Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery

Kindle
$13.81

Available instantly

Paperback
$14.54

$14.54 with 14 percent savings

List Price: $16.99

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Tuesday, April 29 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tomorrow, April 25. Order within 8 hrs 23 mins.

In Stock

$$14.54 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

30-day refund/replacement

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$12.95

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery May 8 - 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery May 7 - 13

$$14.54 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by QCompany and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (67) from $4.65 + $3.99 shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the authors

What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD (What-to-Do Guides for Kids) Paperback – Illustrated, February 15, 2017

by Dawn Huebner (Author), Bonnie Matthews (Illustrator)

1,544 ratings

Part of: What-to-Do Guides for Kids (17 books)

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.54","priceAmount":14.54,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"54","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"z199VkMvKvBFX%2FMYjTNj2OOXXpwhV0fFj3cPuM2k2SsXmZxwqm%2FZOXo68SAdUmw0%2BVWSli6uo6fvQhv0NW8Jvl3HYAFcxXuFUnF%2FAqyBaNVphMNmOcEEpqdy6WR5JHsZkuXZraFqFME%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$12.95","priceAmount":12.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"z199VkMvKvBFX%2FMYjTNj2OOXXpwhV0fFSExF%2Ba%2BZzED5KSTR9hqtJo5uK9irRoUzR%2F%2F7K6ozZhfXTip0p%2BBRbYGvf%2BDEOElfSaq4XBbJ1l2qRG6xHbhlvbtRxfMS4%2F52s%2FZJYAoZbx1U0pzVs83md2CTlQVOhLeWEmSc1PRUl676TEMlWA7SlqmS7DgHI76d","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Did you know that people have brain sorters that keep their brains from getting cluttered with unnecessary thoughts?

Sometimes these brain sorters get mixed up, though, and brains get clogged with thoughts that really bother kids. If that has happened to you, if it's hard for you to feel safe or sure of yourself because certain thoughts have gotten stuck, this book is for you. What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck guides children and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder.

This interactive self-help book turns kids into super-sleuths who can recognize and more appropriately respond to OCD's tricks. With engaging examples, activities, and step-by-step instructions, it helps children master the skills needed to break free from OCD's sticky thoughts and urges and live happier lives. This What-to-Do Guide is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to work toward change.

From the brand

Books for Kids from APA

American Psychological Association works to advance psychology as a science and profession and as a means of promoting health and human welfare. APA publishes books for young readers under its imprint, Magination Press, that aim to make navigating life's challenges a little easier. It's the synthesis of psychological science with informational fiction that makes an APA kids book distinctive.
Visit our Store

Visit the Store

From the Publisher

What to Do workbooks guides series help kids learn to help themselves book banner ad

Includes kid-friendly suggestions and activities, such as:

Draw 3 things that are in the garbage pail closest to you and add 2 others that you’ve thrown away recently.
Circle the things in this picture that are worth keeping, and put an X over the things that should be thrown away.
List a few rituals that you repeat daily.
Explain how you would “talk back” to a thought that is stuck in your brain.

	What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck	What to Do When Bad Habits Take Hold	What to Do When You Worry Too Much	What to Do When You Dread Your Bed	What to Do When You Grumble Too Much	What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake
						Buying Options
Customer Reviews	1,544	275	6,890	1,138	694	—
Price	$14.54	$14.89	$13.68	$12.26	$14.54	— no data
Subtitle	A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD	A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Nail Biting and More	A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety	A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems with Sleep	A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Negativity	A Kid’s Guide to Accepting Imperfection
Short Description	If it's hard for you to feel safe or sure of yourself because certain thoughts have gotten stuck, this book is for you.	If you have a habit that's hard to stop and embarrasses you or gets you in trouble, this book is for you.	If your worries have grown so big that they bother you almost every day, this book is for you.	If you're a kid who is convinced that nothing short of magic will make nighttime easier, this book is for you.	If you're a kid who feels so frustrated by life's tricky spots that it's hard to enjoy the good things, this book is for you.	If you try to be right all the time, or if you worry about being less than the best, this book is for you!
Ages	6 to 12	6 to 12	6 to 12	6 to 12	6 to 12	8 to 12

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Gold NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards) winner

Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Activity Books (Silver)

“This is a great book that will motivate and educate.”—Portland Book Review

"Dr. Huebner tackles OCD in a way that is comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, and fun. This guide is an invaluable tool to demystify OCD and help children heal."—Michelle Saidel, MD, Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

"My first impression from this book is that a few more simple tools could have helped me nip this disorder in the bud BEFORE I reached adulthood."—The OCD Diaries

From the Publisher

National Parenting Publications Gold Award Winner!

