They are telling stories that are not only diverse, they are tackling serious issues. A list of young adult books featuring characters with. I would appreciate it if you could give me the names of the publishers of the novels in your article, 5 young adult novels featuring teens with mental health challenges. Its an area that is becoming more present in peoples lives whether it be directly or indirectly, and this has seen a rise in literature representing it within their. Oct 10, 2017 theres always been a stigma around mental health. Ya books featuring characters with mental illness the seattle.
For some of us, talking about mental health and mental illness is hard. If you didnt know, today october 10 is mental health day. Changing minds on mental health is the goto guide for teenagers who want to know about mental health, mental illness, trauma and recovery. Feb 21, 2017 young adult authors arent pulling any punches in 2017. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best. We received a mix of answers, including childrens books, young adult and adult books. Book recommendations mental health awareness week duration.
Mental illness is one of the most pressing health concerns of the modern age, and ya literature has a role to play in opening up the conversation on this longtabooed subject. Oct 10, 2017 memoirs aside, perhaps the genre that best nails mental health stories is young adult. When colleagues ask me for nonfiction books to recommend to teens to help. Common sense media editors help you choose books that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Mental health in ya books blogger roundup paper pizza. Mental health is very important to me, as i deal with social and general anxiety on a regular basis. October also happens to be national bully prevention month with the 11th being national depression screening day. Ya mental health resources published may 24, 2016 you may be familiar with ya fiction books that deal with mental health issues, but in honor of it being mental health month, im highlighting mostly nonfiction ya resources with a few new or forthcoming fiction titles. Jan 29, 2019 we received a mix of answers, including childrens books, young adult and adult books. May 18, 2016 this book brilliantly explores family, friendship, first love, creativity, and mania. Marie book discussions anxiety, anxiety rep, book bloggers, book discussion, book list, book recommendations, contemporary, mental health, ya books 144 comments i dont and wont talk about it a lot, because it is just the kind of person i am and, if you dont ask, i wont tell, but for the sake of this blog post, im going to say it. We were quite disappointed to see that there are very few childrens book about mental health or that teach them a valuable lesson.
Here i discuss some of the things to remember when writing about mental illness, and what ya books are currently out there. Its may and with it comes mental health awareness month. Turtles all the way down by john green, its kind of a funny story by ned vizzini, all the bright places by jennifer nive. Ya novels with characters who have chronic or mental. A deeply hopeful ya novel about living with mental illness thats perfect for fans of girl in pieces. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. As mental health books continue to appear on ya book shelves and more young people are talking about it, here are some of the best teen books about depression. Titles and resources over on school library journal, a guide to nuanced and thoughtful approaches to mental health in ya lit.
One thing that can help make it a little easier are ya novels that deal with mental health. We asked members of the buzzfeed community to tell us about their favorite ya books that deal with mental health and mental illness. Mental health archives girl plus book ya book blog. Leigh, who is half asian and half white, travels to taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. Mental health representation in young adult literature is extremely important but not as important as getting it done the right way. If youre looking for books to help a teen whos struggling or to increase your own understanding of mental health issues, these books can get you started. But, the sheer level of empathy that arnold takes when it comes to approaching mental illness is what makes this one of the best ya books about mental health.
Aug 22, 2011 young adult literature features a number of depictions of mentally ill characters, from authors who both bother to do their homework and take the time to present their work well and authors who dont seem to feel that research and sensitivity are necessary. Jun 06, 2014 issues of mental health are tricky enough to understand in life. May 10, 2019 in case you werent aware, may is mental health awareness month and, well, can we all just give a round of applause for that. Nov 07, 2017 fans of the impossible life is one of many depression books i considered listing here. Young adult authors arent pulling any punches in 2017. Ya books about mental health young adult books about anxiety, ocd, depression, eating disorders, self harm, etc. Such a great book surrounding ocd and mental illness. Many staff members across our 100 branches are participating, and recently we asked them what their picks and recommendations are for a book about mental health. In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multipleawardwinning speak, laurie halse anderson explores lias descent.
