Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Anxiety, depression and self-harm

Book SynopsisA Publishers Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2021One of The Nerd Daily's “Anticipated Queer Book Releases You Can’t Miss in 2021” One of Lambda Literary's “May’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ Literature”“Gorgeous.” —BuzzFeed The two most important things to know about Pluto Timoney: (1) she’s always loved outer space (obviously); and (2) her favorite season is summer, the time to go to the boardwalk, visit the planetarium, and work in her mom’s pizzeria. This summer, when Pluto’s turning thirteen, is different. Pluto has just been diagnosed with depression, and she feels like a black hole is sitting on her chest, making it hard to do anything. When Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move to the city—where he believes his money could help her get better—Pluto comes up with a plan to do whatever it takes to be her old self again. If she does everything that old, “normal” Pluto would do, she can stay with her mom. But it takes a new therapist, new tutor, and new (cute) friend with a plan of her own for Pluto to see that there is no old or new her. There’s just Pluto, discovering more about herself every day.Trade ReviewA Publishers Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2021One of The Nerd Daily's “Anticipated Queer Book Releases You Can’t Miss in 2021” One of Lambda Literary's “May’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ Literature”“Gorgeous.” —BuzzFeedA Publishers Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2021 “As always, Melleby naturally integrates her queer protagonist’s discovery of her sexuality into a larger story. The love of space that Pluto shares with her mother (whose own stress level is honestly portrayed) informs her way of thinking about herself and the world; Pluto’s interest in the history of the Challenger disaster is just one reason this introspective novel might appeal to fans of Erin Entrada Kelly’s We Dream of Space.” —The Horn Book Magazine “Nicole Melleby, author of "In the Role of Brie Hutchins," offers a sensitive, pitch-perfect portrayal of a girl battling depression and anxiety disorder the summer before 8th grade in this excellent novel for middle-grade readers. … This is an important and ultimately hopeful book.” —The Buffalo News “An outstanding book.”—The City Book Review, Kid’s Book Buzz “Sprinkled with astronomy-related metaphors related to a planet’s properties, this acutely observed, authentically told tale by Melleby (In the Role of Brie Hutchens...) thoughtfully portrays Pluto’s relationship with her worried single mother, the girl’s urgent desire to 'be fixed,' and her intense—and at times overpowering—depressive episodes. Compassionate secondary characters and a strong sense of place further buoy the narrative.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “A raw yet honest portrayal of a young person’s experience with depression, this is a must-read for both middle grade readers and the teachers, counselors, parents, and other adults who interact daily with youth undergoing similar experiences.” —School Library Journal, starred review “Lambda Literary Awards finalist Melleby tackles the gravitational force of the youth mental health crisis . . . Readers will find insight and compassion around setting realistic goals and navigating results that may not match initial expectations . . . A realistic, hopeful account of personal recovery and discovery.” —Kirkus Reviews “Pluto's struggles to manage her depression are all very true to life, and Melleby handles the subject with respect and empathy. She extends that empathetic tone to the people in Pluto's orbit, who want to help but don't always know how, especially when their well-meaning attempts have unintended consequences. A character-driven novel with a hopeful tone that will resonate with many tweens.” —Booklist “The visceral details of the struggle to get out of bed, shower, and greet the day offer insight into the sheer weight of Pluto’s depression, and the frustrated efforts of family and friends to help, help, and keep helping are also compassionately portrayed.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books “Nuanced and honest to a fault, How to Become a Planet is an inspiring and educative story about how mental illness affects children and how peer and family acceptance can go a long way in fighting the isolation self-stigma often engenders.” —The Nerd Daily “Both empowering and comforting, How to Become a Planet will break your heart and infuse it with hope all at once. A beautiful, essential read.” —Ashley Herring Blake, author of the Stonewall Honor book, Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World “How do you solve a problem, when it feels like the problem is you? Sensitive, authentic, and expertly crafted, How to Become a Planet rockets readers on a young girl's wavering journey toward self-acceptance and recovery. Pluto's story pummels the heart, leaving it aching and tender—yet, like its hero, stronger as well.” —Lisa Jenn Bigelow, author of the Lambda Literary Award book, Hazel's Theory of Evolution “Melleby takes a sensitive and nuanced approach to portraying mental illness in How to Become a Planet. I loved getting pulled into the orbit of Pluto's life as she navigates diagnoses of depression and anxiety, changing relationships with her mom and classmates, and her first crush over the course of one summer. An accessible, inclusive, and beautifully hopeful story.” —A.J. Sass, author of Ana on the Edge