From the Back Cover

Did you know that people have brain sorters that keep their brains from getting cluttered with unnecessary thoughts? Sometimes these brain sorters get mixed up, though, and brains get clogged with thoughts that really bother kids. If this has happened to you, if it's hard for you to feel safe or sure of yourself because certain thoughts have gotten stuck, this book is for you. What To Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck guides children and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Revealing OCD in a whole new light, this interactive self-help book turns kids into super-sleuths who can recognize OCD's tricks. Engaging examples, activities, and step-by-step instructions help children master the skills needed to break free from the sticky thoughts and urges of OCD, and live happier lives. This is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to work toward change.

About the Author

Dawn Huebner, PhD, is a psychologist, parent coach, and the author of numerous self-help books for children. Her books have been translated into 23 languages, touching the lives of millions of children around the world.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is about more than hand washing. It's about thoughts and urges that get stuck in your child's mind, terrifying him, tormenting her. It's about rituals intended to ward off harm. It's about things feeling "not right" to your child. And it's about questions, endless questions -- questions about safety, questions about certainty, questions that drive you crazy, questions that break your heart.

OCD is a neurobiological problem, and there is nothing you or your child did to cause it. While it appears random and bizarre, it's actually quite common and predictable. OCD is related to certain abnormalities in brain chemistry and function. And although it appears rather tenacious, it is in fact a treatable condition.

Children with OCD benefit most from a type of therapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches children new ways to think about and respond to the thoughts and urges that characterize OCD. Children learn, in effect, to retrain their brains to respond more accurately and efficiently - to become unstuck.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Magination Press ― American Psychological Association; Illustrated edition (February 15, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591478057
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591478058
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 6 - 11 years, from customers
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 5
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.25 x 11 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7 in Children's Books on Diseases & Physical Illness
- #12 in Children's Books on Disabilities
- #32 in Anxiety

Customer Reviews:
1,544 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Upload your video

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Dawn Huebner
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Dawn Huebner, PhD, is a psychologist, parent coach, and the author of 18 books (and growing) including the bestselling What to Do When You Worry Too Much and Outsmarting Worry.
Dr. Huebner recognized the need for lively, easy-to-read take-home materials to help children practice the strategies they were learning in her office. She created a format effective for 6-12-year olds – the What to Do Guides for Kids - teaching complex psychological concepts using metaphors, language, and humor easily understood by children. Her newer books maintain her distinctive voice while adding a layer of detail and sophistication appreciated by older children.
All of Dr. Huebner’s books echo her philosophy - that children can and should be taught to help themselves, and that they are capable of overcoming even stuck-seeming challenges. Dr. Huebner’s books sell briskly around the world, and have been translated into 23 languages. She has been featured on the TODAY Show, CNN, WebMD and many other news and information outlets, and is frequently interviewed by popular parenting magazines. Dr. Huebner’s TEDx talk on Rethinking Anxiety has been viewed over a million times.
Dr. Huebner enjoys hearing from readers. She is always at work on her next book...
See more on the author's page
Bonnie Matthews
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Bonnie Matthews has illustrated many children's books. Her whimsical characters have also appeared in more than 100 magazines worldwide, as well as on greeting cards, gift wrap, can labels, and even the cover of the Land's End Kids catalog. She lives in Baltimore.
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

1,544 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book incredibly effective at explaining OCD to both kids and parents, with well-written content that's easy for children to understand. Moreover, the book offers tons of practical advice and includes helpful illustrations with visual metaphors that are right on the mark. Additionally, customers appreciate the engaging format with fun activities and consider it well worth the money. However, opinions about the length are mixed, with some finding it short while others consider it too long.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Book for kids Language Help Readability Visual content Value for money Length

144 customers mention "Book for kids"140 positive4 negative

Customers find this book incredibly effective at explaining OCD to both children and parents, with one customer noting that their son understood and used the included worksheets.

"...diagnosis now and it teaches some great tools that are evidence based to help manage OCD." Read more

"...Mother and daughter like the book and it was recommended by her therapist." Read more

"...purchase the book as well because it simplifies and clarifies an oftentimes misunderstood and debilitating disorder...." Read more

"good resource for kids" Read more

75 customers mention "Language"72 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's language, noting that it is well-written for youngsters to understand, easy to read and follow, and makes sense to children.

