Top Children's Books for Mental Health & Wellbeing | Must-Reads for Kids

Children's Mental Health Week is an important opportunity to highlight the well-being of young people, encouraging open conversations about emotions, self-esteem, and mental health. This week is about raising awareness, providing support, and ensuring children and teens feel seen, heard, and valued. Books can be powerful tools in this journey, offering comfort, guidance, and representation. 📖✨

🤔 Why Mental Health Matters for Children and Teens

Mental health affects everyone, and it’s essential to support and celebrate the well-being of all children. While mental health challenges are often part of neurodivergent experiences, they are not exclusive to neurodivergent children. All children benefit from stories that help them:

✅ Understand their emotions
✅ Build resilience
✅ Feel less alone

📊 Recent statistics show that 1 in 5 young people in England aged 8 to 25 had a probable mental disorder in 2023. This highlights the urgent need for accessible mental health resources and targeted support. 🚨

 MAKES SENSE TO ME: The Neurodivergent Bookshop Of Acceptance and Belonging 

MAKES SENSE TO ME is a specialist bookshop with a focus on neurodiversity. Naturally, our book recommendations always prioritise neurodivergent representation. 🌈🧠💡We exclusively sell books created by Neurodivergent and/or Disabled contributors, ensuring that our recommendations are rooted in authentic representation, firsthand understanding, and the latest research and insights. 📚🧐

By embracing difference and valuing unique perspectives, we work to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health and neurodivergence. 🥰💙✨

📖 This list includes books for:
🐣Young children
🐥Pre-teens
🎓Teens
🧑🏻‍💻Adults supporting children’s mental health

Let’s create a world where every child feels supported, understood, and empowered! 🌍💖

Books for Young Children (Ages 0-10)

Exploring Emotions and Self-Understanding

 

• Get the Giggles – by Andy J. Pizza & Sophie Miller
  An interactive board book that encourages laughter and joy, helping young children express emotions.
• Feel Calm – by Andy J. Pizza & Sophie Miller
  Offers exercises and tips to help children manage stress and find calmness.
• Invisible Things – by Andy J. Pizza & Sophie Miller
  Explores emotions and sensory experiences in a fun, imaginative way.

Building Confidence and Coping Skills

   

• You Are Loved: A Book About Families – by Sofia Sanchez. Celebrates love, inclusion, and diverse family structures.
• You Are Brave: A Book About Trying New Things – by Sofia Sanchez. Encourages children to embrace new experiences with courage.
• People Need People - by Benjamin Zephaniah. A poetic celebration of connection, kindness, and the power of human relationships.
• The Missing Piece – by Jordan Stephens. A heartfelt story about self-acceptance, friendship, and embracing differences.
• The Healthy Coping Colouring Book and Journal – by Pooky Knightsmith. Creative activities to help children manage stress, anxiety, and emotions.
• The Worry Workbook: A Kids Activity Book for Dealing with Anxiety – by Imogen Harrison. Features engaging activities to help children manage their worries.

Neurodiversity, Disability and Self-Acceptance

• Square Me Round World – by Chelsea Luker & Eliza Fricker
  A story about feeling different and finding one's place.
• How Are You, Verity? – by Megan Wilson Duff
  Encourages children to explore their emotions and discuss mental health openly.
• I Can't Make It Stop: My Diary on Living with Tourette Syndrome – by Lucy Marie Phillips
  A personal diary by an 11-year-old sharing her experience with Tourette Syndrome.

• Moving On Up: Beat the Bullies, Make Fearless Friendships and Deal with Funny Fails – by Rosie Jones
  An empowering guide to overcome the difficult and embarrassing moments of growing up with the help of good friends and a good sense of humour. 

Books for Pre-Teens and Teens (Ages 11-18)

Mental Health Awareness and Understanding

 

• A Kids Book About Depression – by Kileah McIlvain
• A children’s book that explains depression in simple, accessible terms.
• A Kids Book About Mental Health – by Dr. Katie Lingras
• An essential guide to understanding mental health for younger readers.
• A Kids Book About Anxiety – by Ross Szabo
• A helpful resource for children navigating feelings of anxiety.

Self-Advocacy and Workbooks

 

• Standing Up for Myself – by Evaleen Whelton
  A guide for neurodivergent youth to set boundaries and self-advocate.
• The Teenager’s Guide to Burnout – by Dr. Naomi Fisher & Eliza Fricker
  Helps teens manage stress and recover from burnout.

• The Anxiety Recovery Journal : Creative Activities to Keep Yourself Well– by Cara Lisette & Anneley Roberts A creative journal for processing worries and building resilience.

• The Depression Journal : Creative Activities to Keep Yourself Well - by Cara Lisette and Anneli Roberts A guided workbook designed to navigate mental health journeys and build healthy coping strategies.

Fictional Stories with Mental Health Themes

• When I See Blue – by Lily Bailey
  A powerful novel about a young boy’s journey with OCD.
• Darius the Great Is Not Okay – by Adib Khorram
  A heartfelt novel about a Persian-American teen dealing with depression and cultural identity.
• Challenger Deep – by Neal Shusterman
  A deeply personal and insightful look into teenage mental illness.

Graphic Novel Memoirs of Mental Health Journeys

   

• Everything is Ok – by Debbie Tung A heartwarming book that helps children understand their emotions and cope with difficult situations.
• Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me – by Ellen Forney A graphic memoir about the author’s experience with bipolar disorder, exploring the highs and lows of mania and depression, and her artistic journey
• Lavender Clouds: Comics About Neurodivergence and Mental Health –by Bex Ollerton
  A funny, relatable and visually engaging book about mental health and neurodivergence.

Books for Adults 

Parents Supporting Children's Mental Health

• How to Raise Happy Neurofabulous Children – by Katie Alfynstone
  A supportive guide for parents of neurodivergent children.
• I Can Fix This: And Other Lies I Told Myself While Parenting My Struggling Child – by Kristina Kuzmic
  A candid account of parenting a child through mental health struggles.
• No Filters: A Mother and Teenage Daughter Love Story – by Christie Watson & Rowan Egberongbe
  A dual-perspective memoir on navigating teenage mental health challenges.

Educators Supporting Children's Mental Health 

 

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Children – by Jodi Warshaw
  Strategies for building resilience and emotional well-being in children.
• The Mentally Healthy Schools Workbook – by Pooky Knightsmith
  A resource for educators to support students' mental health.
• Can't Not Won't: A Story About A Child Who Couldn't Go To School – by Eliza Fricker A powerful book about school avoidance and understanding the needs of neurodivergent children.

💭 Final Thoughts

Children’s Mental Health Week is a crucial reminder of the importance of emotional well-being in young lives. Books have the power to:

✅ Validate experiences
✅ Provide comfort and guidance
✅ Encourage open conversations about mental health 💬

Here at MAKES SENSE TO ME, we embrace difference and disability. We understand that there are many ways to learn, process, and read. 📚✨ For that reason, we do not observe the national reading age; instead, we make recommendations based on the individual, not the norm. The age categories in this post serve as references and indicators of the type of content in each section. We believe that every reader should have access to books that resonate with their unique experiences and needs. 💡📚😍

Whether you’re a parent, educator, or caregiver, these books can help you support the children and teens in your life. Let’s continue fostering understanding, empathy, and resilience in young minds. 🌈🧠💖

Happy Children's Mental Health Week! 

You are Loved, You belong, You MAKE SENSE.