Sliding Doors meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in a sweet, smart holiday romance about a girl who decides to stop letting her anxiety stand in the way of true love. The average person makes 35,000 decisions every single day. That's about 34,999 too many for Paige Collins, who lives in debilitating fear of making the wrong choice. The simple act of picking an art elective is enough to send her into a spiral of what-ifs. What if she's destined to be a famous ceramicist but wastes her talent in drama club? What if there's a carbon monoxide leak in the ceramics studio and everyone drops dead? (Grim, but possible!) That's why when Paige is presented with two last-minute options for Christmas vacation, she's paralyzed by indecision. Should she go with her best friend (and longtime crush) Fitz to his family's romantic mountain cabin? Or should she accompany her mom to New York, a city Paige has spent her whole life dreaming about? Just when it seems like Paige will crack from the pressure of choosing, fate steps in -- in the form of a slippery grocery store floor -- and Paige's life splits into two very different parallel paths. One path leads to New York where Paige falls for the city . . . and the charms of her unexpected tour guide. The other leads to the mountains where Paige might finally get her chance with Fitz . . . until her anxiety threatens to ruin everything. However, before Paige gets her happy ending in either destiny, she'll have to face the truth about her struggle with anxiety -- and learn that you don't have to be "perfect" to deserve true love.

Perfect for fans of John Green's Turtles All the Way Down and Nina LaCour's We Are Okay, this is the poignant and uplifting story of Maeve, who is dealing with anxiety while falling in love with a girl who is not afraid of anything. Think positive. Don't worry; be happy. Keep calm and carry on. Maeve has heard it all before. She's been struggling with severe anxiety for a long time, and as much as she wishes it was something she could just talk herself out of, it's not. She constantly imagines the worst, composes obituaries in her head, and is always ready for things to fall apart. To add to her troubles, her mom--the only one who really gets what Maeve goes through--is leaving for six months, so Maeve will be sent to live with her dad in Vancouver. Vancouver brings a slew of new worries, but Maeve finds brief moments of calm (as well as even more worries) with Salix, a local girl who doesn't seem to worry about anything. Between her dad's wavering sobriety, her very pregnant stepmom insisting on a home birth, and her bumbling courtship with Salix, this summer brings more catastrophes than even Maeve could have foreseen. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves? An ALA Rainbow Book List selection A Bank Street Best Book of the Year "With Maeve, Mac delivers a character who's heartwarmingly real and sympathetic, and her story provides a much needed mirror for anxious queer girls everywhere."--Kirkus, Starred review "This is a good companion book for other anxiety-riddled stories, such as The Shattering by Karen Healey, and Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella."--Booklist "This hopeful offering will resonate with young people for their own lives, even if the journey is hard and takes time and patience...[a] compelling portrait of a teen's experiences with anxiety and challenging family dynamics."--SLJ "Mac carefully makes clear that Maeve is plenty able to find joy other places than the perfect girl and that she's working at dealing with her own problems; the romance is therefore lovely and cozy and free from overtones of dependency. The descriptions of anxiety are true and powerful, and romance buffs will likely revel in a book celebrating deep connection."--The Bulletin "Mac is good at showing how a dread-filled mind works... [An] affecting story.''--Publishers Weekly

When anxiety threatens to derail a homeschooled girl's attempt to make new friends, she finds support in an unlikely source . . . a herd of adorable alpacas! To some kids, Amelia's life sounds like the ultimate fantasy. She and her brothers are homeschooled by their adventurous parents, and the family travels around the country in an RV, scaling mountains, rappelling down canyons, and skiing down double black diamond slopes. There's just one problem -- Amelia didn't inherit the family's daredevil gene. She's terrified of heights and would give anything to be reading instead of careening down a mountain. She's also desperate for the chance to attend a regular school and make real friends. So when her parents decide to temporarily move to Colorado, Amelia's delighted by the chance to settle down. However, starting at a conventional school is much harder than Amelia imagined, and her anxiety makes meeting new friends extra challenging. Everything about her feels wrong, from her clothes to her hobbies to her complete lack of pop culture knowledge. So when Amelia's given the chance to volunteer at an alpaca ranch, she's delighted by the chance to do something she's good at -- take care of animals. And soon, the alpacas and their owners start to feel like real friends. But when a cruel classmate's prank puts the alpacas in mortal peril, Amelia will have to summon strength she never knew she possessed to save the only place that's ever felt like home.

When Opal the ostrich is anxious, her neck feels as wobbly as a spaghetti noodle. Her family lovingly calls this “The Noodles,” and tries their best to help. But it’s not easy to calm down when you’re a worrier like Opal—especially when you’re worrying about somebody else’s opinion of you. Now it’s the day of her family’s annual party, and Opal is in charge of picking up the triple-layer-double-custard-beet-and-berry tart from the bakery—a big responsibility! What if she does something wrong? What if somebody gets mad at her?

