We really liked this one. My son had been feeling very anxious before bed and this really helped us focus our thoughts on the Lord before going to bed and is something he wants to do every night before bed now.

Jennie Allen has been so assertive with all her books, always speaking straight to the heart. I am thankful to have the opportunity to read this book with my kids. Kids, especially in the teen years, are going through so many changes and insecurities. This is an amazing tool to help our kids in hard times. Teaching them how to keep forward leaning in God's love and care about them. Highly recommend it.

I have read several books by this author and her most recent book was disappointing to me. This gave me pause would this book be just deas without any substance? would this book be connected to biblical truth or just strategies in a toolkit to overcome anxiety?

This book lost a star in my review because it was more vague in both biblical connections and brain research. These concepts could have been discussed in more detail as they were in her first book, and still been simple enough to the target tween audience.

This book is also for adults to read and discuss with a child at the start, or it could just add fears to the brain, Once you get to chapter four, the young person could read and discuss independently, as it's more about how to resolve spiral thoughts.

This book is for those who find the Word of God as the way to live. It is NOT a secular anxiety book for just any parent to give their child to help with anxiety. Although it would still help them, it is a book that talks about God helping you take your thoughts captive and make a choice mentally.

This book is worth reading to support your thoughts that spiral out of control. It’s worth reading with your 8-12-year-old daughter. I would discuss as you go otherwise the first few chapters explaining what spiraling thoughts are could give ideas to an anxious kid beyond their own. So Start Together, by part 2, is a manual explaining and defining feelings and then biblically informed concepts to battle the spiral.
These are my notes with the Power Statement each chapter opens with and the content of that chapter. The book ends with a toolkit appendix.

I would have preferred more brain research like in the adult version of You Are Out of Control. And stronger connections from the start to the gospel, believing in and knowing who God is. But it’s there, I just wanted a different order.

I had no idea what to expect of this book. Out of Your Head was a favorite of mine, and Untangle Your Emotions disappointed me. But I was thrilled to find this book a solid tool for its audience of 8-12-year-olds and their parents. Adults will benefit from the toolkit for handling thoughts with excellent ways to live better!

Thanks net-galley for a pre-release! It is worth owning! The reader is interacted with and assigned appropriate tasks to process personally!

Mental health is a big topic nowadays. Ever since the Covid pandemic, we continue to hear news reports and various mainstream articles talking about the need for proper mental healthcare. One of the best ways to cultivate good mental health is toward the young. Many problems arise out of a poor or traumatic upbringing. As the younger population becomes more exposed to the Internet, it is increasingly important to take steps to foster wisdom and tact when dealing with so much information, especially via social media. That is not the only concern. Children needs guidance in almost all areas of life. From discerning Truth from fiction to dealing with thoughts and all kinds of feelings, author Jennie Allen gives us tools and tips to guide the younger ones among us. It is easy to feel helpless with the continuing onslaught of information and mass misinformation out there. Thankfully, this resource helps us put things in perspective. Calling it a "Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxious Thoughts and Believing What's True," this book anchors readers on the foundation of all stability: The Bible. Written in three parts, Allen guides us with clear instruction and biblical wisdom on how to deal with life, and especially our spiritual upbringing. Part One gives us a birds-eye view of the book's structure. It covers many concerns such as anxiety, confusion, feelings, self-esteem, self-identity, relationships matters, thoughts, etc. Allen points out the need to be constantly on the lookout for Truth, and not just hearsay or what other people are saying. She guides us through many passages from the Bible to constantly remind us to anchor ourselves upon the Word of God. Of thoughts, she calls us to take captive every thought (2 Cor 10:5). She reminds us that fighting commences in our heads. She helps us understand the vicious spiral of anxiety: "Feelings lead to thoughts; Thoughts lead to actions; Actions have consequences; Consequences make us feel feelings; And then it starts all over again." One thing leads to another. In order to instill positive change, it is important to interrupt any such spiral of deception. In order to make good choices, we need to distinguish truth from fiction. The best way to fight lies is with Truth.
Part Two is about the more specific ways to engage our thoughts rightly. Thoughts that create anxiety. Thoughts that bring shame. Loneliness. Helplessness. Feeling misunderstood. Perfectionism. Each of these six things could easily derail any of our efforts to think and feel well. Allen gives us examples and tips on how to deal with these negativity. Using worksheets and diagrams for us to visualize our thoughts and fears, Allen gives pointed biblical references to guide our thoughts. When anxious, pray more. When feeling shamed, make a conscientious choice to open up to God and ask Him for comfort. In times of loneliness, remember that God is always with us even when we do not feel it. When helpless or overwhelmed, trust God. When feeling unfair, be humble and continue to seek God. When one feels like a failure, remember that we only need God, and God alone is enough. Each chapter ends with a prayer guide to help us practise the themes described.

