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Resources for Managing Child Anxiety

Ages 1 - 24+ Years

Anxiety is common among everyone, and is especially common among people affected by heart defects. For some kids, anxiety can become a problem that limits their opportunities and enjoyment. These resources can help families to understand anxiety, and to learn strategies that can help improve it. Families should use these resources in addition to consulting their doctor and developmental providers.

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The titles and links on this page are provided as resources only. Boston Children's Hospital and the Benderson Family Heart Center don't necessarily endorse all of the information in these resources.


Adult Books about Anxiety

These books are written for adults. They can help parents and providers to understand and reduce their child's anxiety.

  • Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents, by Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons

  • Anxiety Relief for Kids, by Bridget Flynn Walker

  • Be Calm, by Jill Weber, Callisto Press

  • Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD, by Eli Lebovitz, Oxford University Press

  • Freeing Your Child from Anxiety, by Tamar Chansky, Harmony Press

  • Helping Your Anxious Child, by Ronald Rapee, Ann Wignall, and Susan Spence, New Harbinger Publications

  • The Opposite of Worry, by Lawrence Cohen

  • Taking Control of Anxiety, by Bret Moore, APA Life Tools Publishing

  • Unwinding Anxiety, by Judson Brewer, Avery Publishing

  • When the World Feels Like a Scary Place, by Abigail Gerwitz

Anxiety Workbooks for Kids and Teens

These workbooks can help young people to better understand their emotions, and to cope with their feelings of stress and anxiety. Workbooks are usually most effective when young people can work through them with a trusted adult.

  • The ACT Workbook for Kids, by Tamar Black

  • The Anxious Thoughts Workbook for Teens, by David Clark

  • The Anxiety Workbook for Kids, by Robin Alter and Crystal Clark

  • The Anxiety Workbook for Teens, by Lisa Schab, Instant Help Publishing

  • The Mindful Breathing Workbook for Teens, by Matthew Dewar

  • The Perfectionism Workbook for Teens, by Ann Marie Dobosz

  • The Relaxation and Stress-Reduction Workbook for Kids, by Lawrence Shapiro and Robin Sprague

  • The Relaxation and Stress-Reduction Workbook for Teens, by Michael Tompkins and Jonathan Barkin

  • The Self-Regulation Workbook for Kids, by Jenna Berman

  • The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens, by Jennifer Shannon

  • What to Do When the News Scares You, by Jacqueline Toner

  • What to Do When You Worry Too Much, by Dawn Huebner and Sabine Rothmund, Magination Press

  • The Worry Workbook for Kids, by Muniya Kanna and Deborah Ledley

Little Kid Books about Anxiety

These books are written for young children, or for older children with lower developmental skills. They are best rest aloud by an adult. Some of these books directly name and address anxiety, and others discuss it more indirectly.

Brave Every Day, by Trudy Ludwig

Fraidyzoo, by Thyra Heder

Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, by Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett

Me and My Fear, by Francesca Sanna

Puppy in my Head, by Elise Gravel

Ruby Finds a Worry, by Tom Percival

The Worry Monster, by Catherine Cook-Coltone

Too Many Bubbles, by Christine Peck

Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henke

The Whatifs, by Emily Kilgore

When Worry Takes Hold, by Liz Haske

Wilma Jean, Worry Machine, by Julia Cook

Kid and Teen Books about Anxiety

These books are written for children and teens, and can help kids to better understand their bodies and brains, and to take control of their emotions. Some of them directly discuss anxiety and strategies for coping, and other tell stories related to managing anxiety.

  • Better with Butter, by Victoria Piontek

  • The Deepest Breath, by Meg Grehan

  • Growing Pangs, by Kathryn Ormsbee

  • Guts, by Reina Telgemeier

  • A Kids' Book About Anxiety, by Ross Szabo

  • Outsmarting Worry: An Older Kid's Guide to Managing Anxiety, by Dawn Huebner

  • The Panic Workbook for Teens, by Debra Kissen, Bari Goldman Cohen, and Kathi Abitbol

  • Mindfulness for Teen Worry, by Jeffrey Bernstein

  • Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens, by Debra Kissen, Ashley Kendall, Michelle Lozano, and Micah Ioffe

  • A Smart Girl's Guide: Worry, by Nancy Holyoke and Judy Woodburn

  • Sometimes I'm Anxious, by Peggy O-Neill

  • The Summer of June, by Jamie Summer

  • Superpowered: Transform Anxiety into Courage, Confidence, and Resilience

  • The Teen Girl's Anxiety Survival Guide, by Lucie Hemmen

  • Unstuck, by Barbara Dee

  • The Worry Monster, by Catherine Cook-Coltone

  • You Are Not Alone, by Jennie Allen

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