May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Books for all ages about mental health at SCLS. Place a request today.

Updated April 20, 2026
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Empire of Madness: Reimagining Western Mental Health Care for Everyone
Kidia, Khameer
Paper Book
An urgent rethinking of the Western approach to mental health, which treats the symptoms rather than the exploitative systems causing our distress--by a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard Medical School physician-anthropologist--offering lessons from the rest of the world. What if the...
A kids book about mental health
Lingras, Katie
Paper Book
It's important that we all learn to care for and nurture our mental health! This is a kids' book about mental health. Did you know it's something we all have? It's true! A person's mental health simply means how they understand their own thoughts, feelings, actions and...
Healing the modern brain : nine tenets to build mental fitness and revitalize your mind
Ramsey, Drew
Paper Book
In this essential guide, the groundbreaking author of Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety and The Happiness Diet explores the ten tenets vital to cultivating Mental Fitness and provides direct, actionable techniques to improve brain function and emotional health. The human...
Understanding teenage anxiety : a parent's guide to improving your teen's mental health
Browne, Jennifer
Paper Book
Anxiety is the most common mental-health disorder in the United States, affecting nearly one-third of both adolescents"--New York Times If you're the parent of a teenager experiencing chronic anxiety, you are not alone, and this book can help you. Today's teens are high...
You are not alone : the NAMI guide to navigating mental health with advice from experts and wisdom from real people and families
Duckworth, Ken
Paper Book
Written with authority and compassion, this is the essential resource for individuals and families seeking expert guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, featuring inspiring, true stories from real people in their own words. Millions of people in the United States are...
The inherited mind : a story of family, hope, and the genetics of mental illness
Longman, James (Journalist)
Paper Book
James Longman was a preteen in boarding school when his dad, who was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, died by suicide. As he got older, James's own bouts of depression spurred him to examine how his father's mental health might have affected his own. He engaged with experts to uncover...
The crucial years : the essential guide to mental health & modern puberty in middle childhood (ages 6-12)
Ziegler, Sheryl
Paper Book
An essential guide for parents and caregivers, this parenting guide offers insights, strategies, and understanding to navigate middle childhood (ages 6-12). Dr. Sheryl Gonzalez Ziegler, a seasoned clinical psychologist and mother, highlights ways to foster resilience, encourage open communication...
The mental health guide for cis & trans queer guys : skills to cope & thrive as your authentic self
Thawer, Rahim
Paper Book
An inclusive, evidence-based guide to healing and thriving as a cis or trans queer man. As a cis or trans man who loves men, you face unique and challenging circumstances, including homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, struggles with body image, and rejection from family. In...
Unshrunk : a story of psychiatric treatment resistance
Delano, Laura
Paper Book
One of NPR's 2025 "Books We Love" "Delano's story is compelling, important and even haunting. . . . Her memoir evokes Girl, Interrupted for the age of the prescription pill. . . . In Unshrunk, she tells her own story, and she tells it powerfully." --Casey Schwartz,...
All in her head : how gender bias harms women's mental health
Pratt, Misty
Paper Book
This provocative, deeply personal book explores how women experience mental health care differently than men--and lays out how the system must change for women to flourish. Why are so many women feeling anxious, stressed out, and depressed, and why are they not getting the...
You will get through this : a mental health first-aid kit : help for depression, anxiety, grief, and more
Radico, Julie
Paper Book
Months-long therapy wait-lists. Out-of-pocket costs. Online misinformation. There are more barriers than ever to accessing reliable mental health care--and when your mental health is suffering, you need help now.  This book, written by three practicing therapists, is your...
Facing the unseen : the struggle to center mental health in medicine
Tweedy, Damon
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Black Man in a White Coat comes a powerful and urgent call to center psychiatry and mental health care into the mainstream of medicine As much as we all might wish that mental health problems, with their elusive...
Where to start : a survival guide to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges
Correll, Gemma
Paper Book
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 It can be extremely hard to figure out what's going on in our own...
Here : I can be mindful
Condie, Allyson Braithwaite
Paper Book
In her debut picture book, the mega-bestselling author of the young adult Matched series introduces children to mindfulness and being grounded in the present. "A gentle child's-eye view of mindfulness." -Kirkus Reviews Everyone experiences a wide range of...
Here I am, I am me
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...
