National Wellness Month: Books for Young Adults

Updated July 15, 2026
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(Don't) call me crazy : 33 voices start the conversation about mental health
Jensen, Kelly
Paper Book
A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2018 Who's Crazy? What does it mean to be crazy? Is using the word crazy offensive? What happens when a label like that gets attached to your everyday experiences? To understand mental health, we need to talk openly about it. Because there's no single...
The Anxiety Club: How to Survive Modern Life
Fanget Frederic
Paper Book
In The Anxiety Club we are introduced to three characters, each with a different form of anxiety. After hearing their stories, we follow them into the therapy room where they discover the behavioral, cognitive and emotional tools to help free themselves from anxious thinking. Many people believe...
Braiding sweetgrass for young adults : indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants
Gray Smith, Monique
Audiobook
Breathe : journeys to healthy binding
Kobabe, Maia
Paper Book
The bestselling author of Gender Queer presents an illustrated guide to chest binding, blending real-life stories and research-backed advice from University of Michigan professor Sarah Peitzmeier. "A unique, thoughtful, and evidence-based book perfect for individuals of any...
Bunk 9's Guide to Growing Up : Secrets, Tips, and Expert Advice on the Good, the Bad, and the Awkward
Nuchi, Adah/ Hunt, Meg (ILT)
Ebook
CONGRATS! YOU HAVE FOUND "THE BOOK"! Filled with facts, tips, advice, and illustrations, BUNK 9'S GUIDE TO GROWING UP is the girl-powered puberty book you'll actually want to read. Written in the voice of the counselors in training at the fictional Camp Silver Moon, it's...
Channel kindness : stories of kindness and community
Born This Way Foundation
Ebook
A New York Times Bestseller For Lady Gaga, kindness is the driving force behind everything she says and does. The quiet power of kindness can change the way we view one another, our communities, and even ourselves. She embodies this mission, and through her...
Chicken soup for the preteen soul : 101 stories of changes, choices, and growing up for kids ages 9-13
Canfield, Jack
Ebook
Written by and for preteens, this uplifting collection of stories touches on the emotions and situations they experience every day: making and losing friends, fitting in while keeping their personal identity, discovering the opposite sex, dealing with pressures at school including violence, and...
Disability visibility : 17 first-person stories for today : adapted for young adults
Wong, Alice (EDT)
Paper Book
Disabled young people will be proud to see themselves reflected in this hopeful, compelling, and insightful essay collection, adapted for young adults from the critically acclaimed adult book, Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century that "sheds light on...
Elena vanishing : a memoir
Dunkle, Elena
Ebook
Seventeen-year-old Elena is vanishing. Every day means renewed determination, so every day means fewer calories. This is the story of a girl whose armor against anxiety becomes artillery against herself as she battles on both sides of a lose-lose war in a struggle with anorexia. Told entirely from...
Eve : how the female body shaped human evolution
Bohannon, Cat
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION FINALIST * THE REAL ORIGIN OF OUR SPECIES: a myth-busting, eye-opening landmark account of how humans evolved, offering a paradigm shift in our thinking about what the female body is, how it came to be, and how this evolution...
Feminist Af : A Guide to Crushing Girlhood
Cooper, Brittney/ Tanner, Chanel Craft/ Morris, Susana
Ebook
Here I am, I am me : an illustrated guide to mental health
Bean, Cara
Paper Book
This colorful graphic novel adventure through the brain demystifies and destigmatizes emotional and mental health for children through accessible language and lessons. Join author-illustrator Cara Bean in Here I Am, I Am Me, as she takes readers on an...
Hope nation : YA authors share personal moments of inspiration
Brock, Rose
Ebook
★ "This amazing outpouring of strength and honesty offers inspirational personal accounts for every reader who wonders what to do when everything seems impossible." --Booklist, starred review A 2019 Texas Topaz Reading List Selection A...
Introverts: Insights and Tips for Teenagers
Cognevich, Christie
Paper Book
A must-read book for introverted teenagers to help them understand and harness their incredible skill set that School Library Journal says is an "insightful and affirming resource for understanding introverts, providing both depth and breadth in its exploration." ...
It Won't Ever Be the Same: A Teen's Guide to Grief and Grieving
Leigh, Korie
Help young people name, express, and give shape to their grief with this book on grieving for teens. Whether teens are in the midst of their first grief experience or have experienced grief before, It Won't Ever Be the Same is designed to support them. Reflections, analogies,...
It's perfectly normal : changing bodies, growing up, sex, gender, and sexual health
Harris, Robie H.
Paper Book
The definitive book about puberty and sexual health for today's kids and teens, now fully updated for its twentieth anniversary. For two decades, this universally acclaimed book on sexuality has been the most trusted and accessible resource for kids, parents, teachers,...