"...This book visually is appealing and its text simplifies for young and old that the tricks of the OCD monster can be foiled with cognitive behavioral..." Read more

"...it's a workbook style, you have places to draw pictures, or write your own thoughts down so it can truly be catered to you!..." Read more

"...It is written for the child. My only problem with the book is that my daughter or rather her OCD is easily influenced...." Read more

"...The wording in the book is absolutely perfect for the older child and preteen age group in a way that I've not seen written before...." Read more

60 customers mention "Help"57 positive3 negative

Customers find the book very helpful, providing tons of practical advice and serving as an amazing tool, with one customer noting its effectiveness in cognitive behavioral therapy.

"...and I have a better understanding of his diagnosis now and it teaches some great tools that are evidence based to help manage OCD." Read more

"...She finds it very helpful and loves doing the exercises in the book...." Read more

"...The tips are helpful, and she has used them ever since" Read more

"...for younger kids, it is very sound and can be enormously useful to them in conquering their OCD...." Read more

22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and filled with fun activities, with one customer specifically mentioning their child's enjoyment of the exercises.

"I love this book because it explains things simply and it’s interactive...." Read more

"...Of course, my hero Fred Penzel cannot be topped with the incredible information and examples shared in his book, and Jonathan Grayson's is full of..." Read more

"...She finds it very helpful and loves doing the exercises in the book...." Read more

"...Easy to follow workbook with some good exercises to help kids who keep getting caught up on the same worry/thought...." Read more

17 customers mention "Visual content"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the visual content of the book, particularly its helpful illustrations and visual metaphors that are right on the mark, with one customer noting the easy-to-understand analogies.

"...This book visually is appealing and its text simplifies for young and old that the tricks of the OCD monster can be foiled with cognitive behavioral..." Read more

"...I love how it's a workbook style, you have places to draw pictures, or write your own thoughts down so it can truly be catered to you!..." Read more

"...She answered the questions and drew pictures for the various exercises with great enthusiasm. The more we read the more excited she became...." Read more

"...This book is very well-written, has great analogies that are helpful to understand how the brain gets stuck and what the compulsions and obsessions..." Read more

8 customers mention "Value for money"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth the money.

"...It seemed juvenile at the time but proved to be quite valuable in helping him understand he's not alone and that his symptoms started at a younger..." Read more

"...work but just by the way she couldn't put the book down, it was worth the investment...." Read more

"...Buy this book, it is worth every penn! Thank you to the writers!" Read more

"Recommended by our neurologist for our child with TS. It was a great purchase." Read more

7 customers mention "Length"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the length of the book, with some finding it short while others consider it too long.

"...This book is short, appealing to a child, and easy to use. Plus it doesn't have any sexual content...." Read more

"...This chapter is short and doesn't explain HOW to say "No", just that you can..." Read more

"...Short, simple to understand, tons of practical advice, and activities that engage a child." Read more

"...Black and white unattractive pictures Too long Not good for little kids Explanations are not suitable to read through ( TMI)..." Read more

Reviews with images

See all photos

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Amazon Customer
A must read to understand OCD better!
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2024
Verified Purchase

I love this book because it explains things simply and it’s interactive. My 9 year old son and I have a better understanding of his diagnosis now and it teaches some great tools that are evidence based to help manage OCD.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Christa Parry
Good ideas
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2025
Verified Purchase
Got for 5 year old grand daughter who is diagnosed with ocd. Mother and daughter like the book and it was recommended by her therapist.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Joy
The children that I have shared this book with are happy to recognize their own "stuck" thoughts in this book
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2014
Verified Purchase
I am a therapist specializing in OCD treatment. I am one of the few in our area who will treat children. The children that I have shared this book with are happy to recognize their own "stuck" thoughts in the illustrated pages. I have had adults purchase the book as well because it simplifies and clarifies an oftentimes misunderstood and debilitating disorder. I especially love how the OCD monster is pictures as a furry little creature with bad teeth and a top hat. He peeks around chairs, hides out, gorges on candy bars, and generally makes life miserable for kids with OCD. But when a child challenges the monster, there is an illustration of him jumping in the air in terror himself, as now a child is empowered and talks back to the monster. This change in behavior rattles the monster and he retreats because the child is no longer playing by the monster's rules. I actually had a 10 year old client get a monster doll to place in another chair and talk to.

This book visually is appealing and its text simplifies for young and old that the tricks of the OCD monster can be foiled with cognitive behavioral therapy. It's a good workbook because children can draw in it and answer questions. I highly recommend this book, in fact, I think its my favorite of all the many books on OCD that I have collected. Of course, my hero Fred Penzel cannot be topped with the incredible information and examples shared in his book, and Jonathan Grayson's is full of beneficial information as well. Don't forget Bruce Hyman and Cherry Pedrick with the OCD workbook, another outstanding reference and a way for an OCD sufferer without qualified therapists in the area where he or she lives, to do self work on ERP in order to talk back to the monster and regain freedom in life.

