Have No Fear! (Fix-It Friends Series #1)

by Nicole C. Kear, Tracy Dockray (Illustrator)

Overview

Because being scared stinks!

Seven-year-old Veronica Conti knows a thing or two. She knows that recess is the best part of the day. And if someone, like Maya, doesn’t play during recess because she’s too afraid of bugs, that’s a HUGE problem! Problems need to be fixed.

Veronica learns, though, that when you try to fix an issue on your own, you might make things a tiny bit worse. Or maybe a lot worse.

So before you can say “bugging out,” Veronica forms a team with her best friend Cora, total tech whiz Ezra, and Mr. Know-It-All—her bossy big brother, Jude. Together, they can tackle Maya’s problem and every problem! Together, they are the Fix-It Friends!

The first adventure in The Fix-It Friends chapter book series anchors humor with lots of heart, as the group learns to deal with fears and phobias.

Includes a toolbox of expert advice on how to face your fears!

Don’t miss the other Fix-It Friends adventures:
The Fix-It Friends: Sticks and Stones
The Fix-It Friends: The Show Must Go On
The Fix-It Friends: Wish You Were Here
The Fix-It Friends: Eyes on the Prize
The Fix-It Friends: Three’s a Crowd

An Imprint Book

"Fears are scary! But don’t worry: the Fix-It Friends are here with step-by-step help —and humor too.”—Fran Manushkin, author of the Katie Woo series

“Full of heart and more than a little spunk” —Kathleen Lane, author of The Best Worst Thing

An empowering resource for kids — and they're just plain fun to read.” —Lauren Knickerbocker, Ph.D., Co-Director, Early Childhood Service, NYU Child Study Center

“Hooray for these young friends who work together; this diverse crew will have readers looking forward to more.” —Kirkus Reviews

"The humor is spot-on, and the stories pull kids in, teaching without preaching, encouraging children to be active problem-solvers in their own lives." —Dr. Dawn Huebner, Ph. D., child psychologist and creator of the What-to-Do Guides for Kids series

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250085856
Publisher:	Imprint
Publication date:	05/16/2017
Series:	Fix-It Friends Series , #1
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	30 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Nicole C. Kear is the author of the chapter book series The Fix-It Friends (Imprint) and the memoir Now I See You (St. Martin’s Press), chosen as a Must-Read by People, Martha Stewart Living, Parade, Redbook, and Marie Claire UK among others. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Good Housekeeping, New York, Psychology Today, and Parents as well as on Salon, the Huffington Post, and xoJane. She teaches writing at the NYU School of Professional Studies.

A native of New York, she received a BA from Yale, a MA from Columbia, and a red nose from the San Francisco School of Circus Arts. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, three children, and two albino frogs.

Tracy Dockray illustrated the paperback cover of Lois Lowry's Stay, a dog's tale about his life, and a picture book, Izzy&Oscar (Sourcebooks, 2015) a story about a more unusual kind of pet. Tracy has illustrated numerous other picture books such as The Tushy Book and the prize winning Lost and Found Pony, as well as an edition of Beverly Cleary's Ramona series, Ralph the Mouse series, Henry Huggins series, and The Fix-It Friends series.

Nicole C. Kear grew up in New York City, where she still lives, with her husband, three firecracker kids and a ridiculously fluffy hamster. She's written lots of essays and a memoir, Now I See You, for grownups; and The Fix-It Friends series and Foreverland for kids. She also co-wrote The Startup Squad series with Brian Weisfeld. She has a bunch of fancy, boring diplomas, and one red clown nose from circus school. Seriously.
Tracy Dockray illustrated the paperback cover of Lois Lowry's Stay, a dog's tale about his life, and a picture book, Izzy&Oscar (Sourcebooks, 2015) a story about a more unusual kind of pet. Tracy has illustrated numerous other picture books such as The Tushy Book and the prize winning Lost and Found Pony, as well as an edition of Beverly Cleary's Ramona series, Ralph the Mouse series and Henry Huggins series.

Editorial Reviews

"Fears are scary! But don’t worry: the Fix-It Friends are here with step-by-step help —and humor too.”—Fran Manushkin, author of the Katie Woo series

“Full of heart and more than a little spunk”

—Kathleen Lane, author of The Best Worst Thing

An empowering resource for kids — and they're just plain fun to read.”

—Lauren Knickerbocker, Ph.D., Co-Director, Early Childhood Service, NYU Child Study Center

“Hooray for these young friends who work together; this diverse crew will have readers looking forward to more.” —Kirkus Reviews

"The humor is spot-on, and the stories pull kids in, teaching without preaching, encouraging children to be active problem-solvers in their own lives." —Dr. Dawn Huebner, Ph. D., child psychologist and creator of the What-to-Do Guides for Kids series

From the Publisher

06/01/2017
Gr 1–3—The first in a planned series featuring Veronica Conti, an outgoing seven-year-old who wants to solve conflicts, including her new friend Maya's problem: a fear of bugs. While her heart is in the right place, Veronica's plans leave something to be desired, and everything goes disastrously awry. Maya's problem and some of the resulting action in the book are somewhat contrived and the solutions pat. However, the premise, an idea of a series about a group of friends helping others in need, makes up for some of the title's minor shortcomings. VERDICT A serviceable if not memorable beginning chapter book.—Kaela Cochran, Lincoln Township Public Library, Stevensville, MI

School Library Journal

2017-03-06
Seven-year-old Veronica teams up with friends to help solve classmate Maya's problem, launching a series.When Maya, a little girl with East Asian features in Dockray's accompanying illustrations, can't enjoy recess, the little white girl discovers the problem: Maya is deathly afraid of bugs, which ruins the best part of the day. Veronica tries a variety of strategies to coax her friend out, but each "solution" seems to add to the problem. Clowning around to elicit a laugh results in the dumping of a can full of charity pennies onto the floor. A fake spider at lunch has Maya screaming in alarm, which sets off a flurry in the cafeteria that ends with the principal on her backside when she slips on her soup. A real solution is found when Veronica observes her baby sister adjusting to her fear of the vacuum with gradual exposure. Her counselor mom helps come up with baby steps to try. Since 7- and 8-year-olds are often struck by fears and anxiety, this book fills its niche perfectly. Wise adults help the youngsters form reasonable solutions, but the kids are the ones who act on the solutions in a respectful way. The daring inclusion of the word "butt" suits Veronica's trenchant voice and will summon both giggles and gasps. Hooray for these young friends who work together; this diverse crew will have readers looking forward to more. (Fiction. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews