PENNY DRAWS A BEST FRIEND

Penny learns important lessons about friendship and worry in a series opener inspired by the author’s own early struggles with anxiety.

As Penny prepares to start fifth grade, she can’t wait for her best friend to return from camp, but when Violet gets back, things are awkward. Violet’s no longer interested in drawing, and she’s spending all her time with popular but mean Riley. Penny tries to accept this, but intrusive, spiraling thoughts continue to interrupt her life; between Violet’s distance, her parents’ big secret, and her little brother’s croup that requires frequent ER visits, she has plenty of real reasons to worry. Thankfully, Penny’s visits to Mrs. Hines, the Feelings Teacher, give her a safe place to talk about what is going on in her head, and familiar faces open the door to new, unexpected friendships whose value becomes clear when something bad really does happen. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white sketches that highlight some of the more comical moments in the story, the book features just the right amount of humor to balance out more serious explorations of changing friendships and the ways uncertainty and lack of control can contribute to an increase in feelings of panic for young anxiety sufferers. Many readers will see their own concerns and feelings reflected here. Penny and her family read White.

A bright and emotionally accessible story full of wit and warmth.