Mental health and wellbeing and books
If you are looking for books relevant to any aspect of mental health, wellbeing, illness or emotional literacy, this site offers a wealth of reviews – and this page is a great place to start.
This is your signpost to a growing range of booklists and articles covering themes like mindfulness, kindness, exploring feelings and accommodating change. With book recommendations from children’s book experts and well-being specialists, our lists offer plenty of ideas for books to support the development of young healthy minds. We can also help you find titles relevant to specific mental health conditions, challenging situations and various life events. Many of the books have broad themes in which mental health and wellbeing is simply incidental.
“Books can play a powerful role in supporting children as they navigate their way through difficult experiences and challenging times. Children can find stories that gently suggest ways for coping with shyness or anxiety, and books that offer valuable messages of hope or understanding during a significant life change or a family illness. Books can also help them understand the experiences and emotions of others, and so develop their empathy and kindness.”
Alexandra Strick, BookTrust Consultant
Books and wellbeing
Our wellbeing is everything. Internally as well as externally. So supporting emotional literacy in young children is really important, to equip them with the necessary understanding of their inner world, as well as the outer one.
Safely exploring the world
Books provide a way to explore emotional landscapes and a forum to externalise sensitive issues. Through the realms of stories, children can enter other worlds, where they can explore uncomfortable emotions or challenging experiences at a safe distance. This can help them normalise their feelings, see their reality reflected and know that they are not alone.
Discussing and reassuring
Young children will not yet have developed the skill of articulating how they feel about something or managing emotions like anger, frustration, sadness or loss. Books can help them find ways to understand and express these feelings, as well as helping provide all-important reassurance.
Best of all, of course, the very act of reading or sharing a book together can provide a source of happiness and comfort.
Themed booklists
The following are just some of the many booklists we offer relating to mental health and wellbeing.
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Ten powerful books about mental health issues
Author and teacher Catherine Bruton recommends some stories that tackle tough topics.
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Books about change and transition
Our Writer in Residence Patrice Lawrence recommends eight books that might help children going through changing circumstances
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5 thought-provoking books about young carers
The Second-Hand Boy author Jennifer Lane recommends five novels featuring characters who are young carers.
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Five top picture books about living in the moment
Author Mariesa Dulak recommends some favourite picture books to share for a mindful moment.
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Books about family illness
Books can help if you and your family are going through tough times. It is comforting to know that you’re not the only one. This is a selection of stories where a member of the protagonist’s family is ill. It includes mental illness, as well as physical.
“As a teacher, parent and wellbeing lead in a large primary school, I’m reminded on a daily basis of the power of developing a healthy mind. I believe that wellbeing is the foundation of everything – if our wellbeing is high, then we can be the best versions of ourselves. Once an adult is able to emotionally attune to their needs, the child will then feel seen and heard. Then they can begin to develop the emotional skills they need to be able to label their feelings and manage them in a healthy way.”
Alice Moore, Wellbeing Lead
Resources on mental health and wellbeing
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The Tiger Who Sleeps Under My Chair Author Hannah Foley shares why it’s important to write well about mental illness for children.
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Author and teacher Amelia Allen shares how stories can be used to provide children with vital wellbeing support and education from a young age.
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