Celebrating Wellness: Books About Mental Health Awareness for Children

Why Are You So Scared? : A Child's Book About Parents with PTSD

Kids who have a parent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can often feel confused, scared, or helpless. Why Are You So Scared? explains PTSD and its symptoms in nonthreatening, kid-friendly language, and is full of questions and exercises that kids and parents can work through together. The workbook-style layout encourages kids to express their thoughts and emotions about PTSD through writing, drawing, and designing.

Baxter Turns Down His Buzz : A Story for Little Kids About ADHD

Written for children struggling with ADHD and impulsiveness, Baxter Turns Down His Buzz is the story of a high-energy rabbit who learns to control his activity level. His uncle Barnaby guides Baxter through the steps necessary to `turn down his buzz' through behavioral strategies like mindfulness, progressive relaxation and visualization, rather than medication. Includes a `Note to Parents and Caregivers'.

1-2-3 A Calmer Me : Helping Children Cope When Emotions Get Out of Control

By Colleen A. Patterson (E Patt)

1-2-3 A Calmer Me introduces children to a simple rhyme they can use to slow down their bodies and stop mad feelings from spinning out of control. Includes a "Note to Parents, Teachers, and Other Grown-Ups" with more information about the steps of the ""1-2-3"" rhyme, and advice for working through the steps with your child.

Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry

Some mornings, Annie's mother's smiles are as bright as sunshine, but other days, her mother doesn't smile at all and gets very angry. Annie's grandma helps her remember what to do when her mommy isn't well. A story to help children to look for allies to help find ways to cope with a mentally ill parent.

You're Angry: Throw a Fit or Talk It Out?

Learning how to make good choices is an important and essential part of growing up. With multiple endings, each book allows the reader to make choices and read what happens next, learning how good or bad choices lead to different consequences. Includes four different endings and discussion questions.

OCDaniel

A coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder--until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything: "I need your help," it says, signed, Fellow Star child--whatever that means. And suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him.

This Is Not the Abby Show

Fans of Joey Pigza, Meg Cabot, and Mr. Terupt will root for hilarious, one-of-a-kind Abby as she navigates ADHD, middle school, family, and friendships. Normally, she has everything pretty much under control. But when Abby makes one HUGE mistake that leads to The Night That Ruined My Life, or TNTRML, she lands in summer school.

Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes

Annabelle has a secret . . . a secret so big she won't allow friends within five miles of her home. Her mom collects things. Their house is overflowing with stuff. It gives Annabelle's sister nightmares, her brother spends as much time as he can at friends' houses, and her dad buries himself in his work.

Wind Dancer

Ali McCormick used to love horses. But then she and her beloved pony Max were in an accident; Ali was injured, Max died, and Ali's brother Danny, who caused the accident, joined the military. Now Danny has returned from Afghanistan, injured and traumatized. Can Ali rise above her painful memories and love a horse again? And can Wind Dancer, also injured and traumatized, help Danny find meaning in his life again?

Willy and the Cloud

One day Willy the chimp goes to the park. It's a sunny day, but a cloud hovers over him and he can't join in the fun. What can Willy do to make this mysterious cloud go away? Exceptional illustrations combined with the insightful story makes this an essential book for young children.

Sidetracked

To Joseph Friedman, middle school might as well be the Running of the Bulls. He's friendless and puny, with ADD to boot, so he spends most of his time avoiding the class bully and hiding out in the Resource Room. His Resource Room teacher encourages (i.e., practically forces) him to join the school track team, and second, he meets Heather, a tough, athletic new girl who isn't going to be pushed around.

The World from Up Here

Wren is a fearful and anxious sixth grader at a rural Pennsylvania school. After Wren's mother is hospitalized to treat her own anxiety and depression, Wren, her younger brother, and their dog move in with their aunt Marianne and adventurous cousin Silver. Silver and Wren's friendship deepens as they motivate and confide in each other along the way.

The Goldfish Boy

A boy struggling with OCD is uniquely qualified to solve a kidnapping. Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. Matthew is the key to figuring out what happened and potentially saving a child's life... but is he able to do so if it means exposing his own secrets, and stepping out from the safety of his home?

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Don'ts

If seven-year-old Benjamin (aka Bug) Blonsky were a superhero, he'd be "Bug Boy with the Power to Annoy." On this day, Bug's "choices" -- drawing pictures of pig roller coasters during math time, making armpit noises when his teacher bends over -- have landed him in a heap of trouble, so now he's writing a list of what not to do: his list of don'ts.