations and/or delusions) or is otherwise behaving very unusually. Parent diagnoses of Bipolar I Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Delusional Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder with psychotic features are all appropriate. This book is best completed in small doses with a therapist or a caregiver who is not symptomatic.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Emotional processing, Emotional literacy
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What to Do When You Worry Too Much

A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety

Written by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.
Illustrated by Bonnie Matthews
Age range: Ideal for 1st graders through 5th graders.
Recommended for: Children struggling with too many worries who want to worry less will likely benefit from going through this interactive workbook with a trusted adult and practicing the recommended skills. It’s a collection of evidence-based practices for worry management, and for some kids, this workbook might be enough to help them learn to get their worries under control! For kids who need a little more support, this workbook could still be a great supplement to therapy. Also available in Spanish.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Cognitive Restructuring, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation
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What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck

A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD

Written by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.
Illustrated by Bonnie Matthews
Age range: 1st through 5th grade, or even younger middle schoolers.
Recommended for: This interactive workbook is best for kids and tweens with OCD who have clear compulsions (e.g., tapping, reassurance seeking, hand washing) and/or “not just right” OCD (e.g., straightening, erasing and rewriting, repeatedly changing socks) and who don’t have hoarding challenges. It could be completed chapter-by-chapter in therapy sessions, between sessions as therapy “homework,” or alongside therapy as a supplemental intervention. A caregiver with some understanding of OCD treatment might feel comfortable working through this workbook with their child without the support of therapy; however, most children with OCD will benefit most from being in therapy while completing this workbook (or soon after).
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Restructuring
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Leah’s Voice

Written by Lori Demonia
Illustrated by Monique Turchan
Age range: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Recommended for: This book is great for the siblings of autistic girls, who are very underrepresented in children’s literature about autism. It validates the challenges of having an autistic sibling while highlighting love and connection between the siblings. It particularly supports conversations about what to do if a friend rejects an autistic sibling and presents a model of what inclusive play might look like. The book explicitly states that Leah is “autistic.”
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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What About Me?

A book by and for an Autism Sibling

Written by Mandy Farmer and Brennan Farmer
Illustrated by Emily Neff
Age range: 1st grade through 4th grade.
Recommended for: This book is ideal to read with children who have autistic siblings and who can sit through a longer, wordier book. It celebrates positive aspects of the siblings’ relationship and builds empathy and understanding for a sibling’s experience while validating some of the very real challenges that can come with having an autistic brother or sister. For children who have ever asked, “What about me?” when their sibling goes to therapy and gets to play games, or when family decisions are made based on an autistic sibling’s needs, this book validates these experiences and provides some useful coping strategies.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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Otto Learns About His Medicine

A Story about Medication for Children with ADHD

Written by Matthew Galvin
Illustrated by Sandra Ferraro
Age range: Kindergarten through 2nd grade.
Recommended for: This book is best for a child who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD. It is a surprisingly charming, car-themed overview of ADHD and its treatment. It reviews common symptoms of ADHD (including hyperactivity and inattention), the process of getting evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD (in this book the diagnosis is a motor that runs too fast), and treatment with a psychologist and a psychiatrist–“special mechanics” who are part of young Otto Mobile’s “pit crew.” It describes behavioral and medication interventions and provides hope that a child’s own pit crew will help them run to the best of their ability.
Evidence-Based Practices: Medication, Psychoeducation
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Taking Tourette Syndrome To School

Written by Tira Krueger
Illustrated by Tom Dineen
Age range: 1st grade through 4th grade.
Recommended for: This book’s primary purpose is to teach a child’s peers (classmates, teammates, etc.) about Tourette Syndrome so that a child is less likely to be teased or excluded due to their tics. It could be better written, but it’s an acceptable introduction to tics and Tourette Syndrome. It teaches peers important information, including facts like Tourette Syndrome isn’t contagious, and a child isn’t ever ticing on purpose, and it reminds readers that kids with Tourette Syndrome like to play and learn just like everyone else.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation, Medication
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Taking Dyslexia to School

Written by Lauren E. Moynihan
Illustrated by Tom Dineen
Age range: 1st grade through 3rd grade.
Recommended for: This book is best for children who have recently gone through neuropsychological or psychoeducational testing and have been given a diagnosis of dyslexia. It normalizes the testing process, briefly explains the diagnosis, and shares about different accommodations that have helped the narrator improve his reading and better access his education. If a child is expressing confusion, worry, or shame about their diagnosis or recommended accommodations, this book could be a start to reassuring and clarifying conversations with a trusted adult.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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Do You Want to Play?

Making Friends with an Autistic Kid

Written by Daniel Share-Strom
Illustrated by Naghmeh Afshinjah
Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.
Recommended for: This book, written by an autistic author, is a celebration of parallel play and perspective taking, and it is excellent for the peers or siblings of autistic children who are minimally verbal and/or who prefer parallel play (i.e., playing side-by-side but independently) to cooperative play. This story models non-patronizing, inclusive play and encourages kids to learn to play in ways that are fun for everyone.
Evidence-Based Practices: Psychoeducation
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