Posted in chat, sarah, thoughts by thelittlecontemporarycorner. Best eating disorder books, ya involving mental health issues 2000present, books worth reading on depression fiction and nonfiction, gr. Disorienting at times and emotionally poignant at others, this awardwinning novel will make you ponder the complexities of mental illness. Weve also included other categories these books could be used for. Ya novels that get real about mental health hellogiggles. If you have already read a book about mental health, all of these books can be used for a book recommended to you by library staff. This book describes what depression is like, and calls out the ridiculousness of existing stigmas about mental illness. Women and mental illness fiction and nonfiction, best eating disorder books, ya involving mental health issues 2000present, borderline. At the child mind institute weve contacted publishers all over to call in books that address mental health and learning disorders and other common challenges, like dealing with painful experiences and coping with strong emotions. From brutally honest to shockingly hilarious, these books get it. Mar 31, 2020 for adults, the booksoften written with immediacy and emotional intensitycan have a transportive quality. Mental health in ya novels the little contemporary corner. Ally watkins, librarian and cocoordinator of mhyalit. Thanks to anna, she gathered up a bunch of bloggers including moi to talk about ya books with great mental health rep.
From classics to contemporary romance, dystopia, and fantasy, theres a book for everyone. Januarys teen book club was all the bright places by jennifer. Welcome back to another edition of yas that get it right, in which pros weigh in on ya books they think nailed an aspect of the human experience. Ive read quite a few incredible ya novels with mental health representation so far in 2019, so today i want to share some of my top favourites with you. Turtles all the way down by john green aza is trying. Last month i posted about a sponsored read i was doing in memory of my brother. I put together this piece as a tool for helping find high quality, inclusive, and intersectional mental health experiences. There are books about addiction, eating disorders, depression, schizophrenia, and more, as experienced by the teen main characters.
Thats why it can be completely magical when you find a book that shows what its like to live with a chronic illness, disability or mental health condition. These have been marked with a mind your head by juno dawson, with illustrations by gemma correll. Leigh chen sanders is absolutely certain about one thing. May is mental health awareness month and we find that books can not only help us understand or sympathize, but can often help us talk about difficult topics. We rounded up a list of authors who we think get it right. Oct 01, 2017 check out last years videos for mental illness awareness week check out my new channel dedicated to psychology and mental health h. This ya book combines a comingofage tale with a mystery novel. This lyrical, profound contemporary novel takes an honest. Ya involving mental health issues 2000present 359 books. Young adult fiction is known for tackling issues that young people can relate to and recently a great number of ya authors have begun tackling mental health, as the conversation surrounding mental health grows and becomes less taboo. I only discovered this recently, but im glad it exists. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Because, unfortunately, there is still a stigma surrounding mental health. Books can bring comfort to those suffering from mental illness and increase awareness among family, friends, and peers.
Nov 10, 2016 tell us which ya book totally nailed struggling with mental health. Mental health in ya books kate foster professional. But there are also some real gems, and we have faith in ya to keep it real. Books, especially ya novels, possess the ability to provide comfort to those who find representation of themselves in a character with a mental illness, as well as to educate readers who find. As the ya category has grown, weve seen more and more ya books about mental illness and mental health hit shelves. As society grows in its understanding of mental illnesses, their effects and treatments, were seeing more ya narratives tackle these subjects. Tell us which ya book totally nailed struggling with mental. Oct 10, 2019 in addition to featuring mental health stories written by those who have personal experience with mental illness, the world of ya mental health representation is enriched by its inclusivity. Not only are we not supposed to talk about how were feeling or what were going through, were expected to showcase our best selves on. A lot of the time though, it can be difficult to find characters and storylines you directly relate to. Kids and teens work out depression, anxiety, and more in these compelling stories.
