List
Youth Titles to Read for Mental Health Awareness Month
Collection
Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness month has been celebrated in the United States each May. Every single year millions of adults, teens, and children face the reality of living with a mental illness. Books are a great place to start to better understand the experiences of those who live with mental illnesses as well as place to begin building awareness. Check out the list below for youth titles that have released in the past two years that tackle mental illnesses like OCD, anxiety, depression, and more.
Please keep in mind that some of these titles do include sensitive content.
The New David Espinoza
Published in 2020
Obsessed with the idea that he is not muscular enough and tired of being bullied, David, age seventeen, begins using steroids, endangering his relationships with family and friends.
Violet Shrink
Published in 2020
"Violet Shrink doesn't like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet's tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing. At cousin Char's birthday party, Violet hides under a table and imagines she is a shark gliding effortlessly through the water, looking for food. And at Auntie Marlene and Uncle Leli's anniversary bash, Violet sits alone at the top of the stairs, imagining she is a slithering snake way up in the branches. When Violet learns that the Shrink family reunion is fast approaching, she musters up the courage to have a talk with her dad. In this thoughtful story about understanding and acceptance, Violet's natural introversion and feelings of social anxiety are normalized when she and her father reach a solution together. Christine Baldacchino's warm text demonstrates the role imagination often plays for children dealing with anxiety, and the power of a child expressing their feelings to a parent who is there to listen. Carmen Mok's charming illustrations perfectly capture Violet's emotions and the vibrancy of her imagination. A valuable contribution to books addressing mental health."-- Provided by publisher.
The Magical Imperfect
Published in 2021
"Etan has stopped speaking since his mother left. His father and grandfather don't know how to help him. His friends have given up on him. When Etan is asked to deliver a grocery order to the outskirts of town, he realizes he's at the home of Malia Agbayani, also known as the creature. Malia stopped going to school when her acute eczema spread to her face, and the bullying became too much. Soon, other kids tease Etan for being friends with the creature. But he believes he might have a cure for Malia's condition, if only he can convince his family and hers to believe it, too. Even if it works, will these two outcasts find where they fit in?"--Provided by publisher.
Zia Erases the World
Published in 2022
"Zia remembers the exact night the Shadoom arrived. One moment she was laughing with her best friends, and the next a dark room of shadows had crept into her chest...Until Zia discovers an old family heirloom: the C. Scuro Dictionary...Hidden within its magical pages is a mysterious blue eraser...When Zia starts to erase words that remind her of the Shadoom, they disappear one by one from the world around her...But things quickly dissolve into chaos, as the words she erases turn out to be more vital than Zia knew"-- Provided by publisher.
Balloons for Papa
Published in 2021
"A perfect book to help discuss mental health, depression, empathy, loss, and hope with young children. Arthur's gloomy father rushes him through the park every morning, through gray and rainy weather. Arthur just wants a bright balloon from the park's vendor, but Papa always says no. One morning, the balloons magically appear at their doorstep, and Arthur figures out the perfect way to bring the sunshine out--and Papa's smile back--even if only for a few moments. Brimming with affecting and poignant words, beautiful black-and-white illustrations, and bursts of color on every page, Balloons for Papa sends the message that even in the worst situations, there is light and love"--Amazon.com.
A Shelter for Sadness
Published in 2021
A small boy creates a shelter for his sadness so that he can visit it whenever he needs to, and the two of them can cry, talk, or just sit. The boy knows that one day his sadness may come out of the shelter, and together they will look out at the world and see how beautiful it is.
Fighting Words
Published in 2020
Depending on an older sister who protected her when their mother went to prison and their mother's boyfriend committed a terrible act, 10-year-old Della tries to figure out what to do when her older sister attempts suicide.
The Worrysaurus
Published in 2020
Reassuring text and lighthearted illustrations combine in the story of an anxiety-prone little dinosaur whose plans for a special picnic are complicated by fears about what could go wrong, before a little support from a loved one helps him find ways to soothe his butterflies.
Black Girl Unlimited
The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard
Published in 2020
From age six through her high school valedictory speech, believing she and her mother are wizards helps young Echo cope with poverty, hunger, her mother's drug abuse, and much more.