Finally, Part Three comprises two chapters to help us keep improving. It is about guarding our minds from consuming lies. It shows us how to choose God's way. It assures us of God's perfect love. One important point is about discerning the kinds of friends we make. There are those who fill us up with encouragement and there are also those who wear us down. Spending time consistently with God will help us better discernment our lives and our relationships.

Three Thoughts
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First, this book is clearly written and targeted at young people as well as parents. Jennie Allen shares not only her knowledge of children but also her experience as a parent. This is an invaluable combination which makes Allen a wise voice to listen to. I like this book for the way the content is spaced out for personal reflection. Instead of cramming words to save pages, the author generously provides space for readers to interact with drawings, thoughts, and feelings. It takes one to understand how children think and the layout demonstrates that understanding. Using mind-mapping helps one to visualize the thought process.

Second, Jennie deals with the mind and how to ensure a healthy thinking process. She expands on the different sources of anxiety to show us how one wrong thought can lead to another wrong thinking. This comes in many different feelings like confusion, helplessness, loneliness, shame, feeling misunderstood, perfectionism, and so on. Each time she tackles the specific source, she gives us a common antidote: the Word of God. This might seem too simplistic an answer but it's the plain truth. That is why Allen anchors the book on the key verse in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive.

Finally, she goes down to the feelings level, which is essentially the title of the book. The reader of this book will learn he or she is not alone. The Truth is we are never alone for God will always be with us. If there is one Truth to take away from this book, this is it. Loneliness is a big issue regardless of age group. With the rise of social media and the influx of scams, it is easy to be deceived in this world. One of the biggest lies is to feel connected just because we have many friends online or many likes on our social media platforms. Studies have consistently shown that having many online friends often do not translate into real relationships. Eventually, one needs to have a Church community to belong to. More importantly, one needs to cultivate a consistent relationship with God. Otherwise, we become sitting ducks for all kinds of deception and misinformation.

Thanks to Allen, we are blessed to have a resource that helps push back against the lies of this world, increasingly entering via social media. The threats might be new but the solution is the same.

Jennie Allen is the founder and visionary of IF:Gathering as well as the New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head, Find Your People, Made for This, Anything, and Nothing to Prove. A frequent speaker at national events and conferences, she is a passionate leader, following God’s call on her life to catalyze a generation to live what they believe. Jennie earned a master’s in biblical studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Zac, have four children.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of WaterBrook Multnomah via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Get Out of Your Head is my absolute favorite book. I read it once a year as a reminder to set my mind straight. This new spin-off is equally incredible. Jennie meant these words to speak to the hearts of 8-12 year olds, but it spoke to me at age 34. I loved how Jennie took massive negative thoughts and explained them in easily digested materials and chapter lengths. This book is destined to alter the course of the lives of those who have the privilege of reading it. I cannot wait to see the impact it has on society!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you are looking for a Jesus-based self-help parenting book, this may be the book for you. Unfortunately, the author’s only title is “Bible teacher” and has no actual credentials in child psychology.

The book we wish our younger selves had! Thankfully, we have the opportunity for our kids, nieces, nephews, and grandkids to have it. I love Jennie Allen’s books and was eager to read this book with my 11-year-old son. I enjoyed reading it and he seemed to listen better than if I just tried to share these truths from my heart. I liked the prayers at the end of the book, as well as questions and suggestions she offers when certain situations arise.

I received an advanced reader copy by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love everything Jennie Allen publishes. And this book is no different. This book is about kids and mental health. Kids these days have so much stacked against them in our culture. Social media makes life so much more difficult, whether or not kids understand that. It's hard if they have it, it's hard if they don't. But either way, kids still have just as much trouble with negative thinking as adults.