Books that feature characters dealing with mental illness. The plan was simple, to read five ya novels in five weeks that tackled mental health and substance abuse issues. One thing that can help make it a little easier are ya novels that deal with mental health issues. Book riot drawing on her own teen experiences, parker adroitly touches upon matters of respectability and presentableness, stigmas against discussing mental health issues in the black community and among young adults, and internalized and societal racism. This young adult book explores firsthand what its like to have an eating disorder and, just a heads up, could be triggering to those struggling or in recovery. Since may is mental health awareness month, i asked some of my favorite authors of mental health ya, as well as and including authors who are also mental health professionals, to share their favorite mental health yas that get it right. However, the ones we did find are amazing and we highly recommend adding the following childrens books about mental health into your bedtime routine. Ya books featuring characters with mental illness by stepha89 a community created list. May 24, 2016 ya mental health resources published may 24, 2016 you may be familiar with ya fiction books that deal with mental health issues, but in honor of it being mental health month, im highlighting mostly nonfiction ya resources with a few new or forthcoming fiction titles. When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird. Thank you so much, anna, for allowing me to be part of this roundup. Mental health book recommendations from those who struggle. Ya books about mental illness and mental health book riot.
Ya books for mental health awareness the educators room. These books traverse all aspects of mental health and mental illness, and theyre both fiction and nonfiction. Mental health awareness would be woefully incomplete. World suicide prevention day was september 10 to honor this, my classroom library display and all my book talks for the month focus on mental illness, wellness. Their books give us literally all the feels, and we can relate to their characters even if it might be painful to do so. Whether youre new on my blog or a regular here, you have to know that mental health is a topic very, very dear to my heart and, if i can scream about some young adult books dealing with mental health, i.
Ya books dealing with issues relating to mental health and clinical psychology, first published in 2000 or later. Alice and the fly is a ya book about a teen with schizophrenia. Books about mental health and mental illness can be wonderful tools to destigmatize, educate, or make you feel less alone. This week, october 7, is mental illness awareness week. Written by a high school special education teacher who has had to deal with mental illness herself, this ya novel explores the story. Growing up is hard for everyone, but for someone with a mental illness, it can seem impossible.
Jun 15, 2017 10 young adult books that talk about anxiety and depression aside from thirteen reasons why, these novels also teach us how to respect and understand mental health. Bitesized chapters, lists, and anecdotes make it a perfect book to keep in your back pocketjust in case. The nuances of mental health can be hard to nail in fiction, but these novels do it perfectly. This is a fantasy novel that just happens to star characters who struggle with mental health issues, particularly ptsd. Young adult novels are some of the most popular types of books. Ya books featuring characters with mental illness by stepha89 a communitycreated list. Ya mental health mustreads of 2019 written word worlds. May 31, 2016 growing up is hard for everyone, but for someone with a mental illness, it can seem impossible. The books listed below center on teens from a multitude of socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.
Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The protagonist, mira, is a new student at saint francis prep in attempts to be normal and have a new start. Its far too easy to get caught up in stereotypes, misinformation, and stigmatization. Mosquitoland isnt a book thats fully about mental health. Teen books about depression to better understand the illness. Books with thoughtful portrayals of characters who encounter mental health issues can offer middle grade readers comfort, connection, and inspiration. May 02, 2019 as society grows in its understanding of mental illnesses, their effects and treatments, were seeing more ya narratives tackle these subjects. Exploring mental illness in ya literature rebecca alasdair. Books with characters that have mental health issues have the ability to help readers on an individual basis. Young adult murder mystery romance thistle cove book 4. Mental health in ya books as authors, we owe it to our readers to present a realistic, inclusive world. These books help kids name and understand feelings and experiences they may be struggling with. Whether we have an own voices story to tell, or our experience comes from research, it is important that readers can see themselves in a book.
Im definitely a little biased because of my own experiences, but some of my favourite books are queer and have mental illness representation because thats me. During mental health month, try one of these kidrecommended books that tackle mental health in a way that is relatable to young people. But when i read ya novels that not only handle mental. Ahead, a selection of some of the best ya books for teens and adults. Our fave genre portrays mental health in incredible ways.
97 351 556 1239 431 1375 177 705 83 977 1047 337 1160 404 269 19 1113 1479 1404 59 541 684 1605 108 232 1365 796 413 1612 495 400 151 1498 1072 1281 1089 177 1318 660 1304 1045 1285 236 1405