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Book SynopsisManage your anxiety and depression, and take charge of your life with this fun and engaging workbook.As a teen, you’re going through a lot. School is becoming more challenging, your friendships and other relationships are more complicated, and your emotions may feel overwhelming at times. And while every teen has a passing case of “the blues” when a friendship hits a bump or an exam doesn’t go well, if you’re a teen with anxiety and depression, you need real tools to help you manage your symptoms—so you can get back to what matters.In The Anxiety and Depression Workbook for Teens, you’ll find straightforward and easy-to-implement cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills to help you stay one step ahead of your symptoms, connect with friends, try new things, bounce back from setbacks, and start feeling better right away. You’ll learn all about where your symptoms come from, how to identify situations that can make your symptoms worse, and how to break the thinking habits that keep you feeling stuck in life.The life of a teenager can be tough. If you have feelings of sadness and worry that feel overwhelming or keep you from reaching your goals, the skills and activities in this workbook can help you find peace and take control of your life!

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Book SynopsisPanic symptoms and panic attacks can feel overwhelming and frightening. This book guides teens through the isolation and worry of living with panic symptoms or panic disorder. Through interactive exercises, this book shows that the key to unlocking freedom from panic is learning to understand our feelings, fears and bodies. Demonstrating that panic is a natural emotion that many people experience, it provides useful strategies drawn from a range of approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) to help teens to get on top of their fears and panic. Co-written by respected clinicians in the field, the strategies in this book are tried and tested in helping teens and young people in their journey through panic.Trade ReviewThis is a vital read for humanity. We all need to understand stress, how it shows up and what happens if left unattended. These pages offer insight, revelation and provide useful tools to create equilibrium again. -- Katy Appleton, author of The Business of Yoga and founder of appleyogaThe perfect book for teens who are feeling overwhelmed by panic. The authors have combined their extensive clinical expertise with the latest research evidence to produce this easy to read, engaging self-help book for any young person who is experiencing panic symptoms/panic attacks. Full of straight forward information, practical tips, and exercises, this book will help young people feel empowered to understand and manage their panic and anxiety so that they can once again start to live their lives to the full. A must have resource for young people and any parents/carers and professionals supporting them. -- Dr Sarah Cook, Clinical PsychologistThis is a lovely, reassuring book for young people, full of practical, creative and kind suggestions. Crucially, it helps to normalise the experience of panic & gives hope that it is possible to live a better life, free from panic. -- Dr Emily Nobes, Clinical Psychologist, DClinPsych, CPsycholTable of Contents1.Freedom is Already Yours and We Will Show You Why2.So Basically I'm Just Normal3.But Why Do I Get Trapped by My Panic?4.Accepting and Embracing My Panic5.Being My Own Personal Cheerleader6.Helping to Restore Your Body's Natural Balance7.Making New Discoveries8.My Steps Towards Freedom9.Putting It All TogetherFurther Reading and Recommended Websites

