Hi everyone, and welcome to another shelf stuff at home video.
I'm Sam from Team Shelf Stuff, and I'm so excited to be here today for
another book talk video.
So today I want to talk about books that will help you overcome your fears.
I really want to talk about this subject today because I feel like it's
something we all struggle with a little now and then.
Even though sometimes I just to hide under the cover and
pretend that my problems don't exist, that's not always possible.
I really love these books because seeing these characters overcome their fears
really gives me that extra boost of courage, so onto the books.
First we have Becoming Brianna by Terri Libenson.
This book is part of the me and friends series and
there's a graphic novel which I absolutely love.
Becoming Brianna takes place in the eight months leading up to Brianna's bat
mitzvah.
During these eight months,
Bree will have to learn a new language, give a speech, and help plan a party.
The only problem is Bree hates the spotlight.
She wishes she had never agreed to any of this, and
isn't even sure she's religious enough to have a bar mitzvah.
But it's happening, and
she'll have to learn how to overcome her fears of the spotlight.
There are many bumps along the way as she learns Hebrew and practices their speech.
Not to mention there's a lot of family and friends drama that she has to deal with.
I love how Bree is forced to come out of her comfort zone in this book.
And that's really great to see how her friends and
family all come together to support her in the ends.
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Next up is Five Things About Eva Andrews by Margaret Dilloway.
Ava is just starting middle school, which I think we can all agree is scary enough.
But to complicate things,
Ava's best friend Delia just moved across the country.
Ava isn't sure that she could start middle school without Delia,
especially because no one else at school knows about her invisible illnesses,
her anxiety and a heart condition.
Everything changes when Ava is invited to join an improv group.
Ava isn't sure this is something she can do because she's always been known for
being super quiet and struggles with her anxiety.
But Ava is determined to prove that she can overcome her anxiety so
she agrees to do it.
Ava discovers a whole new side of herself and learns how to be a part of a team,
and even is able to speak up about important issues facing her community.
I love how this one talks about Ava's invisible illnesses, and
we get to see her experiences with them.
Plus it's really great that we get to see Ava find something that she really loves
and can thrive in.
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Next up on our list is Something to Say by Lisa Moore Ramee.
This book is about our main character Janae who thrives by being invisible.
Janae doesn't have any friends but she also doesn't really mind that,
her home is pretty crowded anyways, so she doesn't really need any more company.
But a new boy named Aubrey shows up and is determined to be Janae's friend.
She tries everything she can do to push him away, but it doesn't seem to stop him.
And then they're paired up for a class debate about a proposed name change for
the school.
This is Janae's worst nightmare.
It's the exact opposite of being invisible, getting up and debating and
speaking in front of everyone.
But Aubrey really wants him to do well because he wants a coveted spot
on the debate team.
Despite all her fears, Janae has to learn how to speak up and use her voice.
I really love this book because I love getting to see how Janae grows.
She goes from being invisible to being able to conquer her fears and
get up and debate.
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The next book I have is How to Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter.
In this book, the main character Lydia is dealing with a lot of unwanted attention
from the boys in her school.
They make a lot of comments that make her feel super uncomfortable, and
even her best friend doesn't understand why she isn't flattered by these.
On top of all of this,
her mom's new boyfriend also makes her feel super uncomfortable.
To help protect yourself from all of this, Lydia just decided she wants to disappear.
She starts to put on lots of layers of clothing, and
collect protective items that she thinks will help.
Being invisible isn't something Lydia can do forever.
She eventually learns that even though it's scary to talk about,
she can reach out to the other people in her life, including her mom and
her cousin Emma because they might just be dealing with the same things that she is.
It's hard to handle all the feelings of what it's like
being a girl living in this world.
I love how Lydia learns that she can reach out to other girls in her life,
because they might be dealing with the same unwanted attention that she is.
And that's comforting to know that girls aren't alone in all of this.
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Last but not least is another graphic novel.
Don't you just love graphic novels?
I know that I do.
This is the New Kid by Jerry Craft.
In this book, the main character Jordan Banks has big dreams of art school.
He loves drawing and even those cartoons about his life instead of art school
his parents decided to send them to a prestigious private school,
his parents are really excited because it's a great school for academics.
But Jordan will also only be one of the few kids of color in his grade.
His first day is really nerve wracking because Jordan doesn't really feel like he
fits in at his new school.
Plus he'll have to learn how to juggle his new school because old neighborhood
friends, I love that through all these new changes.
It's really important for Jordan to stay true to himself.
Changing schools is overwhelming.
But Jordan doesn't let that stop him.
Plus, I think it's really fun that we get to see some of Jordan's
cartoons in the book.
[MUSIC] Okay, that's it for me today.
I hope you all enjoyed these book suggestions.
If you have any other recommendations that will help people overcome their fears,
please leave them in a comment below.
Don't forget to like this video and subscribe so that you don't miss any more.
Thank you so much for watching,
I'll see you next time.
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