In You Are Not Alone, Allen helps kids understand that they can have control over what goes in their minds, and what message they tell themselves. Peace, joy, and love are possible, even to kids and teens. This book is sort of like the kids version of Allen's book "Get Out of Your Head," and I would highly recommend every parent to read it. It's so important!!

A super great read for anxious minds! This is one of the first books I remember encountering aimed at kids anxiety. It seemed like it would be helpful for starting conversations and destigmatizing mental health hurdles.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

At the time I read this book
I had a lot of worries but I didn’t know why I was led to just read this book as I could clearly see it was specifically made for growing children and I’m a full-grown adult; there was a sentence that got to me “capture all your thoughts and bring it to Jesus”.
I like the fact that this book creates a space to express your thoughts.
Jennie wrote it in a way that is relatable and young adults wouldn't lose focus or interest while reading.
I love the encouraging Bible verses used as a guide.

Jennie Allen is noted for being frank and up front about how to deal with feelings and how to live with health self-control. In this book for children and teens, she tackles their challenges and anxieties with forthrightness and empathy.

She encourages the young to take their minds captive, warding off anxiety, peer pressure, perfectionism, misunderstandings, and more. I highly recommend this as a gift for parents of middle schoolers and teens. If my kids were teens, I'd get them a copy.

I was initially excited to find a book that I could read and review that I thought might also help my daughter with her worrying. When I opened the book and began reading it, I was quickly disappointed. It seems to me that so many of the books coming out for teens and kids about mental health have a religious focus. I was relieved to find one that did not mention religion in the synopsis of the book. I see now that the word "spiritual" was in the bolded first part. But the more detailed summary that I paid closer attention to on here had no mention of God or religion. The cover also didn't. I realize there's a market for that, but I think that the publisher's summary/synopsis needs to more accurately reflect that as I felt a little mislead. I am not against religion and I even believe in God, but I personally prefer mental health books to focus on mental health regardless of religion. With a revised synopsis, I'm sure the book will find its target audience and have better success.

You Are Not Alone by Jennie Allen is for kids who struggle with anxiety but this book is really for everyone because everyone struggles with insecurity and shame at some point in their lives. Jennie breaks down the information into easy to understand sections that deal with the majority of issues that kids deal with and points them to God, the Maker of their soul, who understands them most. She provides several helpful resources including verses for specific issues. I can’t wait to give this to my 11 and 8 year old daughters.


Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

This book offers a refreshingly straightforward and accessible reading experience for children. The author navigates the theme of anxiety presenting it in a normalized and non-judgmental manner that young readers can readily relate to. However, while the inclusion of the concept of God may resonate with some readers, it could potentially limit the book's appeal to a broader audience. By reducing the emphasis on this aspect, the author could have reached a larger demographic and ensured that the book remains inclusive for readers from diverse backgrounds and beliefs.

Looking for an easy read to get done in a day? But one that you actually get something meaningful from? Look no further!

Q- Are you a fan of self help books?

👉🏼 For me I most certainly am!
•It’s a great reminder that we aren’t alone in whatever we are feeling.
•Anxiety gets the best of us sometimes.
•It’s okay to not always be okay.
•You’re not always going to be 100%
•Always protect your mind.

This is essential. I think this book is so so needed for children these days. What a great and godly resource for kids with anxiety. (While I'm not sure how many kids would actually go through this kind of book unless it was required reading, I certainly believe that it would make a great resource for teachers or leaders to keep as a resource for their students and such.

(I did go into this thinking it was the adult version for parents to help with their children, so it wasn't exactly what I expected, but regardless, I definitely recommend it.)

The idea of the book was really god. As an anxious person that had to go through life with anxiety when I was 12, I was feeling really alone and was overwhelmed by everything going on in my brain.
The thing is that this book is way more about God than I thought. Nowhere in the description of the book is it mentionned that God will take a lot of space in this book.
I think that for kids with anxiety that are also religious, that book could be good.
Otherwise, I don’t think so. Please do advertise in the description that this book contains a lot of references to God and the Bible.

Completely different to what I thought it would be. A lot of things about god which I wasn't expecting. The things on anxiety were really helpful.