I am here now :
Paper Book
Mindfulness is the simple and powerful practice of training your attention. It's simple in that it's just about paying attention to what's happening here and now, and powerful because it can keep you from getting lost in thoughts about the future or past, which often generate more stress on top of...
Break the cycle : a guide to healing intergenerational trauma
Buque?, Mariel
Paper Book
***The Instant National Bestseller*** A Next Big Idea Club must-read title for January 2024 The definitive, paradigm-shifting guide to healing intergenerational trauma--weaving together scientific research with practical exercises and stories from the...
Change your diet, change your mind : a powerful plan to improve mood, overcome anxiety, and protect memory for a lifetime of optimal mental health
Ede, Georgia
Paper Book
Combine the surprising truth about brain food with the cutting-edge science of brain metabolism to achieve extraordinary improvements to your emotional, cognitive, and physical health.​   Are you struggling with attention problems, mood swings, food...
And how does that make you feel? : everything you never wanted to know about therapy
Fletcher, Joshua
Paper Book
Psychotherapist Josh Fletcher takes us on a tour of the inner mind of a therapist--revealing a hilariously candid point of view on the therapeutic process, a practical guide to therapy, and maybe a few more cobwebs and dark corners than one might expect. It's everything you ever wanted to know...
Change your brain every day : simple daily practices to strengthen your mind, memory, moods, focus, energy, habits, and relationships
Amen, Daniel G.
Paper Book
Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller 366 Days to a Better Brain, Mind, and Life! In Change Your Brain Every Daypsychiatrist and clinical neuroscientist Daniel Amen, MD, draws on over 40 years' clinical practice...
Disentangling from emotionally immature people : avoid emotional traps, stand up for your self, and transform your relationships as an adult child of emotionally immature parents
Gibson, Lindsay C.
Audiobook
Your pocket therapist : break free from old patterns and transform your life
Zimmerman, Annie
Paper Book
From psychotherapist and TikTok personality Dr. Annie Zimmerman comes a toolkit to transform yourself and your relationships, with advice on how to heal past trauma, build sustainable connections, and take ownership of your mental health. Every day, psychotherapist Dr. Annie Zimmerman...
Your child's mental health diagnosis : a comprehensive and compassionate guide for parents
Corcoran, Jacqueline
Paper Book
The go-to guide for those raising children with mental disorders that Booklist calls a "reassuring guide" and a "genuinely helpful handbook." The prevalence of mental health disorders in children is rising in the United States. In fact, recent studies...
But what will people say? : navigating mental health, identity, love, and family between cultures
Kohli, Sahaj Kaur
Paper Book
A Harvard Public Health Best Public Health Book of 2024 "This wonderful book is a compass, a blueprint, a mirror, and a friend. Kohli gives language to what many of us feel but can't yet articulate."--Erika L. Sánchez, New York Times bestselling author of I am Not...
In my feelings : a teen guide to discovering what you feel so you can decide what to do
Annan, Vidal, Jr.
Paper Book
Give teens the tools to decipher their emotions, understand themselves, and improve their lives. The simple and empowering message of In My Feelings is that emotions, especially unpleasant ones, are not just to be avoided, controlled, or treated. Emotions can serve as a...
Open when : a companion for life's twists and turns
Smith, Julie (Psychologist)
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Julie Smith (@drjulie) returns with this highly anticipated handbook full of "break in case of emergency" advice for dealing with mental health challenges in the moment they occur. In...
The college student's guide to mental health : essential wellness strategies for flourishing in college
Nosanow, Mia
Paper Book
Easy, accessible guidance for addressing an essential element to college success: mental health While being in college can be an exciting time, it can also be a period of uncertainty, anxiety, loneliness, and even depression. The College Student's Guide to Mental Health is for any...
Your brain on pregnancy : a guide to understanding and protecting your mental health during pregnancy and beyond
Kingston, Dawn
Paper Book
An enlightening and practical guidebook for mothers to help them navigate mental health challenges during and after pregnancy--based on cutting-edge science by one of the world's foremost researchers of maternal mental health. For women who are expecting, pregnancy can be a time...
The burden of sports : how and why athletes struggle with mental health
Parry, John
Paper Book
"Timely and important, this title has the potential to change the sports industry worldwide." - Library Journal, Starred Review A comprehensive examination of the mental health challenges that elite athletes face in America's most popular sports. ...
