The Overthinkers' Club: Happy List

What’s it about?

The story.

Twelve-year-old Birdie is brilliant at overthinking. She starts with a tiny worry, spirals into worst-case scenarios, then catastrophises until the whole thing is completely overwhelming. Her best friend Chloe is pretty good at it too, so together they hit on a plan: a Happy List of things that might cancel out the anxiety. At first it works – dancing, gratitude and a good night's sleep really do help. But when Chloe adds 'make new friends' to the list, Birdie decides that's just one more impossible thing to fret about. Told with warmth and a very witty diary-style voice, and illustrated throughout by Cecile Dormeau, this is a sharp, empathetic portrait of that awkward stretch between childhood and the teenage years. Nat Luurtsema navigates starting secondary school, blended families, self-image and shifting friendships with real comic flair and a lot of gentle wisdom about worry – a reassuring, funny read for any young overthinker.