About This Book
A parent might reach for this book when their child is struggling with anxiety, a nervous habit like nail-biting, or the social stress of dealing with a bully. The story follows Maisie, a young girl whose life is a tangle of worries: her persistent nail-biting, her secret and intense fear of butterflies, and the constant teasing from a classmate named Declan. When she's forced to partner with Declan for a school project about her greatest fear, Maisie must find the courage to face her anxieties head-on. With gentle humor and a deeply relatable protagonist, this book explores themes of fear, resilience, and finding empathy for others. It's an excellent choice for showing children that their fears are valid and that inner strength often comes from confronting what scares us most.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly with anxiety, a specific phobia, and schoolyard bullying. The approach is secular and grounded in the protagonist's emotional reality. The bullying is primarily verbal and psychological (teasing, mockery) rather than physical. The resolution is hopeful and realistic: Maisie develops coping mechanisms and self-confidence, and Declan is revealed to have his own vulnerabilities, but the core issues are not magically solved overnight. This provides a nuanced look at why people might act out.
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