The price she pays : confronting the hidden mental health crisis in women's sports--from the schoolyard to the stadium
Steele, Katie (Therapist)
Paper Book
Two experts in mental health and sport lift the veil on the crisis in women's athletics, offering parents and coaches urgently needed advice and support and showing how female athletes can find joy in whatever sport they choose, at whatever level they compete. No...
The anxious generation : how the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness
Haidt, Jonathan
Paper Book
THE ACCLAIMED #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER with over two million copies sold * A must-read for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech--and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood....
Men have called her crazy : a memoir
Tendler, Anna Marie
Paper Book
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* "This book is so many things I didn't know I needed: a testament to the work of healing, a raw howl of anger, and an indictment of misogyny's insipid, predictable, infuriating reign." --Carmen Maria Machado, author of the National Book Award...
Profiles in mental health courage
Kennedy, Patrick J.
Paper Book
Profiles in Mental Health Courage portrays the journeys of twenty unique Americans who have struggled with different illnesses affecting mental health. This book offers deeply compelling stories about the courage of those battling with a variety of illnesses, from college students to professionals...
A pity party is still a party : a feel-good guide to feeling bad
Garner, Chelsea Harvey
Paper Book
Most of us try to avoid feeling sad, but in this candid, comical, and deeply-felt book, therapist Chelsea Harvey Garner doesn't just argue that the future will be brighter if we learn to enjoy the unenjoyable and support each other when the vibes aren't so good, she also shows us how. What...
Life B : overcoming double depression : a memoir
Patrick, Bethanne Kelly
Paper Book
A bracing and fresh look at a lifelong struggle with depression and mental illness Plagued by depression her entire life, it wasn't until her early fifties that writer and book critic Bethanne Patrick, advocating for her own care, received a medical diagnosis that would set her...
No time to panic : how I curbed my anxiety and conquered a lifetime of panic attacks
Gutman, Matt
Paper Book
By ABC News's chief national correspondent, an unflinching look at panic attacks by a reporter whose career was nearly derailed by them, offering readers a guide to making a truce with their warring minds "Brave, reassuring, and practical...A balm for anyone who has ever...
Befriend your brain : a young person's guide to dealing with anxiety, depression, anger, freak-outs, and triggers
Harper, Faith G.
Audiobook
10 minutes to better mental health : a step-by-step guide for teens using CBT and mindfulness
David, Lee
Paper Book
What can you really do in 10 minutes? You can make a cup of tea or coffee, walk about 0.6 miles and now, with this book, you can improve your mental health. No matter how busy or stressful your day, with 10-minute steps and quick exercises, you can better understand your experiences...
Toxic positivity : keeping it real in a world obsessed with being happy
Goodman, Whitney
Paper Book
"I'll be forever changed by Toxic Positivity...This trailblazing book will help you transform your perspective about positivity." --Nedra Glover Tawwab, author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace A powerful guide to owning our emotions--even the difficult...
Move : how the new science of body movement can set your mind free
Williams, Caroline
Ebook
*Shortlisted for Sunday Times Book of the Year* *A Greater Good Science Center Best Book of 2022* An eye-opening journey into the power of human movement and how we can harness it to optimize our brain health, boost our mood and improve every aspect...
It's lonely at the centre of the earth : an auto-bio-graphic-novel
Thorogood, Zoe
Paper Book
Nominated for 2023 Eisner Awards in the Best Graphic Memoir and Best Writer/Artist...
What my bones know : a memoir of healing from complex trauma
Foo, Stephanie
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A searing memoir of reckoning and healing by acclaimed journalist Stephanie Foo, investigating the little-understood science behind complex PTSD and how it has shaped her life "Achingly exquisite . . . providing real hope for those who long to heal....
A shelter for sadness
Booth, Anne (Children's fiction writer)
Paper Book
This poignant and heartwarming story explores the many faces of sadness and addresses the importance of mental health in a child-friendly way. A small boy creates a shelter for his sadness so that he can visit it whenever he needs to, and the two of them can cry, talk, or just...
Broken (in the best possible way)
Lawson, Jenny
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy and Let's Pretend This Never Happened comes a deeply relatable book filled with humor and honesty about depression and anxiety. ...
Self-care for adult children of emotionally immature parents : honor your emotions, nurture your self, and live with confidence
Gibson, Lindsay C.
Paper Book
From the author of the New York Times bestseller, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, this essential guide offers daily, practical ways to help you heal the invisible wounds caused by immature parents, nurture self-awareness, trust your emotions, improve relationships...
