Joyce Olsen

Children face new choices, challenges, and circumstances daily as they learn and grow. They can generally choose to try something new; other times, their new is life-changing and is not a choice. What about when a new experience becomes a MUST-DO? And there is no choice but to make it a part of their lives. How might they respond? This book talks about how scary new can be when a child faces the reality that their "new" might not be accepted well by their peers. New Can Be Scary encourages young readers that even though new can feel scary and uncomfortable, their peers like them for who they are, not for their appearance.
The book also carries a subtle anti-bullying message, inviting children to think about how they can respond to a friend or classmate struggling with something new.