Happily Ever Afters
Published in 2021
Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She's rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she's a true leading lady is in her own writing--in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader. When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she's excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she's ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa's stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming. But as Tessa checks each item off Caroline's list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about--including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She's well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?
The Rumor Game
Published in 2022
At Foxham Prep, a posh private school for Washington, D.C.'s elite, a rumor gains momentum as it collects followers on social media, pulling three girls into its path--Bryn, who wants to erase all memories of the mistake she made last summer; cheer captain Cora, who desperately wants to believe in her boyfriend's faithfulness; and shy Georgie, newly hot after a summer at fat camp and ready to reinvent herself--but who can stop a dangerous rumor once it takes on a life of its own?
Being Clem
Published in 2021
When nine-year-old Clem's father dies in the Port Chicago Disaster he is forced to navigate his family's losses and strunggles in 1940's Chicago.
Blaine for the Win
Published in 2022
After his boyfriend Joey breaks up with him to pursue more "serious" guys, Blaine decides to run for senior class president as Joey's successor to prove his worth--but is Blaine willing to sacrifice everything about himself to do it?
The Sea in Winter
Published in 2021
After an injury sidelines her dreams of becoming a ballet star, Maisie is not excited for her blended family's midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.
Verona Comics.
Published in 2020
Just Roll with It
Published in 2021
Maggie, who struggles with anxiety and OCD, gets through her first year of middle school by making friends, finding the best after-school clubs, and using her twenty-sided dice to help her make desicions.
Living with Viola
Published in 2021
"Heartbreakingly honest and quietly funny, this #ownvoices graphic novel from a debut creator is a refreshingly real exploration of mental health, cultural differences, and the trials of middle school. Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school--and then there's Viola. Viola is Livy's anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola's relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola's days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola. Rosena Fung draws on her own early experiences with anxiety and the pressures of growing up as the child of Chinese immigrant parents to craft a charming, deeply personal story that combines the poignancy of Raina Telgemeier's Guts with the wacky humor of Lumberjanes. Exuberant, colorful art brings Livy's rich imaginative world--filled with everything from sentient dumplings to flying unicorns--to life on the page."-- Provided by publisher.
Taking Up Space
Published in 2021
Twelve-year old Sarah is used to being the star on her basketball team, playing with her best friends, but suddenly she finds that her body is changing and she does not understand why she cannot keep up on the court, plus she does not understand why her mother has gotten so weird about food, binging on candy while forgetting about dinner, and she really does not understand why she told Benny, her crush, about her mother--but when Benny offers to teach her how to cook and suggests she partners with him in a cooking competition she starts to find a way to stand up for herself and change her life for the better.
Icebreaker
Published in 2022
Mickey James III is following in his father's (and grandfather's) skates by playing hockey at Hartland University, but he is not enjoying the situation: for one thing he is seriously depressed, unsure of anything, even whether he can make it as a hockey player (or wants to); more troubling his rival, Jaysen Caulfield, is also on the team and seems to bitterly resent him--and Mickey actually finds Jaysen very attractive and does not know how to deal with that.
The Deepest Breath
Published in 2021
Struggling with her feelings for a female classmate, an eleven-year-old Irish girl tries to confide in her mother, the person she trusts most in the world.
How to Make Friends With the Sea.
Published in 2020
The Sea is Salt and So Am I
Published in 2021
Twins Ellis and Tommy and their classmate Harlow, of West Finch, Maine, face a change that will shatter the delicate balance between them as secrets are revealed and relationships shift.
White Smoke
Published in 2021
Believing her new home to actually be alive, especially when her brother almost dies, Marigold and her new blended family won't be safe until she brings the truth to light once and for all.
Rise to the Sun
Published in 2021
Three days. Two girls. One life-changing music festival. Toni is reeling in the wake of the loss of her roadie father and desperate to figure out where her life will go from here -- so she's heading back to the festival that taught her to love music in a last ditch effort to rediscover her passion. Olivia is a hopeless romantic whose heart has just taken a beating (again), and is beginning to believe that someone like her may never find "the one" -- but the Farmland Music and Arts Festival is a chance to at least find a place where she fits. When the two collide, it feels like kismet. But when something goes wrong and the festival is sent into a panic, Toni and Olivia find that they need each other, and the music, more than they ever imagined.
Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster
Published in 2021
Small Knight would rather go on adventures with their best friend, Tiny Bear, than learn to be a perfect princess, but worrying about telling their parents creates a dreadful monster.
The Whatifs
Published in 2020
Cora, always bothered by the Whatifs, grows much more anxious before her piano recital but a fellow performer helps her imagine what could go right, rather than wrong. Includes author's note about her own anxiety.
Sara and the Search for Normal.
Published in 2020
The Thing I'm Most Afraid of
Published in 2021
In 1993, twelve-year-old Becca, who struggles with a anxiety disorder, visits her divorced father in Vienna, Austria, where she befriends a Muslim refugee fleeing the Bosnian genocide.
In the Key of Us
Published in 2022
While twelve-year-old Andi has suffered from anxiety attacks ever since her mother died ten months ago, Zora starting hurting herself whenever she feels out of control; they are both at Camp Harmony, an elite summer music camp, trying to deal with their problems and also the stress of competition--but as the summer passes they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other, and maybe not just as friends.
An Emotion of Great Delight
Published in 2021
In the wake of 9/11, Shadi, a child of Muslim immigrants, tries to navigate her crumbling world of death, heartbreak, and bigotry in silence, until finally everything changes.
Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom
Published in 2021
Drawn into the mystical world she created, 11-year-old Kiki Kallira must battle against her fear and anxiety to save two worlds--the real and imagined--from the wrath of an ancient deity bent on total destruction.
Me (Moth)
Published in 2021
Moth, who lost her family in an accident, and Sani, who is battling ongoing depression, take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors, which helps them move forward in surprising, powerful and unforgettable ways.
This Might Get Awkward
Published in 2022
"Seventeen-year-old Gemma's favorite kind of beach is an empty one. Social interactions are too much for her to handle. She always says the wrong thing--if she manages to say anything at all. She can't even bring herself to speak to her longtime crush, Beau Booker, without losing sleep over her own awkwardness. During a solo outing to her favorite beach, Gemma realizes--to her horror--that the popular kids from school have shown up to throw a party. Before she can sneak away (and possibly puke behind her car) Gemma is pulled into the action and ends up talking to Beau, who asks her to pretend that they're 'close.' Gemma is too flustered and flattered to refuse, and mostly, she's wondering why Beau is talking to her at all . . . right up until the moment when he falls off the boat, hits his head, and ends up in a coma. After rescuing Beau from the water, Gemma is mistaken for Beau's girlfriend by his friends and family, including his mysterious older brother, Griff, who has returned to town after a year away. Gemma tries to correct the record, but her social anxiety (and a nosy reporter) gets in the way at every turn. Before she knows it, she's in too deep to backtrack. And when Beau's warm, boisterous family pulls Gemma into their orbit, she realizes how much she wants to keep them in her life. For the first time, Gemma has everything she's ever wanted: friends, big family dinners, and Griff--a boy who she can be herself around. But how can she embrace her new dream life when everything is built on a lie?"--Dust jacket.
Honestly Elliott
Published in 2022
Struggling with ADHD, loneliness, and connecting with his divorced father who would rather see him embrace sports instead of cooking, sixth-grader Elliott finds an unlikely friend in popular, perfect Maribel when the two are paired in a school-wide contest.
How to Become a Planet
Published in 2021
"After an entire summer trying to figure out how to go back to being the person she was before her depression and anxiety diagnosis, twelve-year-old Pluto finds out--with the help of the Hayden Planetarium hotline, a new tutor, and a new friend--that there is no old or new Pluto, there's just Pluto, growing up"-- Provided by publisher.
The Cost of Knowing
Published in 2021
Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus's curse of seeing the future distracts him from being and doing his best, but when he sees his little brother Isaiah's imminent death, he races against time, death, and circumstances to save him.
Finding Junie Kim
Published in 2021
A tale based on true events follows the coming-of-age of a girl who is motivated by an act of racism at school to learn about her ancestral heritage and her grandparents' experiences as lost children during the Korean War.
