Books to help you with mental health
Find books to help children and young adults cope with general mental health.
The boy who built a wall around himself, by Ali Redford
Boy hides behind his wall because he doesn't trust people and he knows how it feels to be hurt and let down. That is until Someone Kind arrives on the other side of his wall. This picture book is designed to help children who have experienced trauma, loss or neglect to come to terms with their experiences and to build healthy relationships.
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Planet Omar: accidental trouble magnet, by Zanib Mian
My parents decided it would be a good idea to move house AND move me to a new school at the same time. As if I didn't have a hard enough time staying out of trouble at home, now I've also got to try and make new friends. What's worse, the class bully seems to think I'm the perfect target.
At least Eid's around the corner which means a feast (YAY) and presents (DOUBLE YAY). Well, as long as I can stay in Mum and Dad's good books long enough...
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Something bad happened: a kid's guide to coping with events in the news , by Dawn Huebner
When children learn about something big and bad - even when they hear only bits and pieces - their brains get busy trying to make sense of it. Where did it happen? Why did it happen? And especially, will it happen again?
Something Bad Happened guides children ages 6 to 12 and the adults who care about them through tough conversations about national and international tragedies. The non-specific term "bad thing" is used throughout, keeping this a flexible tool, and so children are never inadvertently exposed to events their parents have chosen not to share. Fear, sadness and uncertainty about the "bad thing" all are normalized, and immediately usable coping tools provided.
For children and parents to read together, this one-of-a-kind resource by child psychologist and best-selling author Dawn Huebner provides comfort, support and next steps for children learning about troubling world events.
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How not to lose it: mental health sorted, by Anna Williamson
The go-to mental health guide for kids! Exam stress? Friendship issues? Panic attacks? How Not to Lose It will help you be the boss of all of this, and more. It's not just your body that should be fit and healthy - your mind needs to be, too!
How Not to Lose It is the go-to guide for achieving a balanced mind and strong emotional well-being. With immediate, heart of the matter advice and a chatty yet honest tone, Anna Williamson addresses all of the key issues affecting children today.
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Sometimes I feel sad, by Tom Alexander
Sometimes I feel sad. Sometimes it's because I've lost something. Or because I'm hurt. Other times I don't know why I feel sad. I just do. Feeling sad is, unfortunately, a part of everyone's life, and there's not always an easy fix. This touching book helps explain to children aged 5+ that they're not alone in feeling this way, and is especially useful for children who struggle to express their feelings.
Mind your head, by Juno Dawson
We all have a mind, so we all need to take care of our mental health as much as we need to take care of our physical health. And the first step is being able to talk about our mental health. Juno Dawson leads the way with this frank, factual and funny book, with added information and support from clinical psychologist Dr Olivia Hewitt. Covering topics from anxiety and depression to addiction, self-harm and personality disorders, Juno and Olivia talk clearly and supportively about a range of issues facing young people's mental health - whether fleeting or long-term - and how to manage them, with real-life stories from young people around the world.
Blame my brain: the amazing teenage brain revealed, by Nicola Morgan
Nicola Morgan's accessible and humourous examination of the ups and downs of the teenage brain deals with powerful emotions, the need for more sleep, the urge to take risks, the difference between genders, the reasons behind addiction and depression, and what lies ahead.
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The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon
A murder mystery like no other, this novel features Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old who suffers from Asperger's syndrome. When he finds a neighbour's dog murdered, he sets out on a journey which will turn his whole world upside down.
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I'll give you the sun, by Jandy Nelson
Jude and her twin Noah were incredibly close - until a tragedy drove them apart, and now they are barely speaking. Then Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy as well as a captivating new mentor, both of whom may just need her as much as she needs them. What the twins don't realise is that each of them has only half the story and if they can just find their way back to one another, they have a chance to remake their world.
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Every day, by David Levithan
Each morning, A wakes up in a different body. There's never any warning about who it will be, but A is used to that. Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. That is until A wakes up in Justin's body and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon.
Looking after your mental health, by Alice James and Louie Stowell
The mental of health of children and teenagers hits the headlines on a regular basis, with more and more young people reporting mental health difficulties. This book provides a gentle guide to good mental health, with input from experts in both psychology and psychiatry.
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Mental well-being and mindfulness, by Ryan Wheatcroft and Kate Woolley
You can't see mental wellbeing but you can feel it. Your mental wellbeing is all about how you think and feel. Some people call it 'mental health' or 'emotional wellbeing'. Having good mental health doesn't mean being happy all the time. We all experience feelings of anger, sadness, fear and frustration. These feelings are perfectly normal. Mental wellbeing comes from finding positive ways to manage these feelings as you grow and develop. This simply written title explores what mental health is, why it is important and ways to deal with some mental health problems such as stress and anxiety.