A Better Day: Your Positive Mental Health Handbook
by Dr Alex George, illustrated by The Boy Fitz Hammond
Interest age: 10 to 13
Reading age: 10+
Published by Wren & Rook, 2023
About this book
Dr Alex George is the government’s specially appointed Youth Mental Health Ambassador, and clearly cares passionately about helping young people with depression, loneliness, gender identity, stress, loss and body positivity among a raft of other common issues.
Rather than be a book about defeating mental illness, Dr George poses this helpful and practical book as about creating mental wellness and healthy strategies and routines. In part three of the book (“A Better Day”) there’s useful advice about maintaining a healthy diet, being creative, sleeping well and developing resilience and mental strength to be able to deal with the problems that come as part of life.
This is an ideal book for children in Year 7 and 8 who may be experiencing crushes, puberty and difficulties with social media, as all these things are touched on as well as gender identity, eating disorders and developing sexuality. Each subject is dealt with sensitively and inclusively, and the book provides a general overview to a lot of different topics. Therefore, if you were looking for more detailed guidance and information for young people in your life about one particular issue – depression, for instance – then you might be better off finding something that could cover the subject in more depth.
An upbeat and positive book which feels perfectly pitched at lower secondary school kids and will no doubt be hugely helpful for many.
More books like this
-
Ten Ways to Build a Brilliant Brain
by Nicola Morgan, illustrated by Risa Rodil
9 to 14 years
-
Failosophy: a handbook for when things go wrong
by Elizabeth Day
11 to 14 years
-
University of Cambridge: This Book Will Make You a Scientist
by Dr Sheila Kanani, illustrated by Ellen Surrey
7 to 14 years
-
Dangerous Animals: Survival Guide
by Sam Hume
7 to 14 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
Books all about puberty
Puberty is a confusing time. These helpful books not only explain the changes that happen to children’s bodies and emotions, but can also empower them as they grow into teenagers and beyond. Encompassing mental health, friendship issues, navigating the online world, and much much more, we hope these books will be a comfort and a support.
-
Non-fiction books to help teens understand the world around them
Non-fiction books can be a great tool to help teenagers explore and investigate problems in their lives and around the world. These fantastic books explore the issues facing young people today - from the demonization of the working class to gang culture to sexuality, while others help explain how the world has ended up where it has.
-
Books on wellbeing for teens
Teenagers sometimes need guidance, whether they want to admit it or not. Fiction is a subtle way to show them characters in similar situations, while non-fiction is more direct in offering suggestions and advice. This list is a combination of the two, for when they might benefit from an objective viewpoint.
-
Books to build confidence for ages 9 to teen
Many children are naturally prone to self-doubt, or might encounter situations that make them nervous. Stories about characters finding confidence can help young readers draw parallels in their own lives, while positive 'self-help' books can offer practical advice. This selection of fiction and non-fiction might help children aged from 8 to 13 build their confidence.