Let's talk about it : the teen's guide to sex, relationships, and being a human
Moen, Erika
Ebook
Is what I'm feeling normal? Is what my body is doing normal? Am I normal? How do I know what are the right choices to make? How do I know how to behave? How do I fix it when I make a mistake? Let's talk about it. Growing up is complicated. How do you...
The Life Skills Book for Teens : Everything You Need to Know to Be More Independent
Stiles, Maureen
Ebook
Set yourself up for success as an adult--tips and advice for ages 16+ How do you create a budget? Clean a bathroom? Make a doctor's appointment? If you're feeling a little overwhelmed by the responsibilities of growing up, you're not alone--and the Life Skills Book for Teens is here to...
Out! : how to be your authentic self
McKenna, Miles
Paper Book
Miles McKenna is a queer and trans activist. He transitioned online in front of a million people. This is his survival guide. When Miles came out on his YouTube channel in 2015--then transitioned online in 2017--his aim was to help other teens navigate their...
Period power : a manifesto for the menstrual movement
Okamoto, Nadya
Paper Book
PERIOD founder and Harvard College student Nadya Okamoto offers a manifesto on menstruation and why we can no longer silence those who bleed--and how to engage in youth activism. Throughout history, periods have been hidden from the public. They're taboo. They're...
Positively teen : a practical guide to a more positive, more confident you
Morgan, Nicola
Ebook
The resilient teen : 10 key skills to bounce back from setbacks and turn stress into success
Raja, Sheela
Paper Book
"Well researched and up to date, including the acknowledgement of teens' struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic.... Belongs on every young adult's bookshelf." --Kirkus Reviews (starred) 10 powerful skills to help you manage stress, bounce back from difficult...
Rookie on love : 45 voices on romance, friendship, and self-care
Gevinson, Tavi
Ebook
A captivating anthology featuring an array of exclusive essays, poetry, and interviews as diverse and enchanting as the realm of love itself. "A book that you wish more people had. Since so much of what feels wrong right now stems from a profound lack of empathy and...
Seeing gender : an illustrated guide to identity and expression
Gottlieb, Iris
Ebook
Now with a new foreword by National Book Award Winner Kacen Callender, this fascinating book on a relevant subject illustrates the complexities of gender and sexuality through history, science, sociology, and the author's own story. Gender is an intensely personal, yet universal,...
The self-love revolution : radical body positivity for girls of color
Tovar, Virgie
Ebook
"A terrific resource that shows readers how to start feeling good about their body and rewire their sense of self-worth." --School Library Journal starred review It's time to ditch harmful, outdated beauty standards and build real, lasting body positivity. It...
The smart girl's guide to going vegetarian : how to look great, feel fabulous, and be a better you
Warren, Rachel Meltzer
Ebook
Treating your body right is a radical act of self-love The Smart Girl's Guide to Going Vegetarian is an inclusive guide--written by a nutritionist--for young people looking to learn more about what they put in their bodies and how food can be used to practice self-care, mindfulness,...
The spectrum girl's survival guide : how to grow up awesome and autistic
Castellon, Siena
Paper Book
Moonbeam Children's Book Awards - Silver Medal Winner Nautilus Silver Book Award Winner Purple Dragonfly Book Awards - First Place "Never be ashamed of being different: it is this difference that makes you extraordinary and unique." This...
The talk : conversations about race, love & truth
Hudson, Wade
Paper Book
Thirty diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators invite you intotheir homes to witnesstheconversationsthey have withtheir children about race in America today in this powerful call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racists and advocates for change. "Project s love...
Trans+ : love, sex, romance, and being you
Gonzales, Kathryn
Paper Book
This groundbreaking, all-inclusive, uncensored, must-have guide is for teens who identify as transgender, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, gender fluid, or are questioning their gender identity or how they express themselves, and for their cis-allies and advocates. Gender is hard. Really...
Where to start : a survival guide to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges
Correll, Gemma
Ebook
A comforting and useful resource for anyone who's struggling emotionally and looking for help―from the nation's leading community-based nonprofit that addresses the needs of those living with mental illness. "The warm, conversational tone and straightforward, accessible...
Yoga for your mind and body : a teenage practice for a healthy, balanced life
Rissman, Rebecca.
Ebook
You don't have to be everything : poems for girls becoming themselves
Whitney, Diana (EDT)/ Gonzalez, Cristina (ILT)/ Mockford, Kate (ILT)/ Singleton, Stephanie (ILT)
Ebook
Poems to Turn to Again and Again - from Amanda Gorman, Sharon Olds, Kate Baer, and More   Created and compiled just for young women, You Don't Have to Be Everything is filled with works by a wide range of poets who are honest, unafraid, and skilled...

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