Do you have or know a middle-school aged child who suffers from anxiety? Well then, I recommend having a copy of Freaking Out by Polly Wells available in your classroom. Freaking Out starts with an excellent introduction into what anxiety is, and how it differs from fear. The remainder of the book contains 13 true short stories written by teens and preteens who have had a serious anxiety issue AND dealt with it.
Freaking Out will be on my school library shelf for a couple reasons. First, it will be useful/handy to GIVE to someone suffering anxiety so they can relate their experiences to the examples in the book. I'm thinking specifically of a lovely girl at my school who is deathly afraid of dogs. She will love to read The Enemy Next Door about a boy who was terrified of dogs and what happened to him. A second reason this book garners shelf space is because it could easily be used in a character ed lesson. Teachers could read aloud using the chapters like case studies, and pause to discuss what could or should or might have been done differently to help lessen the anxiety for that particular person. The "case studies" are really interesting, and will hopefully foster empathy in your room. Students need exposure to interesting non-fiction stories that help highlight the diversity in our world and this book helps fill that niche. ( )