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According to the CDC, anxiety affects approximately one in 11 children aged 3-17. A panel of experts recently recommended that all children 8 and older be screened for anxiety. Award-winning Pakistani American writer, Hena Kahn, hopes to help address America\u2019s mental health crisis among children in her middle grade novel, Drawing Deena. Deena is a lovable and relatable young artist who struggles with anxiety, who wants her parents to stop fighting and having money woes, and dreams of being a painter like her idol Vincent van Gogh. She learns to stand up against bullies of all ages and that it\u2019s okay to ask for help when you need it. Deena\u2019s never given a name to the familiar knot in her stomach that appears when her parents argue about money, when it\u2019s time to go to school, or when she struggles to find the right words. She manages to make it through each day with the help of her friends and the art she loves to make. While her parents\u2019 money troubles cause more and more stress, Deena wonders if she can use her artistic talents to ease their burden. She creates a logo and social media account to promote her mom\u2019s home-based business selling clothes from Pakistan to the local community. With her cousin and friends modeling the outfits and lending their social media know-how, business picks up. But the success and attention make Deena\u2019s cousin and best friend, Parisa, start to act funny. Suddenly Deena\u2019s latest creative outlet becomes another thing that makes her feel nauseated and unsure of herself. After Deena reaches a breaking point, both she and her mother learn the importance of asking for help and that, with the right support, Deena can create something truly beautiful.

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