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Start giftingThe Thing I'm Most Afraid Of
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Learn moreA new middle-grade tale from critically acclaimed, award-winning author Kristin Levine about facing your fears, set in Vienna during the Bosnian genocide.
Most twelve-year-olds would be excited to fly to Austria to see their dad for the summer but then Becca is not most twelve-year-olds. Suffering from severe anxiety, she fears that the metal detectors at the airport will give her cancer and the long international flight will leave her with blood clots. Luckily, she's packed her Doomsday Journal, the one thing that always seems to help. By writing down her fears and what to do if the worst happens, Becca can get by without (many) panic attacks.
Routines and plans help Becca cope but living in a new country is full of the unexpected--including Becca's companions for the summer. Like Felix, the short and bookish son of Becca's dad's new girlfriend. Or Sara, the nineteen-year-old Bosnian refugee tasked with watching the two of them for the summer. As Becca explores Vienna and becomes close to her new friends, she soon learns she is not alone in her fears. What matters most is what you do when faced with them.
Kristin Levine received her BA in German from Swarthmore College and an MFA in film from American University. She spent a year in Vienna, Austria, working as an au pair, and has taught screenwriting at American University. Currently, she lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her two daughters. She is the author of the critically acclaimed The Best Luck I Ever Had, The Lions of Little Rock, and The Paper Cowboy.
Reviews
Praise for The Thing I'm Most Afraid Of:“An engaging historical novel with an unusual, vividly realized setting. . . A moving resolution.” —Booklist
“In this thoughtful novel populated with well-developed characters, Levine slowly and realistically reveals Becca’s growth. . . An important story about anxiety, change, and courage.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Becca is an engaging and sympathetic narrator, and Levine (The Jigsaw Jungle) writes her experience of anxiety with nuance and sensitivity. The past is never forgotten in Vienna, and Levine threads the city’s history into this novel . . . while Sara’s recollections of the Bosnian War are heartrendingly effective.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“In this historical novel set in 1993, fears and anxieties are taking over 12-year-old Becca Greenburg’s life. . . As Becca . . . learn[s] that having and being a support for others builds inner strength . . . her anxieties do not vanish, but she learns how to live in spite of them. VERDICT: A slice of history that echoes another country’s struggle with anti-immigrant sentiment.” —School Library Journal Expand reviews