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 loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can't...
Aarâon Soänador, ilustrador /
Beaty, Andrea.
Paper Book
Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can't...
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...
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...
The busy body book :
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...
Concrete kids /
Leâon, Amyra,
Paper Book
A Goddard CBC's Social Justice Prize Nominee . A YALSA Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults "I will close my eyes and disappear into the pages of this book for many years to come."--Hanif Abdurraqib (New York Times bestselling author of Go Ahead in The Rain- Notes to A...
Dr. Seuss's sleep book.
Seuss,
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * 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...
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...
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...
Good night, body :
Lee, Britney Winn,
Paper Book
"A soothing nighttime routine and an age-appropriate introduction to mindfulness." --Kirkus Reviews Bedtime can be full of big emotions for kids! Calm anxious, busy thoughts with this body scan meditation designed to help kids relax and prepare for sleep. This mindfulness...
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
"Profoundly moving . . . Will take your breath away." --Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces "Give this to all your friends immediately . . . It tackles mental health, depression, sexual identity, and anxiety with beauty and empathy." --Cosmopolitan.com A...
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...
In the blue /
Hourigan, Erin,
Paper Book
An emotional and tender award-winning picture book that accessibly explores depression within a family, through the use of color. I've always been my dad's little sunspot. But one day, his world was no longer bright and yellow--it was a deep, dark...
Let's talk about it : the teen's guide to sex, relationships, and being a human
Moen, Erika
Paper Book
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...
Lion needs a shot /
Yum, Hyewon.
Paper Book
Little lion Luka is NOT worried about a visit to the doctor. He's NOT scared of getting a shot. And he's definitely NOT a little lion anymore. R-O-A-R! His younger sister, Lulu, might be nervous for her first checkup-but no need to worry, big brother is here to set a brave example....
Plant, cook, eat! :
Archer, Joe,
Paper Book
For beginners and green-thumbed foodies, this unusually all-inclusive garden-to-kitchen cookbook is part lesson in gardening and part collection of healthy, delicious, kid-friendly recipes. With vibrant photo-illustrations and clearly organized sections, discover how to plant...
Running with lions /
Winters, Julian,
Paper Book
Bloomington High School Lions star goalie Sebastian Hughes should be excited about his senior year: His teammates are amazing, and hes got a coach who doesnt ask anyone to hide their sexuality. But when his estranged childhood-best-friend Emir Shah shows up at summer training camp, Sebastian...
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...
A trip to the hospital /
Chiu, Freda
Paper Book
A children's book that explores all the amazing things that happen inside a children's hospital and gives thanks to the many hardworking people that help keep us safe and well.
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
The first ever picture book addressing how a disabled child might want to be spoken to. What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off? Every time Joe goes out the questions are the same . . . what...
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. A great gift for nature and animal lovers. **Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award!** *...
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....

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