Eden Jones has exactly three friends. And they're all fake. From a web of lies and social anxiety to true friendship and queer joy; this is the wonderful second book from the author of the Indie Next List pickJude Saves the World. Why go through the stress of making friends when you can just pretend? It works for Eden and their social anxiety... until their mom announces she's throwing them a birthday party and all their friends are invited. Eden's "friends," Duke, Ramona, and Tabitha, are all real kids from school... but Eden's never actually spoken to them before. Now Eden will do whatever it takes to convince them to be their friends--at least until the party is over. When things start to go better than Eden expects, and the group starts to bond, Eden finds themselves trapped in a lie that gets worse the longer they keep it up. What happens if their now sort-of-real friends discover that Eden hasn't been honest with them from the very beginning? Author Ronnie Riley creates a world full of queer joy and all the ups and downs of true friendship.

A heartfelt middle grade novel exploring anxiety from the TD Canadian Children's Award--shortlisted author of A Beginner's Guide to Goodbye. Bertha Mae Stewart--otherwise known as Bertie--is ready for anything grade 6 can throw at her. She spends every day with her best friend Kevin, enjoys delicious cookies at her grandmother's, and has an adorable baby half-brother to dote on. But then her teacher announces a public speaking assignment, she's paired up with her worst enemy for the project, and her inside voice won't stop telling her that everything is going to go wrong. And of course, there's that nagging little secret Bertie can't tell anyone about. Most days, a trip to her favourite tree or a hug from Grammy are enough to make Bertie's anxiety go away for a short while. But as life grows more complicated, and Bertie pushes the noisy feelings further down, the pressure inside of her starts to build. And someday soon, she won't be able to hold it all in. From the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award--shortlisted author of A Beginner's Guide to Goodbye, Bertie Stewart is Perfectly Imperfect is a heartfelt tale about learning to cope with anxiety amid life changes both big and small.

Hi! I'm Charlie. In my mind and in my body, all my emotions fight to take up as much space as they can. I like to picture my feelings as balloons. Sometimes they're so light they float away. Other times, they're so heavy it's like they're filled with water...

Murray worries...about lots of things. He doesn't want to go out in the rain. He's scared of the barking dogs at the park. Fireworks make him jump. But gradually he learns that he can put on a raincoat. He can make new friends. He can be brave.

Frank Endicott is a worrier. He worries about lions, submarines, black holes, leprosy, and armadillos. He lists his worries alphabetically in a notebook and suffers vivid nightmares that even a certain neighborhood pig can't dispatch. When he accompanies Eugenia Lincoln on an errand to duplicate a key at her favorite dark and dusty thrift shop, Frank earns fresh cause for alarm. Odd Buddy Lamp, the shop's proprietor, has sent them home with the original key and its copy. Can Frank come to terms with the mystery without buckling under his mounting dread? With a little help from friends (old and new), hot cocoa, and some classic short stories read aloud, the prognosis is good.

Thirteen-year-old Jonah is determined to prove that anxiety won't stop him from succeeding as his hockey team's goalie in this dynamic novel in verse.

Sara Zarr, author of the National Book Award finalist Story of a Girl, returns with an intimate, exquisitely crafted novel of the courage it takes to see those we love for who they are. Kyle Baker thought his family was happy. Happy enough, anyway. That's why, when Kyle learns that his mother has been having an affair and his father has been living with the secret, his reality is altered. He quits baseball, ghosts his girlfriend, and generally checks out of life as he's known it. With his older sisters out of the house and friends who don't get it, the only person he can talk to is his cousin Emily--who is always there on the other end of his texts but still has her own life, hours away. Kyle's parents want him to keep the secret of his mother's affair from the rest of the family until after what might be their last big summer reunion. As Kyle watches the effects of his parents' choices ripple out over friends, family, and strangers, and he feels the walls of his relationships closing in, he has to decide what his obligations are to everyone he cares for--including himself.

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.

When her family must move once more, Ophelia uses her imagination to make magic out of a scary situation. Giant rabbits with sharp teeth circle the old motel where they are staying. Ophelia can also hear crow-witches cackling from the trees. And when it's time to go to her new school, she encounters an ogre who blocks the road with his giant ogre laughs. But most frightening of all is when Ophelia is left in her new class and realizes that everyone speaks French. Except her. The kids stare, and Ophelia feels like a fish in a fishbowl. But equipped with the magic of a sheet of white paper and a rainbow of pencils, she will find a way to cast her own spells over the class.

A funny picture book about a little girl called Dora who really REALLY doesn’t like parties. A great tool to talk to children about being different, social anxiety and how to overcome it. Everyone likes parties… don’t they? Not if you’re Dora! Dora is a fun-loving girl but she doesn’t like parties, even at her friend Rashid’s. They are too loud and too busy. When Rashid sends her an invitation, she thinks up all kinds of reasons not to go: A gorilla broke into her bedroom and stole her party dress… She has a sore knee, or throat, or toe, or all three… One of her shoes fell in the pond and was eaten by a giant frog… Dora does go the party—and it is very loud and busy. So loud and busy that Dora decides to retreat under the table. But someone else is there already. He’s called Tom and he thinks parties are too loud and busy too. Under the table, Dora makes a new friend and they have a lovely time. Afterwards, Dora still thinks parties are too loud and busy. But she also knows that she’s not the only one who likes to be quiet—AND THAT’S ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY, TOTALLY, AND PERFECTLY OK.