Read more

66 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Mom
good resource for kids
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2025
Verified Purchase
good resource for kids

Read more

Helpful

Report
Tiffany A. Ballinger
Excellent tool for children with OCD
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2009
Verified Purchase
According to statistics, OCD in children is more prevalent than most realize. After my 13 year old son was diagnosed with OCD a year ago, I purchased this book for him. It seemed juvenile at the time but proved to be quite valuable in helping him understand he's not alone and that his symptoms started at a younger age than he realized because he could not put his symptoms into words at such a young age. After medication and therapy, he became symptom-free in less than 6 months.
Now, my 11 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with OCD a month ago - almost a year ago to the day as my son. We already know that OCD is hereditary. I immediately purchased this book again for my daughter this time. She finds it very helpful and loves doing the exercises in the book. She feels like the book knows exactly what she is going through and helps explain it to her in simple enough terms that she "gets it" but not too simple that it's boring. My daughter's psychiatrist has her using this book as part of her therapy. My daughter works in this book every day to help her push past the confusion and help her on the road to recovery. We are hopeful that this book, along with medication and therapy, that she too will be symptom-free in no time just like her brother. The psychiatrist took the title of the book and is now suggesting the purchase of this book to all of her patients diagnosed with OCD. It really is a helpful tool!

Read more

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Marie LeMay
Helpful!
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
My daughter always got frustrated when her head got "stuck", so i bought this book to help her. The tips are helpful, and she has used them ever since

Read more

Helpful

Report
mkiiii
Amazing! Workbook style
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
Love love love this book. I would give it ten stars. I recommend it to everyone to at least try. I realize it will not take care of all ocd situations, as other reviewers have mentioned. I have never dealt with ocd so when my four year old son started exhibiting symptoms I had no idea where to turn. Someone recommended this book. We went chapter by chapter, one on one and I made sure he understood everything in the book. It literally changed him! We no longer have two hour screaming sessions because things aren't "quite right". With help at first, he was able to identify ocd, and soon after on his own. We called ocd "Mr. Bossy". It was amazing. Now when his shoes are not quite right in the morning, he simply says "these aren't quite right. That's okay, that's just mr. Bossy". Then he just goes on with getting ready.... what?!?! For those of you who have been here, that's huge! Although occasionally Mr. Bossy shows up on occasion, he is much easier delt with. I have my sweet boy back, who feels impowered. Thank you. This book was a life saver for all of us!
I love how it's a workbook style, you have places to draw pictures, or write your own thoughts down so it can truly be catered to you! Very simply written, as I have said my four year old, with guidance, was able to understand.

Read more

27 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

xy123
In Englisch!
Reviewed in Germany on September 16, 2023
Verified Purchase

Arbeitsbuch für Kinder mit Angst- und Zwangstörungen in Englisch. Nur mit besseren Englischkenntnissen möglich. Es ist sehr gut, ich übersetze die Seiten gemeinsam mit den Pt.. Echt hilfreich!

Read more
Report
Translate review to English
Oscar Montero
The best book to work against OCD
Reviewed in Mexico on November 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
The best book to work against OCD

Read more
Report
Rombert
Very helpful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2025
Verified Purchase
Suitable for children and adults to read with their children, or pre-read as research before reading with their children.

Offers tools to help and is fun/enjoyable to go through.

Read more
Report
Amazon Customer
Amazing!
Reviewed in Canada on September 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is very easy to comprehend and relate to for both children and adults. It has been very helpful and I would highly recommend it!

Read more
Report
K88
Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2025
Verified Purchase
This book has really helped explain things for my daughter and has helpful techniques within it.

Read more
Report

See more reviews

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Follow the authors

What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD (What-to-Do Guides for Kids) Paperback – Illustrated, February 15, 2017

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

More items to explore

From the brand

Visit our Store

From the Publisher

Includes kid-friendly suggestions and activities, such as:

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the Publisher

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

Videos

Videos for this product

About the authors

Dawn Huebner

Bonnie Matthews

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Reviews with images

So engaging

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read to understand OCD better!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good ideas

5.0 out of 5 stars The children that I have shared this book with are happy to recognize their own "stuck" thoughts in this book

5.0 out of 5 stars good resource for kids

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent tool for children with OCD

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful!

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing! Workbook style

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars In Englisch!

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book to work against OCD

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book

A must read to understand OCD better!

Good ideas

The children that I have shared this book with are happy to recognize their own "stuck" thoughts in this book

good resource for kids

Excellent tool for children with OCD

Helpful!

Amazing! Workbook style

In Englisch!

The best book to work against OCD

Very helpful

Amazing!

Great book