Tikarella reviewed Don't Be Shy: How to Fit in, Make Friends, and Have Fun-Even If You Weren't Born Outgoing (Sunscreen) on
This is a good book to show teens and pre-teens that they are not alone in being shy. It talks mostly about the feelings that come with shyness and gives some comfort in the fact that other people have those same thoughts and feelings. However, I did not think that this book is helpful at all in trying to actually overcome your shyness. The first section of the book talks about the symptoms of shyness. The next section discusses some of the reasons people feel shy and the third section is about how to overcome your shyness. The whole book is fairly superficial in its topic coverage; each topic within the three sections only have about a page or less of writing. The part of the book I was most interested in, overcoming shyness, was the least helpful or interesting. It was basically a list of common extracurricular activities with text saying things like "you don't think you can, but if you really try" or "I know it might be hard, but you'll be glad you did", which are things every shy person has heard over and over again but don't help at all. I'm just beginning to read books on this topic so I can't give feedback on how this book rates compared to other shy-related self help books. However, I think there has to be something better out there that will actually give advice on working through your shy barriers.
