from the bookshelf
GREAT READS FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH Imagine your way toward better mental health with these immersive reads highlighting allyship, self-care, and healing.
Young Readers
by Claire Legrand Everwood is Finlay’s haven from her depression, anxiety, and family drama. But when her imaginary hideaway turns out to be a real place with problems of its own, Finlay learns that she can’t save the kingdom without first saving herself.
Whatifs by Emily Kilgore Cora’s “whatifs” take all the fun out of her day and replace it with worry, until a friend helps her reimagine her wonderings. This fun intro to cognitive therapy concludes with an author’s note about her own childhood anxiety.
Young Adult
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld When all the other animals tell Taylor how he should feel and what he should do after his tower falls, the rabbit listens. A heart-warming reminder of the power of empathy and open ears.
When Sadness is at Your Door by Eva Eland When sadness arrives like an unexpected guest that won’t leave you alone, this gentle guide suggests creative ways to make the visit more pleasant for everyone.
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia A secret web-comic superstar and her real-life anxiety collide in this fantastical rom-com about fandom, friendship, and family. Filled with fabulous art and valuable lessons, this book is a great way for teens to explore the many ways we find and lose ourselves online.
Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram This sequel to the must-read Darius the Great is Not Okay proves that everything you thought Middle Grade you wanted isn’t always enough. Home from Fighting Words Iran with his first boyfriend, dream job, and by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley a spot on the soccer team, Darius still deals Della and Suki have just entered foster care, with depression, cross-culture relationships, but the unfamiliar home and new school worry bullying, body image, consent, and boundaries Della less than the strange way her sister is with plenty of tea, Star Trek, and charm. acting. As Suki’s hidden trauma drives her to Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling a devastating act, Della must find the words by Wai Chim to fight for herself, her sister, and her friends. Anna Chiu has no words to talk about her Written by a survivor with input from child mother’s wild moods–not to her father, school psychologists, Fighting Words honestly and engagingly explores foster care, trauma, sexual counselor, or even herself. But when her father’s new delivery boy honestly shares his assault, suicide, and playground harassment own hospitalization, Anna begins to see her with humor and hope, and is best suited for situation in a new light. ages 10+. Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist Isaiah harnesses the power of creativity and community to find his voice while dealing with grief, housing instability, and parental addiction. Some Kind of Happiness
All-ages
The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers Some days we all need a kind reminder that our feelings are okay, and that every part of us is liked.
Meg Davis Shipp works in Youth Services at New Orleans Public Library. Recommending amazing books for kids and teens is the best part of her job.
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JUNE 2022 | NOLAFAMILY.COM