Weather any storm
Goddard, Vanessa Zuisei
Paper Book
A playful rhyming meditation story to help kids ages 4-8 becaptainsof their own shipsand navigateemotional highs and lows. Learn to breathe through storms of emotions in this nautical meditation adventure. Whether you're grouchy or grumpy, gloomy or grey, ...
What if one day...
Handy, Bruce
Paper Book
A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2023! An Academy of American Poets' Featured Fall Book for Young Readers! A Bookstagang Best of 2023 Winner: Best Illustration! This thought-provoking,  playful picture book from NYT Best Children's Book author Bruce Handy and Ezra...
Living with Viola
Fung, Rosena
Paper Book
"unforgettable . . . will shake middle grade readers to the core"--School Library Journal, starred review "Beautifully illustrated, relatable, and genuine." --Molly Brooks, creator of Sanity & Tallulah "Everyone needs to buy this book now.  Seriously.  Buy it, read it,...
A kids book about OCD
Hall, Hazel
Paper Book
Learn all about OCD and what it's like to live with it. This is a kids' book about OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), which is a mental health condition. People with OCD have recurring, repetitive thoughts that can feel impossible to ignore. This book helps kids...
A kids book about anxiety
Szabo, Ross
Paper Book
This is a book about anxiety. Having anxiety doesn't just mean you feel nervous sometimes or need to calm down. It means having an uncontrollable feeling that gets in the way of what you normally do. This book explores how anxiety impacts children and the steps they can take to begin to manage...
A kids book about coping skills
Knipe, Megan
1-2-3 a calmer me :
Patterson, Colleen A.
Paper Book
1-2-3 A Calmer Me introduces readers to a simple rhyming mantra to help children slow down their immediate reactions and replace them with responses that are more comforting. Based on the psychological principles of relaxation and mindfulness, the mantra can be used anywhere,...
10 mindful minutes : giving our children--and ourselves--the social and emotional skills to reduce stress and anxiety for healthier, happier lives
Hawn, Goldie.
Paper Book
"Goldie Hawn embodies delight and joy, and 10 Mindful Minutes radiates these. Her book can help any adult-parent, grandparent, teacher-make double use of their moments with the children they love and have a terrific time while helping shape that child's brain for a lifetime of resilience and...
The worry monster :
Cook-Cottone, Catherine P.,
Paper Book
Give kids tools to calm their inner worry monster with this interactive, vibrantly illustrated book! Tried-and-true methods from a child pscyhologist will have little ones mindfully breathing, practicing gratitude, and gracefully surfing their worry waves. "We all have a worry...
A kids book about mindfulness
Morgan, Caverly
Paper Book
Who are you? Are you your thoughts? Are you your feelings? Are you your hairstyle? Is that who you are? Or are you something more? This book doesn't just teach kids how to be present with their thoughts-it helps them learn that mindfulness can lead to understanding WHO they are and WHY that matters.
The worry (less) book : feel strong, find calm, and tame your anxiety!
Brian, Rachel
Paper Book
This fun, friendly, and informative guide from the award-winning author of Consent (for Kids!) will help readers of all ages understand--and tame--their anxiety. ★ "Excellent and absolutely necessary." ―Kirkus Reviews,...
The Cat on the mat : all about mindfulness
Worth, Bonnie
Paper Book
Laugh and learn with fun facts about how meditation helps the mind and body--all told in Dr. Seuss's beloved rhyming style and starring the Cat in the Hat! "I'm the Cat on the mat, and what I plan to do is talk about mindfulness meditation with you." The...
The monster parade : a book about feeling all your feelings and then watching them go
O'Leary, Wendy
Paper Book
An engaging story that helps children work with difficult emotions by imagining them as playful monsters in a parade(ages 3-7). Watch as the anger monsterpassesand the sadness monster disappears--it's all part of theparadeof feelingswe experience every day. Instead of holding on...
100 Questions & Answers about Codependency for Dummies
Schiebel, Cynthia
Everything You Want to Know About Codependency: A Q&A Guide If you believe you may be in a codependent relationship or want to better recognize codependent patterns, 100 Questions & Answers About Codependency For Dummies is your go-to resource. This user-friendly guide helps...
100 Questions & Answers about Depression for Dummies
Smith, Laura L.
Everything You Want to Know About Depression: A Q&A Guide If you or a loved one is experiencing depression, don't despair. 100 Questions & Answers About Depression For Dummies is your go-to guide for understanding what depression really is, why it happens, and what you can do...