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Book Synopsis* Can I break free from my eating disorder? * Why do I struggle with such anxiety? * Where can I go with my shame and despair? * Does my life have to be like this? 'I'm controlling and insecure and desperate to prove my own worth,' admits Emma Scrivener, and then goes on, 'I'm a Christian, but I don't always feel like it.' There are lots of how-to books out there. In terms of the practicalities of recovery, they're brilliant. What they don't address is the spiritual dimension. However, even when writing about 'spiritual recovery', the author confesses that it's tempting to offer some sort of programme or strategy. 'But I don't think I've got one,' she says. What she does offer are practical suggestions for how to apply core gospel truths to practical circumstances. With honesty and examples from real life (including her own), Emma connects with her reader. She shows how the gospel can speak to every heart and every addiction, equipping readers with confidence in Christ's sufficiency and the power of his Word and Spirit to bring change where change seems impossible.Trade ReviewBrilliant. Packed with wise thoughts and advice. * Evangelicals Now *An invaluable resource. * Inspire Magazine *A remarkable and unique book… Emma has shown great courage yet again in writing about her own pain and brokenness in order to speak into a huge range of personal crises, but she does so with creativity, deep pastoral sensitivity and clear gospel conviction. This is a rare book that can truly speak into the darkness of our pain without any judgements, at the same time as holding out the genuine hope of lasting change. -- Mark Meynell * Blogger, author and Langham Partnership *Emma’s humility, gentleness and confidence in God weave through every page as she encourages fellow strugglers to move from darkness to light. -- Helen Thorne * Biblical Counselling UK *Emma shares her scars… And if we groan "me too", then we need to take time not only to see our chains, but also rejoice in the real, grounded, hard-won, tear-stained, Christ-centred answers Emma so wonderfully holds out to us. -- Rico Tice * Minister for Evangelism, All Souls Langham Place, London *Shows the ability of the gospel to connect gloriously with raw life, pain and need. -- Joel Virgo * Senior Pastor, Church of Christ the King, Brighton *

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Book SynopsisWhen a boy is swept up in a wave of sadness, he finds himself tumbling. But when he remembers that this sadness won''t last forever, and that the wave will eventually carry him back to shore, he discovers his friends and family waiting to gently pull him out of the water and back home. With hopeful text and gorgeous art, The Wave takes us on a journey through one child''s experience with depression that fosters empathy for those on the outside, and solidarity for those still caught in the midst of their own wave. It is an honest look at depression which affects almost 2 million children in the United States. The Wave is a must-read for anyone who finds themselves tumbling, and a beautiful reminder that we can reach out to others to keep our heads - and hearts - above water.

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Book SynopsisDepression can be hard to understand and even harder to talk about. Yet statistics show that more young people than ever are struggling with depression, as well as anxiety disorders and other mental health issues. So what exactly is depression? Why do some people struggle with it and not others? And where can we turn for help? In this book, Rachel Lane begins to unpack some of these questions as she shares her own experience of teenage depression and points you to the God who wants to walk with you through it.Trade ReviewThe statistics say that many (or most) of our young people will experience at least some symptoms of depression. In this book those young people will find the gentleness, warmth and understanding that only comes from hard experience. They will also find Christ and the promise that he can be their good shepherd through the darkest places. -- Ed Drew (Director of Faith in Kids and formerly Children’s Worker, Dundonald Church, South West London)Warm, accessible and wise, this is a great resource for young people facing depression and those who care for them. It’s a little book but packed with bible teaching, personal experience and practical advice. -- Emma Scrivener (Blogger at emmascrivener.net and author of ‘A New Name’ and ‘A New Day’)Personal, engaging and beautifully honest it explores the reality of what depression looks and feels like. This book gives hope to those who might be suffering both through what professionals may offer with medical help and psychological support, but also the hope that the God of the bible can give us, the God who not only understands our struggles but who helps us within them. -- Dr Tracey Foy (GP and minister’s wife, East Sussex)… deals delicately about the complexity and longevity of depression, weaving it through the complexity of her own story and the complexity of the Psalms – helping us walk with our Saviour through the various valleys we encounter. Just read it – it’s very real, very honest, very practical, very biblical, and very helpful. -- Innes Macsween (Assistant Minister, Smithton Church, Inverness)… full of wise counsel, practical help, and gospel truth, while also being easy to read and accessible for all teens, regardless of Christian faith. I pray that this book will help teens battling with mental health issues to open up and speak to someone. -- Rich Arnold (Youth and Families Minister, Holy Cross Church, Hove)

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