Night of the Goat Children by J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrated by Alexi Natchev. 32 p., Dial, 1999.

Outlaws attack the walled city of Beda, which is ruled by the princess Birgitta the Brave. The princess devises a plan in which she tricks the outlaws into believing that Beda is ruled by a sorceress who can turn humans into goats. Five children, disguised as goats, contribute to the success of her plan, which leads to the outlaws' terrified retreat. According to an afterword, the story is based on real events. The illustrations effectively convey the outlaw leader's ferocity, the princess's wisdom, and the children's innocence. War often makes children (and adults) feel helpless and overwhelmed, and certainly children should be protected from war, not brought in to fight it in any way. But the fantasy of children's power in this story will work against their sense of helplessness.

Ages 5-8
Main character's cultural background: European
Cultural context: European

The Good-Bye Book by Judith Viorst

Illustrated by Kay Chorao. 32 p., Atheneum, 1988.

A boy, about three years old, angrily tries to keep his parents from going out to dinner and leaving him with a babysitter. He expresses a lot of worries about what might happen with a babysitter; for example, a sitter might force him to eat vegetables. He asks his parents to stay for another story, tells them he's sick, and threatens to run away to find new parents who never go out. He doesn't want to say goodbye. In two wordless pages, he makes a connection with the babysitter and becomes willing to say goodbye to his parents. This book would be best for children who have already expressed the angry feelings that the child expresses in the story. They will have the opportunity to see that their angry feelings can be contained, and that it might be OK to stay with a sitter in spite of their expectations.

Ages 3-6
Main character's cultural background: European American
Cultural context: European American

Our Friendship Rules by Peggy Moss and Dee Dee Tardif

Illustrated by Alissa Imre Geis. 32 p., Tilbury House, 2007.

Sometimes kids can do mean things out of a wish to be accepted and to be cool. Such is the case for Alexandra. Jenny has always been her best friend, but then Rolinda shows up at school. Rolinda is the coolest kid ever, and Alexandra immediately wants her as a friend. She succeeds in impressing Rolinda, but only by (literally) hobbling herself. But Rolinda rejects Jenny. To win Rolinda's acceptance, Alexandra says that Jenny isn't her friend any more, and even tells Rolinda one of Jenny's secrets. When Jenny is angry and hurt, Alexandra realizes how much she values their friendship, and she apologizes. Jenny and Alexandra work together to decide how they will conduct their friendship in ways that protect it. When this happens, Alexandra finds that she can relate to Rolinda without giving up either her best friend or her sense of self. Empathizing with both Alexandra's and Jenny's experiences, this story shows kids a way to stay true to themselves, their values, and their friendships.

Ages 5-9
Main character's cultural background: ambiguous; perhaps African American or Latina
Cultural context: multicultural

When I Feel Afraid by Cheri J. Meiners

Illustrated by Meredith Johnson. 40 p., Free Spirit, 2003.

A girl tells about things that frighten her, both make-believe (for example, bad dreams, scary movies) and real (war and violence in the world). She describes coping strategies such as talking with a family member or other adult, playing with friends, thinking about other things (when worrying about something she can't change), drawing pictures, and taking deep breaths in a special quiet place. The girl explains how she knows to trust some adults, and mentions community helpers who can be trusted. A detailed note for adults describes ways to support children when they feel afraid, and includes a brief resource list. Children will benefit from knowing the coping strategies that the girl suggests, and can adopt some of her positive self-talk to use themselves.

Ages 2-6
Main character's cultural background: Latina
Cultural context: multicultural