The Journal of Anxious Izzy Parker
The Journal of Anxious Izzy Parker
What I did over the summer was this.
Over the summer Mom and me moved from Toronto, Ontario to Lower Bedeque, Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.). Moving away from Toronto was no fun for five reasons.
I do not like change.
I had to leave my good friend Jane behind in Toronto.
It’s hard for me to make new friends because I do not like talking to people. When I do talk to people, I always worry I have said the wrong thing, so, thinking about having to make a new friend makes me want to cry all the time.
Guess what? If you are a crybaby other kids do not want to talk to you, almost as much as you do not want to talk to them.
I also had to leave my dad behind because him and mom are no longer the peanut butter to each other’s jelly. They are more like vinegar and milk. Everything turns sour when they are together.
Izzy is an eight-year-old girl with a lot of issues to deal with. Her main feeling is fear, and that emotion makes her retreat into herself. The more she retreats, the worse her fear becomes. She is mainly afraid of other people and becomes very anxious around them. After moving to Prince Edward Island, she must adapt to the many new changes: her dad is not around, she is starting a new school, the pace of life is much slower in P.E.I., and she misses her best friend.
As Izzy predicted, she has trouble at school. She doesn’t respond when questioned by the teacher, and she runs to hide instead of playing with a group of girls at recess.
There are some redeeming qualities about Izzy’s new life though. She and her mom live on a farm, and Izzy is very good at handling the chickens, including an angry rooster. She also enjoys horseback riding, and one of the best things is that she has her own bunkie where she can craft items that her mother sells at her online store. She is also waiting for an emotional support dog, something which has been recommended by her doctor in Toronto. It takes a while to get the right dog with the right personality and then train it to look after Izzy. When the dog arrives, Izzy names it Gandalf. She and the dog arrive at school where the class is introduced and is instructed on how to respect a working dog. Gandalf wears a vest and is not a pet. The class also learns a little more about Izzy and why she needs a dog.
Slowly, over time, Izzy learns to deal with her anxiety. With the help of Gandalf, her mother, and kind friends, Izzy learns how to make friends and feel more comfortable with herself.
The Journal of Anxious Izzy Parker is a wonderful book for children to read and learn about anxiety. Most children will feel some anxiety about some of the same things as Izzy. Divorce, going to a new school, and moving are all reasons that children will understand can cause anxiety. The level of anxiety that Izzy feels requires medical intervention, and children will learn the importance of service animals and how to be respectful of those with special needs.
Elizabeth Brown, a retired teacher-librarian , formerly worked for the Winnipeg School Division.