It's been a little while, but the Brainstorm is finally back for a new school year of reading recommendations. Our school is jumping into a season of encouraging students in their mental health, so I thought it would be a great time for some more anxiety and worry help books. Last year I posted some Anxiety/Fear Reads in Brainstorm 303, so you can check that edition out for more ideas related to this topic. Click on the titles to read my full book review including any content notes/trigger warnings.
Since it is the first Brainstorm of this school year, I'll remind you of some of the librariany terms I use and what I mean by them:
YA = Young Adult - books aimed at teens
MG = Middle Grade - books aimed at 3rd-7th/8th grade
LG = Lower Grade - books aimed at K5-3rd grade
And a quick guide to the parts under each book (including the new nutshell version):
In a nutshell = 1 sentence summaries of the book for people in a hurry
More info = A more detailed summary for those who want more
Extra thoughts = Some of my opinions about what I liked about the book or how it relates to the topic
Target Readers = Who is most likely going to enjoy the book
All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon
In a nutshell: A boss pits a high anxiety Mackenzie Graham up against the seemingly perfect Jeremy Fletcher in an office Christmas spirit competition for a promotion, but both have a lot riding on this.
More Info: Mackenzie Graham is both thrilled and terrified by the upcoming Christmas season. She loves Christmas and helping find little ways to make the holiday meaningful for others. She's also honored that the boss of her design firm has told her that she's in the running for a promotion. But she's up against Jeremy Fletcher, who is wonderful and whom she has a huge crush on. He's so much more outgoing and charismatic than she is, her anxiety practically cripples her every time she even thinks of giving a presentation to a client. She doesn't really want to beat him and even wonders if she can, but she also needs the promotion to pay her mom's bills at the memory care facility she stays in because of early onset Alzheimer's. Little does she know that Jeremy could also use the promotion to help meet the financial demands of raising his orphaned tween niece and nephew. The boss has said that Mackenzie and Jeremy must demonstrate they are best for the promotion by their Christmas spirit. It's a battle with cookies, trees, and tinsel.
Extra thoughts: I know it may be a bit early for Christmas reads for some of you, but this has such a well done mental health aspect to the story, I had to include it in this Brainstorm. There’s a bit more depth than the typical rom-com/Hallmark Christmas story that probably popped in your head when you read that description or saw the cover. It is a cute Christmas rom-com, but it is also about seeing two people get healthier mentally thanks to each other, God, and some very supportive friends (and in Mackenzie’s case, seeking professional help when necessary).
Target Readers: Christmas Story Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Christian Fiction, Clean Love Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though totally fine for YA readers)
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
In a nutshell: A research-based look at how smart phones are negatively impacting mental health and what to do about it.
More info: Haidt started looking at the spike in anxiety diagnoses and realized a global trend matching with the arrival of smart phones. He then started looking at how phone use impacts children and teens, breaking things down by subgroups such as age levels and genders and specific phone usage that tends to impact mental health, and he then looks at what can be done to stop this growing epidemic of smart phone-related mental health issues.
Extra thoughts: Our school admin has been strongly encouraging reading this book, and for good reason. It’s an incredibly well-researched, sobering, important read for anyone who has kids or works with kids. (I’d also hand it to teens so they can be more self-aware in how their phone usage can impact their mental health and their peers.)
Target Readers: Parents, Educators, Youth Workers, Anyone Who Uses a Smart Phone, Nonfiction Fans, Mental Health Fans, Science/Psychology/Anthropology Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)
The God Who Stays: Life Looks Different with Him by Your Side by Matthew West with Matt Litton
In a nutshell: A Christian music artist shares what God taught him during the covid lockdown.
More info: Matthew West shares some of the important things God taught him through the covid lockdown. The lyrics of one of his songs was sung to him by a taxi driver as things were shutting down, and "The God Who Stays" resonated in different ways than ever before.
Extra thoughts: West touches on a number of topics, including the global struggle with anxiety.
Target Readers: Memoir Fans, Christian Life Nonfiction Fans, Christian Music Fans, Lockdown Reflection Fans, Mental Health Book Fans, Uplifting Read Fans, Adult Readers (though totally approachable to YA)
In the Red by Christopher Swiedler
In a nutshell: An anxious boy and a perfectionist girl must survive on Mars and get back to the settlement when their outing from the base goes badly.
More info: Michael wants to prove to himself and his family that his "condition" will not keep him from doing fun things in the field on Mars. After his first plan backfires, his best friend Lilith decides that what he needs is a little night time sneaky trip outside the dome. Michael goes along with the plan, but while they are out something goes catastrophically wrong and soon the two tweens find themselves in a struggle to survive and save others.
Extra thoughts: Move over Mark Watney, let some smart and talented tweens show you how survival on Mars is done. This is an exotic survival story that deftly touches on anxiety and perfectionism. (And for those who are wondering, there’s a solid parental response in the end.)
Target Readers: Scifi Fans, Survival Story Fans, Adventure Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers
Isaiah & the Worry Pack by Ruth Goring, ill. by Pamela C. Rice
In a nutshell: A worried kid learns to use a spiritual discipline to help release his worries to Jesus.
More info: Isaiah has been having trouble sleeping so his mom asks him to talk about his worries that have been keeping him up at night, and then she leads him to practice guided imagery, a spiritual discipline, to help release those worries to Jesus.
Target Readers: Christian Fiction Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Picture Book Readers
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
In a nutshell: Ruby learns how to deal with a worry.
More info: Ruby is a carefree girl until she finds a little worry. She tries to ignore it, but it keeps growing and growing. How can she deal with it?
Extra thoughts: Ruby learns an easy solution to a common issue and the book has a lot of helpful resources for adults reading with children.
Target Readers: Mental Health Story Fans, Picture Book Readers
Take a Chance by Sujean Rim
In a nutshell: A bird scared of new things learns to be honest about his fears and how to tackle hard things one step at a time.
More info: Bob loves to fly around, but he's a bit wary of new things. He always makes up excuses not to do things. But when an eagle friend invites him to see what's above the clouds, Bob really, really wants to try. And he's finally honest about his worries. Can Bob find the right mindset to try something new and maybe hard?
Extra thoughts: Really great advice in this story to set small goals towards the bigger, overwhelming goal. And don't be afraid to be honest with friends about fears and worries. I love that Rim had him revisit all the bird friends he lied to, come clean, and give their invites a shot. A great message, and the artwork is pretty cute too.
Target Readers: Animal Fiction Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Adventure Fiction Fans, Picture Book Readers
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