Briefly tell us about your book.
This book, like all my books, comes from a place of wanting to share the messages I wish I’d internalised as a child, and that in some ways I still need to hear today. You’ve Got This has been written to help little ones wrangle their worries and remind them that they are braver than they think.
What inspired the idea behind this book?
When I first developed anxiety, I didn’t understand what was happening to my mind or body. It felt very out of my control and this only made my anxious feelings worse. Anxiety is becoming increasingly common among children, and I wanted to write a book that would help them better understand their brain so they could feel empowered to manage their anxiety.
What are you hoping readers will take away from your book?
I hope that the little ones and their grown-ups feel able to wrangle their worries and remember that they are braver than they think!
Why do you think this book is important for the series’ progression?
Worries are something that everyone, young or old, has to navigate. Worries are also something that holds some young people back from taking risks and following their passions. It just felt like a natural next step after You Are Enough.
Please tell us a bit about your writing process.
I write about topics or themes that I have often been reflecting on for years before I come to write a book about them. I like to write in cafes and I start by listing the messages that I want to communicate in the book. Then I write lines that are often out of order, I just write them as they come to me. Lastly, I spend time arranging these lines into an order that flows. This process could take me 2 days or 2 months – it just depends on how I’m feeling.
What’s some great advice you’ve received that has helped you as a writer?
When I first entertained the idea of writing a non-fiction children’s book my mum told me to ‘write what you’d say to a young person if they were sitting right there’. To this day I still write with this advice in mind.
What were your favourite books as a child?
Harry Potter (duh) and the When The War Began series!
Buy a copy of Life Lessons for Little Ones: You’ve Got This! here.
Jess Sanders is a social worker, gender equality advocate, podcast host and best-selling, award-winning author. Jess has a passion for creating resources that nurture positive mental health and promote gender equality.
Every project she pursues is born from the question, ‘Why does it have to be this way?’. Jess’s first book, Love Your Body is the perfect example of this. The book, which was originally crowd-funded through Kickstarter, was born from Jess’s refusal to accept that every girl is destined to grow up disliking her body. Not only is negative body image a waste of a girl’s precious energy and time, it also holds her back from achieving her full potential. Jess has since published Me Time: a self-care guide to being your own best friend and the follow up to Love Your Body for boys, Be Your Own Man which supports boys to redefine what it means to be a boy, and a man.
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