Definition:

Courage is being willing to face something hard or scary, like trying to do something you’ve never done before. 

In short:

Do good, try hard even when it’s scary.

Summary:
The girl in this story shares about her relationship with fear over time. When she was really little, she was scared of everything. But as she grows, she is able to grow her courage. She shares how she faces various scary situations by changing her way of thinking about them. Instead of panicking, she uses common sense to chase away fear. She says that sometimes it’s fun to be scared, and she helps her little sister when she is frightened. The story is accompanied by several amusing illustrations, making it even more attractive for young children. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students will become more confident and able to face what scares them as they discuss this story and its many examples of overcoming normal childhood fears. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. Name one thing that scares the girl in this story.
2. When she says, “when I was little”, do you think she’s your age, younger, or older? 
3. She says when she was little she had a mountain of fears. What happened to the mountain as she got older? 
4. What helped her overcome her fear of the dark? 
5. When she understood that when the neighbor’s dog barks it’s just being friendly, was she still scared of it? 
6. What did she do when she lost her mom in a crowd? 
7. What should you do if you get lost in a crowd? 
8. What helps you when you have a nightmare? 
9. Do you like to hear scary stories sometimes? Why or why not? 
10. What does she say to herself when she sees spiders and beetles? Remember to ask an adult before you pick up any creature.