Helpful Books, Journals & Podcasts for ages 11+
Ensuring mental well-being is crucial, especially for young people aged 11 and up. To support this journey, we’ve compiled a list of essential resources including books, journals, and podcasts that focus on mental health. These recommendations aim to provide valuable insights, coping strategies, and encouragement to nurture a healthy mind and foster resilience.
Section Title
Book Recommendations:
This book has an easy-to-understand, graphic ‘comic-like’ format. It explains what anxiety is and how it’s created by our nervous systems trying to protect us because understanding ‘how anxiety works’ can lessen the fear people experience around anxiety. It also contains strategies you can try to relieve symptoms and change your mind’s habits as you work towards recovery
You Will Be Okay is a non-fiction guide, written by the founder of a bereavement charity called Winston’s Wish. It gives people who have experienced the death of someone close to them the tools they need to navigate what is a really difficult time, including confidence, and the ability to notice, accept, and talk about emotions when they want to. The book includes stories from other people who have experienced grief, as well as practical things you can do
A popular pick among teens, author John Green shares important mental health topics inside a thrilling story. As the main character struggles to be good at everything, she takes on a mystery with a friend. Readers will learn about anxiety, OCD and mental illness in a relatable and understandable way
Through reflection, inspirational quotes and beautiful images, readers learn to find magic in moments of fear and uncertainty. Meera Lee Patel shows us how fear is an opportunity to make big changes and that by looking within, we can find the fantastic potential within ourselves
This book encourages that you can achieve great things, even if it seems like there are lots of barriers in your way. It talks about the experiences of more than 50 teenagers who have made a difference to the world by taking actions including volunteering and campaigning. The interviews cover a range of topics including race, sexuality, violence, grief, neurodiversity, and bullying. The interviewees include someone who invented a way of tackling online bullying, someone who persuaded a pop band to change how they were portraying women in their videos, someone who broke his back on his 15th birthday, and a successful actor who was bullied because of Down’s syndrome
This book is based on the idea that there are things you can do to take control of your wellbeing – even when you’re dealing with the difficult bits of life as a teenager. The book looks at different issues you might face and includes actions you can take to make your life more positive (and explanations of the science behind how they work)
(For ages 16+) Nora's life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?
(For ages 16+) Written by a psychiatrist and researcher, The Body Keeps the Score explores the significant impact of trauma on the mind and body. It is primarily written for adults looking to understand their experiences and start the healing process. Throughout the book, you’ll discover case studies and stories of people who have survived traumatic experiences
Journal Recommendations:
Podcast Recommendations:
