Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourneįirst in a trilogy about three fantastic, feminist friends, Am I Normal Yet? follows Evie, a teenager attempting to live a “normal” life in the face of her ongoing struggle with OCD. To move forwards and thrive, Tiffany has to learn to manage the grief, stress and anxiety that she is experiencing. Tiffany is recovering from the death of her mother, and has to leave the town she’s lived in all her life to move in with her estranged father.

One for older children, this story deals with grief, loss, and complex family relationships. Young readers will learn that “What if?” doesn’t have to be a scary question. Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster by Michelle Nelsonīy turning worries into a (quite cute and cuddly) creature, Michelle Nelson’s book helps children identify their worries as being just thoughts, rather than a reality. When My Worries Get Too Big by Kari Dunn BuronĪnother nonfiction book for young kids, this one focuses on relaxation techniques that children can learn so that episodes of anxiety or nervousness don’t derail their entire day.

Publishers WeeklyĪ compassionate glimpse of mental illness accessible to a broad audience.6. Natalie's Korean heritage is sensitively explored, as is the central issue of depression. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR * KIRKUS REVIEWS * THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY * Think THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH meets THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH. With their help, Natalie begins an uplifting journey to discover the science of hope, love, and miracles.Ī vibrant, loving debut about the coming-of-age moment when kids realize that parents are people, too. Which means it's time for Natalie's friends to step up and show her that talking about a problem is like taking a plant out of a dark cupboard and giving it light. Natalie's mother has been suffering from depression, and Natalie is sure that the flowers' magic will inspire her mom to love life again. There's prize money, and if she and her friends wins, then she can fly her botanist mother to see the miraculous Cobalt Blue Orchids-flowers that survive against impossible odds. When Natalie's science teacher suggests that she enter an egg drop competition, Natalie thinks that this might be the perfect solution to all of her problems.

Natalie's uplifting story of using the scientific process to save her mother from depression is what Booklist calls a winning story full of heart and action.

The science of breakable things author