A Little Space for Me
Published in 2020
Overwhelmed by a sibling's snores, a friend's smelly lunch and a crowded, noisy playground, a little girl embarks on a search for a space of her own where she can breathe, rest, dream and think.
Too Many Bubbles
A Story About Mindfulness
Published in 2021
Izzy the Mouse has grumpy thought bubbles hanging over her head, so when she sees a bear blowing bubbles and realizes a deep breath helps them float away, she tries a breathing exercise which helps her get rid of her negative thoughts for good.
Baby & Solo
Published in 2021
"Joel's new job at the video store is just what the therapist ordered. But what happens if the first true friend he's made in years finds out about What Was Wrong With Him? Seventeen-year-old Joel Teague has a new prescription from his therapist--a part-time job--the first step toward the elusive Normal life he's been so desperate to live ever since The Bad Thing happened. Lucky for Joel, ROYO Video is hiring. It's the perfect fresh start--Joel even gets a new name. Dubbed "Solo" after his favorite Star Wars character, Joel works his way up the not-so-corporate ladder without anyone suspecting What Was Wrong With Him. That is, until he befriends Nicole "Baby" Palmer, a smart-mouthed coworker with a chip on her shoulder about . . . well, everything, and the two quickly develop the kind of friendship movie montages are made of. However, when Joel's past inevitably catches up with him, he's forced to choose between preserving his new blank slate persona and coming clean--and either way, he risks losing the first real friend he's ever had. Set in a pop-culture-rich 1990s, this remarkable story tackles challenging and timely themes with huge doses of wit, power, and heart." -- Provided by publisher.
Rain Before Rainbows
Published in 2020
In the midst of the rain, rainbows can be hard to see. But with courage and the help of good friends, there is always a way out of the darkness.
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
Published in 2021
Portico Reeves' secret identity as Stuntboy allows him to use his superpower keep everybody safe, but when his superhero parents start fighting a lot he feels the responsibility to save them.
The Problem with Problems
Published in 2020
Have you ever met a Problem? They come in all shapes and sizes, and can pop up at the most inconvenient times. But you should know some things about them that will help you make them disappear...
Everywhere Blue
Published in 2021
Twelve-year-old Maddie, who suffers from anxiety, loves music, math, and everything in its place, but when her older brother Strum disappears from his college campus, her family starts slipping away from her.
The Golden Hour
Published in 2021
After witnessing a violent attack at school, Manuel struggles with anxiety but his cell phone camera helps him find anchors when he dissociates, and an unexpected friendship opens up new possibilities.
The List of Things That Will Not Change.
Published in 2020
The Words We Keep
Published in 2022
When sixteen-year-old Lily Larkin's older sister, Alice, begins to struggle with her mental health, Lily attempts to keep everything together and perfect, despite her own growing anxiety.
The Summer of June
Published in 2022
Eleven-year-old June is determined to beat her anxiety and become the lion she knows she is, instead of the mouse everyone sees, and with the help of Homer Juarez, the poetry-reciting soccer star, she starts a secret library garden and hatches a plan to make her dreams come true.
A Blue Kind of Day
Published in 2022
"Coen is having a sniffling, sighing, sobbing kind of day. His family thinks they know how to cheer him up. His dad wants to go outside and play, Mom tells her funniest joke, and his little sister shares her favorite teddy. Nothing helps. But one by one, they get quiet and begin to listen. After some time, space, and reassurance, Coen is able to show them what he needs"-- Provided by publisher.
Micah
The Good Girl
Published in 2020
"Meet the Flyy Girls. The group of girls who seem like they can get away with anything. Veteran author Ashley Woodfolk pens a gorgeous and dynamic series of four Harlem highschoolers, each facing a crossroads of friendship, family, and love. Micah Dupree had always liked being the "good girl." She was happy painting, going to church, and acing her school projects. After all, she had a perfect older brother to live up to. But when he unexpectedly dies, Micah's world is turned upside-down. With her anxiety growing, a serious boyfriend in the picture, and new feelings emerging, Micah begins to question what being the "good girl" really means...and if it's worth it, anyway. With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that's perfect for readers of any level"-- Provided by publisher.