Title: Sam Is Never Scared

Author: Thierry Robbrecht 

Themes: Social Skills, Anxiety, Friendship, Bullying, Developing Empathy, Developing Perspective

Age Recommendation: Elementary School

Sam Is Never Scared tells the story of a kid who presents as a show-off and subtle bully but who actually uses those behaviors to protect his own feelings of inadequacy and shame. 

In the first half of the book, Sam seeks a lot of attention and puts his friends down. He pretends to be tough so that his peers don't see his vulnerabilities and fears. Then readers learn that Sam's bravado is false; he is afraid of the dark and of spiders, among other things. My favorite character in this book is Sam's friend, whom he eventually shares his fears with, and who treats Sam with kindness and empathy. 

Besides being a good introduction to some basic social skills, this book provides opportunities to introduce cognitive behavioral concepts such as distorted thinking (such as always/never) and managing anxiety by developing perspective.