When New Feels Weird

By Sandhya Menon

When New Feels Weird is the book that finally tells the truth about resilience, moving the narrative from asking kids to push through and starts helping them feel through.

New feels weird

New feels wide

New makes me want to run and hide.

Join Hazel as she learns that facing new things isn't about having all the answers but about building the quiet confidence that says I can handle this, and knowing the right people are there when she can't.

This book is about acknowledging the feelings that arise, and an ode to the demise of common response "Don't worry" in response to Very Many Worries. Written by a neurodivergent Psychologist, When New Feels Weird aims to foster the emotional intelligence in children, and learrn to honour their powerful internal cues. It is an excellent fit for children who are anxious in trying something new, and often seek avoidance as their main strategy. The story is an invitation to those reading alongside children to be curious about their world, and the very many common challenges that New can bring, and the ways in which we can support them to harness their intuition and do things acknowledging anxiety, as well as the costs to the body. Finally, a book that doesn't try to take away or minimise the anxiety, but one that shows them a way through with The Big Feelings.

A heartwarming read about supported emotional development, and the village it takes to raise a child, that might even get adults teary.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0645977381
• ISBN13: 9780645977387
• Release Date: January 2027
• Publisher: Onwards and Upwards Psychology
• Length: 34 Pages
• Weight: 0.27 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.3" x 10.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3