90 books like The Fix-It Friends

I loved Stanley’s self-aware and endearingly dry sense of humor as he grapples with anxiety as well as his comic-book obsession, which becomes contagious throughout the book. I loved following his journey from a middle-school kid who passes out during a school safety presentation to one who discovers his inner courage thanks to his love of comics—and some mindfulness breathing techniques woven throughout, as well.

It was refreshing to read a book featuring a boy struggling with anxiety, and I loved rooting for him as he went on a comic trivia scavenger hunt, to Comic Con, and even as he muddled his way through family and friendship hardships. I was truly sad when the story ended; along the way, he became a hero in his own right!

First of all, I love that this is a super accessible graphic novel and that it directly addresses anxiety. Sometimes, it can be hard to convey anxiety in words alone, so I loved that this book provides visual elements to help portray how it feels, as well. I also loved that it showcases how anxiety can manifest itself physically—in this case, through stomachaches—which is one of the most common symptoms kids experience.

The book is autobiographical, so I also loved the insightful author/illustrator note at the end of the story that helps normalize (and encourage!) therapy, even for young kids. (Even better—she also illustrated some of The Babysitter’s Club graphic novels, so her illustrations are simple and vibrant in a familiar style that I enjoyed!)

Ellie endeared herself to me as I read the ridiculous lengths to which she would go to avoid—no, sabotage—her own bat mitzvah simply to escape her extreme anxiety (and selective mutism).

But while the food fight and faking her own death were entertaining, what was most compelling was how the author pulled back the curtain not only on her Jewish faith and heritage but also on her panic attacks. As well as the coping techniques that she learned throughout the story to tame them in a way that made the little girl in me—also horrified at the thought of speaking, let alone singing, in front of a crowd—feel empowered not only to recognize my own anxiety but to also realize that I can do something about it. 

I love the premise of this heavily illustrated, diary-style chapter book: It not only teaches kids that even monsters can get anxiety—but also that they can do something about it through the author’s method of breathing and mindfulness.

I loved how thorough it was, taking time to really lead kids through the process (what he calls Stop, Take Time To Think) as she considers her fears about giving a speech in school and whether those fears will actually happen—a pretty mature technique that I wish I had known how to tackle when I was growing up! I also loved the sweet relationship she had with her grandma (Bobbe) and how her whole family rallied around her to conquer her anxiety and reframe what it means to be brave. 

Shark is a totally awesome shark. And that must mean he isn’t afraid of anything, right? Right! Shark is not scared of dinosaurs or bears or the dark! He loves talking about how fearless he is (after making sure there are no spiders nearby.) Shark and I have one thing in common, and I’m not going to say what it is, but… can someone tell me if there’s a spider nearby? (Run away!!) Cartoon-y and super fun illustrations help make this a very enjoyable, hysterical read-aloud! 

I like all of Maria Savva’s books because she has great insight into how people think and why they act as they do. She creates worlds that are ‘normal’ and yet pitches her characters into unusual situations, which make the worlds strange and eerie; especially in The Spider stories.

Not one for the arachnophobes! In the 25th century a nuclear holocaust has driven humans to hide in the desert from the predatory giant spiders who now rule the earth. But main character Niall has a secret, he shares the spiders' gift of telepathy, and moves to liberate humanity from the Spider Lord.

The description of the giant spiders' use of will to control their prey is fascinating, and the move from pure adventure story into political intrigue and power games is genius. A very underappreciated fantasy novel.

I wish I could singlehandedly scrub away the fear humans have of spiders. Alas, that is not possible, but you’ll think twice about killing a spider after reading this book. This stunningly illustrated picture book invites readers into the fascinating world of (arguably) one of the cutest arachnids around, the jumping spider.

“What if you were very small?... What would your world be like?” Immediately, you are transported into the mind of a jumping spider, how they navigate their world, and what makes them so important to their ecosystem. This book is a must-read for anyone curious to learn more about these incredible little creatures and the smaller world right in our own backyard. 

Maybe the oddball on this list compared to the other mainstream properties. This story has a little technology, biology, and geology mixed together to craft up a creature lurking beneath the surface that is accidentally unleashed by a combination of greed and ignorance.

The other thing I love about The Hatching is the pace. It's breakneck. Ezekiel Boone shuttles you around setting up well-written characters before unleashing sheer chaos and terror on them with a plot that is far more real than the litany of the zombie apocalyptic novels out there.

In this story, two worms fall in love with each other. When they decide to get married, their friends ask who will wear the dress and who will wear the tux. In the end, it doesn’t matter what they wear, because worm loves worm.

I love the simple, noncomplicated theme that no matter who you want to spend your life with, love is love. The illustrations are delightful and charming.