to be aware that shyness is an attribute that can be very painful for some children and that shy children can use reassurance that their feelings are adaptive. While researching this topic and combing the library looking for childrens books that deal with shyness, it became apparent that there is not an abundance of books that deal with this subject. We had to make a great effort to find books on this topic. The lack of shy characters in childrens books may make shy children feel even more alone in their feelings as many books focus on characters who are fun and outgoing. Childrens opinions of themselves begin to form very early on which means that teachers and parents need to reaffirm each childs image of him or herself in order to raise a happy and healthful child. One way to accomplish this is to share books with children that have characters that they can relate to. While the books we found were certainly not bad books, we do feel that there is room and the need for more childrens books to address the complex and frequently painful experiences of being shy....
