Children’s Books on Health Issues

Some conditions and diseases can be hard for children to understand. These children, tween, and teen books talk about many different health issues through stories. Books about tough health issues can help kids navigate through difficult emotions that surround challenging medical conditions, whether that be a temporary sickness, chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes, or serious diseases like cancer that might be affecting them, a family member or a friend. There are also books that touch upon various mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and suicide to name a few. The books on this list are available through the Sussex County Library System.

Updated December 17, 2024
S
Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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Aaron Slater, illustrator /
Beaty, Andrea.
Paper Book
Aaron Slater, Illustrator is an uplifting story about the power of art, finding your voice, and telling your story even when you're out of step with your peers, from Andrea Beaty and David Roberts, the #1 bestselling creators of Sofia Valdez, Future Prez and Ada...
Aarâon Soänador, ilustrador /
Beaty, Andrea.
Paper Book
¡Una historia inspiradora sobre el poder del arte, cómo encontrar tu propia voz y contar tu historia incluso cuando no se alinea con la de tus compañeros, de los creadores de los bestsellers Sofía Valdez, presidenta tal vez y Ada Magnífica, científica! A Aarón...
Ab(solutely) normal :
Paper Book
Channeling their own experiences, sixteen exceptional authors subvert mental health stereotypes in a powerful and uplifting collection of fiction. A teen activist wrestles with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A socially anxious vampire learns he has to save his town by (gulp...
I am a masterpiece! :
Armstrong, Mia,
Paper Book
Tween actress Mia Armstrong celebrates her fun, funny, beautiful childhood living with Down syndrome in this debut picture book. Don't miss Mia in A Christmas in New Hope, streaming now! Mia likes many of the things other people like--going to the beach, the...
Ariel crashes a train /
Cole, Olivia A.
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD * A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YA BOOK OF THE YEAR * A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST AND KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Exploring the harsh reality of OCD and violent intrusive thoughts in stunning,...
Bake, make & learn to cook : fun & healthy recipes for young cooks
Atherton, David (Food writer)
Paper Book
From the 2019 winner of The Great British Baking Show comes a charming and mouthwatering cookbook for aspiring little chefs and culinary novices alike. Gather your frying pan, mixing bowls, and rolling pin--it's time to cook! David Atherton, 2019 winner of The Great...
Breathe and count back from ten /
Sylvester, Natalia
Paper Book
A Pura Belpré Honor Book * A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book for Teens In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior...
Breathing underwater /
Nash, Abbey Lee,
Paper Book
With one word, Tess's world could be completely undone- Epilepsy. Tess lives for swimming- the feel of the pool's rough edge on her toes, the snap of cold water on her skin, and the push of her limbs ever forward. In the water, she's truly alive. Until tragedy...
The busy body book : a kid's guide to fitness
Rockwell, Lizzy
Paper Book
A celebration of the amazing human machine and a life on the move! Your amazing body can jump, sprint, twist, and twirl. Your body is built to move. Lizzy Rockwell explains how your bones and muscles, heart and lungs, nerves and brain all work together to keep you on the go...
Butterfly on the wind /
Pottle, Adam,
Paper Book
A magical picture book about a Deaf girl who creates a butterfly with Sign Language and sends it on a journey around the world. On the day of the talent show, Aurora's hands tremble. No matter how hard she tries to sign, her fingers stumble over one another and the words just...
Dr. Fauci :
Messner, Kate.
Paper Book
The definitive picture book biography of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most crucial figures in the COVID-19 pandemic. Before he was Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and...
Dr. Seuss's sleep book.
Seuss,
Paper Book
Catch a case of the yawns with Dr. Seuss in this classic rhyming picture book. Bedtime has never been more fun! A yawn is quite catching, you see. Like a cough. It just takes one yawn to start other yawns off. Dr. Seuss spins a sleep-tastic tale about...
Dust
Stine, Alison
Paper Book
"An immediate classic that holds its own alongside the greats of American Literature, Dust brings the haunting echoes of our past to a weather-beaten future. Every word of Dust is as familiar as a childhood friend. You understand--instantly--that you will carry it with you for...
Eat your superpowers! :
Buzzeo, Toni.
Paper Book
Twenty-five different foods, grouped by color, are nutritionally decoded in this reference book for the preschool set. From grapes to beets and oatmeal to cashews, this reference book highlights and explains the benefits of 25 fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, each grouped...
Ellie Haycock is totally normal /
Schreiber, Gretchen,
Paper Book
The Breakfast Club meets Five Feet Apart in this big-hearted novel from debut author Gretchen Schreiber. Ellie Haycock has always separated her life into sections: Ellie at home and Ellie at the hospital. At home, Ellie is a proud member of her high school's...
Figure it out, Henri Weldon /
Davis, Tanita S.,
Paper Book
Tanita S. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says, has written another funny, warm story featuring middle school and family life--all about the complex calculations it takes for everyone to balance the equations of their lives and what it takes to be part of a team while...
Give me a sign /
Sortino, Anna
Paper Book
Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp. Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that's what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes-when you don't feel "deaf enough" to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to...
