You are Brave, Amy G.
A children’s book that helps kids understand their emotions, build confidence, and make brave choices.
You Are Brave, Amy G. introduces children to how their brains and bodies respond to emotions—helping them recognize feelings, manage big emotions, and practice bravery in everyday life.
Helping Children Understand Their Brains and Big Feelings
Through Amy G.’s story, children learn that emotions are signals—not something to fear. This book supports kids as they notice how feelings show up in their thoughts, bodies, and actions.
Children are encouraged to:
Identify emotions like happiness, worry, frustration, anger, excitement, and calm
Notice body signals such as tight muscles, fast breathing, or relaxed posture
Understand that everyone experiences emotions differently
Practice making brave, confident choices
Written by Executive Function Coach Jessica Hackmann, this book supports emotional awareness, self-regulation, and confidence-building in a developmentally appropriate way.
Who This Book Is For
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![Family of five sitting inside a blanket fort, reading a book together during a cozy moment.]()
Families
Parents and caregivers seeking a gentle approach to discussing emotions, confidence, and resilience.
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![A classroom with a teacher and three young girls sitting at a table, engaging in a pretend tea party with toy dishes and snacks.]()
Educators & Schools
Teachers, counselors, and school psychologists supporting social-emotional learning and executive function development.
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![A woman and four children sitting on the floor, playing with colorful powder.]()
Therapists & Coaches
A meaningful tool for counseling sessions, coaching work, and small-group skill building.
The You Are Brave, Amy G. Companion Workbook
Turning stories into real-life skills.
Designed to be used alongside the book, the Companion Workbook helps children apply what they’ve learned through guided reflection and hands-on activities.
Children are supported in:
Identifying emotions and body signals
Reflecting on thoughts, reactions, and choices
Practicing emotional regulation and flexibility
Building executive function skills like self-awareness and problem-solving
Sharing what they need with adults who support them
Each activity is written in child-friendly language and intended to be completed with the support of a parent, educator, or therapist.
Why Pair the Book and Workbook?
Together, You Are Brave, Amy G. and the Companion Workbook help children:
Connect emotions to real-life experiences
Build a shared language around feelings and body awareness
Practice skills repeatedly—not just hear about them
Feel supported, capable, and understood
This pairing creates a strong foundation for emotional growth, confidence, and executive function development.
Jessica Hackmann is the founder of Brave Connections Coaching & Advocacy, where she supports children, teens, and adults in building executive function skills, emotional awareness, and confidence.
With a background in school psychology, Jessica works closely with families, schools, and organizations to help individuals better understand how their brains work and how emotions influence behavior, learning, and decision-making.
You Are Brave, Amy G. was created from years of listening to children who are trying hard to do the “right” thing while navigating big emotions, sensory overload, and their instinctual “fight or flight” response. Jessica believes that when children understand what is happening inside their brains and bodies, they feel less alone—and more capable of making brave, confident choices.
Meet the Author
What Experts Are Saying
As a pediatrician and mother of a child with ADHD, I can not wait to share the story of Amy G. An entertaining story about a young girl moving to a new school, it teaches children to manage their big emotions so they can be brave, just like Amy G.
-Jennifer L. Broome, MD, FAAP
You Are Brave, Amy G. successfully addresses some of the most difficult childhood experiences - anxiety and fears. Amy learns from her trusted grandfather (a professor) how to read the signs of anxiety and find ways to calm herself. This story is both charming and accurate—a hard combination to achieve! Jessica Hackmann created a character who is authentic and gives us hope that we can find ways to be brave in our own lives.
— Paula Moraine, M.Ed., Author
Attention Fix Educational Consulting, LLC www.attentionfix.org
You are Brave Amy G. is a creative and age-appropriate story to help children understand how the different brain states affect our emotional regulation and decision making. This book is a valuable resource to use in lessons, individual counseling, or groups by professionals who support the mental health of elementary students, as it reinforces important coping strategies such as mindfulness, belly breathing, grounding, and positive self-talk.
— Lisa Ludwig, NCC, School Counselor
Ways to Work with Amy G.
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![Children's book titled "You are Brave, Amy G." with a purple and pink background, illustrations of hummingbirds, flowers, and a girl with brown hair wearing pink and blue clothing, sitting with her head resting on her hand.]()
Buy You Are Brave, Amy G. and the Companion Workbook!
For families, educators, and professionals looking to use the book and companion workbook at home, in classrooms, or in small-group settings.
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![Audience member raising hand during a panel or conference with a blurred screen in the background.]()
Author Talks & School Assemblies
Bring You Are Brave, Amy G. to life through engaging author talks and school assemblies focused on emotional awareness, executive function skills, and building confidence.
Jessica offers age-appropriate presentations designed to help students:
-Understand how their brains and bodies respond to emotions
-Build language around big feelings
-Practice brave, thoughtful decision-making
-Feel seen, supported, and capable
Programs can be tailored for classrooms, grade-level assemblies, staff professional development, and parent events.
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![Cover of a children's book titled 'You Are Brave' by Jessica Hackmann, illustrated by Scott, featuring a girl looking thoughtful with birds and flowers around her.]()
Bulk Orders & School Partnerships
Schools, counseling offices, and organizations interested in classroom sets, group use, or program-wide implementation are invited to get in touch.
Bulk orders are ideal for:
-Classroom or grade-level use
-Counseling groups
-School-wide initiatives
-Professional development and workshops
Every child deserves tools to understand their emotions and feel brave being who they are.
“This book describes the difficult emotions that children feel when their brains get overwhelmed in a way that everyone can understand, and makes it okay to feel this way. It also highlights the positive impact just one friend, family member, or teacher can have by being compassionate and offering support. As I read, I saw all the "Amy G.'s" that I have met in my life, including my students and my own daughter. Thank you, Jessica Hackmann, for showing children and adults that having big feelings is okay and providing strategies to help all of us cope!”
— Special Educator and Mom of a student with ADHD and Anxiety