Meet the book · by Sasha Marlow

Start It Again

A collection of honest, thoughtful stories about children facing fear, mistakes, uncertainty, and moments when things don’t go as planned. Meet characters who speak up, try again, ask for help, and take the next step, even when it feels difficult.

Read the stories together, talk about the moments your child connects with, or simply let them enjoy the stories in their own way.

Begin with The Diving Board and The Talent Show in your free sample below.

Start It Again by Sasha Marlow, photographed on a soft blanket, with its illustrated book cover visible

The book is available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and ebook.

Find the book on Amazon

A free sample · ages 7–12

Two courageous stories

A little reading before bedtime. Enjoy two complete illustrated stories from Start It Again, each with gentle reflection questions to help start meaningful conversations. You’ll also find a practical guide to help grown-ups prepare their children for difficult moments.

The first page of the free sample: “A free sample — Two stories to read before bed”, with the Start It Again book cover and a parent reading with her child

What’s inside the sample

1Read aloud · 10–15 min

The Diving Board

Everyone on Willow Street thinks Maya Torres is afraid of nothing. But there’s one thing she’s never told anyone: she’s terrified of the high dive. Two summers ago, she climbed all the way up, only to climb all the way back down. Now her six-year-old cousin Lily is visiting, and she wants to watch Maya jump. Can Maya live up to her reputation when her legs won’t stop shaking?

Maya standing on a diving board, looking down at the swimming pool
2Read aloud · 10–15 min

The Talent Show

Priya Sharma can sing beautifully behind her bedroom door, but in front of an audience, her throat locks up. When her best friend Amara convinces her to enter the school talent show as a duo, Priya has to face her fear. But when Amara falls sick the night before, Priya is left to face the stage alone. With four hundred people waiting, will she walk off the stage or find a way to begin?”

Priya nervously holding a microphone on a wooden stage, lit by a single spotlight against dark curtains
A father and his son reading together on a sofa, the boy leaning against him, with only the book’s plain outer cover visible

Included · a guide for grown-ups

When Your Child Freezes

A short guide for the moments your child can’t find the words or take the next step.

What can you do today to help your child feel more prepared when fear takes over? How can you help them move forward when they feel stuck and don’t know what to do?

This guide offers simple, practical ways to prepare your child for those difficult moments before they happen.

Two stories and one guide

Ready to read the free sample
with your child tonight?

Leave your email to get the free sample, ready to download straight away. Enjoy two illustrated stories, gentle reflection questions for each story, and a practical guide for grown-ups.