Ruby Finds a Worry
Ruby Finds a Worry
Book Title: Ruby Finds a Worry
Book Author: Tom Percival
Book Illustrator: Tom Percival
This book addresses: Anxiety
Potentially Tricky Vocabulary:
Unexpected: surprising
Questions to ask the student before reading:
What do you think it means to have a worry?
What do you do when you have a worry?
Historical context to give before reading:
Everyone has a worry sometimes. For some people, the worries are harder to deal with than others. This is called anxiety. Learning to live and deal with anxiety is a part of life, and everyone can learn strategies to help them, no matter how big their worry is.
(The questions to ask the student and historical content above are interconnected. The historical context is typically going to be a supplement to what your student might not know. Some students may already be knowledgeable about a subject, others may not know much yet. Pay attention to what your student already knows and share the historical context accordingly.)
While reading:
Take the time to look at the illustrations and point out details in the story that are conveyed through them.
After reading:
What did Ruby do that made her worry bigger?
What did she do to make it smaller?
Do you think a worry will always go away right after you talk about it?
What other strategies can you use to help get rid of a worry?
Follow up activity (time permitting):
Have your student draw or write out a worry. Suggest small worries to them if they don’t want to be vulnerable in such a public setting, such as forgetting your homework, spilling food or drink, or tripping while walking down the hallway. Be respectful of your student’s privacy and allow them to keep what they’re doing to themself if they wish.
All definitions were adapted by Karina Connolly from the Merriam Webster online dictionary.