Faking Happiness, Feeling Sadness

Will Anika ever feel happy again? She has her doubts.

Sadness is a feeling Anika cannot shake. She feels as if her life has no purpose or passion. Her unhappiness has been with her for so long, she’s forgotten what joy feels like. Still, she tries to put on a happy face. She fakes being happy for the sake of her friends and family. But they’re starting to see cracks in her cheerful façade, and Anika doesn’t have the energy to keep on pretending.

With support and encouragement from her two best friends, Anika agrees to talk with a school counsellor. She hopes for a quick fix, a speedy remedy, a permanent cure. But she soon learns that the path to feeling better is a process that may require patience, practice, and effort.

Faking Happiness, Feeling Sadness is a dramatic, empowering chapter book that gives young readers, especially girls, the hope and guidance they need to work through uncomfortable feelings and find emotional relief.

Educators and group leaders can supplement the story with a Teacher and Counselor Activity Guide. The guide provides self-reflection questions and group activities to thoughtfully engage readers with the content, which includes strategies for coping with sadness, such as meditation, exercise, healthy eating, vision boards, journaling, and joy seeking.

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