Here I Am
Grimes, Shaunta,
Paper Book
An honest, uplifting story about learning to live in the body you're born with. When seventeen-year-old Marcella Boucher asks Lou Duncan to her high school's "reverse prom" she expects a few snickers. After all, no one else knows that outside school the...
Honestly Elliott /
McDunn, Gillian,
Paper Book
Schneider Family Book Award: Best Middle Grade Honor Book! Highly-acclaimed author of Caterpillar Summer, Gillian McDunn explores boyhood in a funny, big-hearted story about a kid trying to find the best way to be his best self. ...
How it feels to float /
Fox, Helena,
Paper Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best of the Year "Profoundly moving . . . Will take your breath away." --Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces A stunningly gorgeous and deeply hopeful portrayal of...
How to make friends with the dark /
Glasgow, Kathleen,
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces comes a novel about love and loss and learning how to continue when it feels like you're surrounded by darkness. "A rare and powerful novel." --Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of...
Hummingbird /
Lloyd, Natalie,
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book From the bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic comes a heartfelt story about a girl who -- armed with her trusty, snazzy wheelchair -- refuses to let her brittle bone disease stand in the way of adventure Twelve...
Louder than hunger /
Schu, John,
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller! "Every so often a book comes along that is so brave and necessary, it extends a lifeline when it's needed most. This is one of those books." --Katherine Applegate, author of the Newbery Medal-winning, The One and Only Ivan
The lumbering giants of Windy Pines /
Netz, Mo
Paper Book
In this debut spooky adventure, Jerry and her trusty wheelchair move into a creepy motel at the edge of the woods where nothing is as it seems. When her mom disappears, it's up to Jerry to brave the forest and its demons so she can save what's left of her family. Ever since her dad died,...
My tata's remedies = Los remedios de mi tata
Rivera-Ashford, Roni Capin
Paper Book
"This charming little book will introduce young readers to safe and effective natural remedies from the native traditions of the American Southwest. A good way to learn about the healing power of plants."--Andrew Weil, MD Aaron has asked his grandfather Tata to teach him about the...
Puzzled
Cooke, Pan,
Paper Book
Growing up with undiagnosed OCD sure isn't easy, and here Pan Cooke shares his own experiences with that condition in a graphic-novel memoir that is as funny as it is powerfully candid and openhearted. Pan Cooke is ten years old when anxious thoughts begin to take over his brain...
Summer supper /
Pfeffer, Rubin,
Paper Book
From sowing seeds in spring to savoring succotash, follow the creation of a family meal from the farm to the picnic table on a warm summer evening. Told entirely in words beginning with the letter "s," this book will give children an appreciation for the process by which their food travels to the...
Taking care of me :
Schuh, Mari C.,
Paper Book
What is a habit? How do we make habits that are good for us? With help from their Sesame Street friends, young readers learn about the good choices they can make every day, such as eating healthy foods, washing their hands, brushing and flossing their teeth, staying active, and getting enough...
The valley and the flood
Mahoney, Rebecca
Paper Book
"A tense and beautiful tale about the monsters we make and the memories that haunt us." --Kate Alice Marshall, author of I Am Still Alive and Rules for Vanishing Rose Colter is almost home, but she can't go back there yet. When her car breaks down in the Nevada...
We are all so good at smiling /
Mcbride, Amber
Paper Book
They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse about clinical depression and healing from trauma, from National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride. Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of...
What happened to you? /
Catchpole, James,
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor book! This accessible, funny, and groundbreaking story addresses the questions children often ask, as well as a disabled child's choice not to answer. What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar?...
Wildoak
Harrington, C. C.
Paper Book
When the fates of a snow leopard, a child, and an ancient forest collide, the unimaginable can happen. Perfect for fans of Pax and The One and Only Ivan. **Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award!** * "Nuanced and empowering." - Publisher's...
I will never not ever eat a tomato /
Child, Lauren.
Paper Book
The creator of the acclaimed Clarice Bean, That's Me cooks up a droll and ingenious treat for picky eaters and the people who love them. Lola is a fussy eater. A very fussy eater. She won't eat her carrots (until big brother Charlie reveals that...
The words we keep
Stewart, Erin
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD FOR TEENS! A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health--anxiety, perfectionism, depression--and the healing powers of art--perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces and How it Feels to Float. Whatever you struggle with...
You're missing it! /
Smith, Brady,
Paper Book
A busy Hollywood couple spins a hilarious cautionary tale about what happens when you are glued to your phone. It's a lively day at the neighborhood park. Birds are singing, squirrels are frolicking, dogs are causing a commotion--and wide-eyed children are enthralled by it all....
You're So Amazing!
Catchpole, James/ Catchpole, Lucy/ George, Karen (ILT)
Paper Book
In this authentic and humorous picture book, a child with a limb difference is tired of being told how amazing he is for doing normal things. Joe and his friend Simone are practicing their best playground tricks, but everyone keeps saying how amazing Joe is,...

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