Organizing solutions for people with ADHD : tips and tools to help you take charge of your life and get organized
Pinsky, Susan C.
Paper Book
Effective organizing strategies for your home, your schedule, and your life!
Putting on the brakes :
Quinn, Patricia O.
Paper Book
Now in its 20th year of publication, Putting on the Brakes remains the essential go-to resource for kids, parents, and professionals looking for tips and techniques on managing attention disorders. This third edition is updated and revised throughout with the latest info, resources,...
ADHD 2.0 :
Hallowell, Edward M.
Paper Book
A revolutionary new approach to ADD/ADHD featuring cutting-edge research and strategies to help readers thrive, by the bestselling authors of the seminal books Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction "An inspired road map for living...
Joyful, Anyway
Bowler, Kate
New York Times bestselling author and Duke University professor Kate Bowler offers a profound, funny, and deeply human case for joy that doesn't depend on everything getting better. "Joyful, Anyway is colorful and layered, unafraid of the occasional gut-punch of raw...
Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy
Duffy, Chris
Paper Book
From a comedian and host of hit TED podcast, How to Be a Better Human, a hilarious and enlightening guide to laughing your way into a fuller life "Warning: this book may cause repeated smiling. It's a delightful read about how we can bring more levity into our lives." -...
Gentle : rest more, stress less, and live the life you actually want
Carver, Courtney
Paper Book
From an expert on simplicity and minimalism, a collection of 30 practices to overcome chronic overwhelm, cultivate self-compassion, and find permission to do less-perfect for readers of Rest is Resistance and Wintering. Being Gentle is...
How to be enough : self-acceptance for self-critics and perfectionists
Hendriksen, Ellen
Paper Book
Are you your own toughest critic? Learn to be good to yourself with this clear and compassionate guide. Do you set demanding standards for yourself? If so, a lot likely goes well in your life: You might earn compliments, admiration, or accomplishments. Your high standards and...
Who deserves your love : how to create boundaries to start, strengthen, or end any relationship
Davis, KC
Paper Book
A practical and gentle guide to navigating the difficult relationships that shape your life, from KC Davis, beloved therapist and bestselling author of How to Keep House While Drowning. Just as her bestseller How to Keep House While Drowning helped...
You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health--With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families
Duckworth, Ken
Paper Book
Written with authority and compassion, this is the essential resource for individuals and families seeking expert guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, featuring inspiring, true stories from real people in their own words. Millions of people in the United States are...
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
Korb, Alex
Paper Book
Depression can feel like a downward spiral, pulling you into a vortex of sadness, fatigue, and apathy. In The Upward Spiral, neuroscientist Alex Korb demystifies the intricate brain processes that cause depression and offers a practical and effective approach to getting better. Based on the...
Stop walking on eggshells for partners : what to do when your partner has borderline or narcissistic personality disorder
Kreger, Randi
Paper Book
In a relationship with someone who has BPD or NPD? You deserve clarity, safety, and the power to choose what's right for you. If your romantic partner, spouse, husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend struggles with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or narcissistic personality...
Rattled : how to calm new mom anxiety with the power of the postpartum brain
Pensak, Nicole Amoyal
Paper Book
matrescence noun /mæ'tres.?nts/ The process of becoming a mother: The physical, psychological, and emotional changes you go through after the birth of your child . . . largely unexplored in the medical community.   In Rattled, Harvard- and...
Tiny traumas : when you don't know what's wrong, but nothing feels quite right
Arroll, Megan A.
Paper Book
Psychologist Dr. Meg Arroll offers a much-needed framework for recognizing and combatting the devastating cumulative effects of small everyday wounds--"tiny traumas"--that, like major traumas, can negatively shape our lives. Have you ever felt at a loss for an answer when asked: 'How are...
How we break : navigating the wear and tear of living
Deary, Vincent
Paper Book
Drawing on cutting-edge science and intimate personal stories, an essential and paradigm-shifting book for readers struggling with fatigue, burnout, stress, and trauma--and for all of us who sometimes feel like we have been pushed past our breaking point. In How We Are,...
And then we rise : a guide to loving and taking care of self
Common (Musician)
Paper Book
"The rapper, actor, and advocate blends self-help with activist passion. . . . It's a heartening message for those who appreciate self-help guidance. Common asks readers to better themselves, empowering them with the grace and courage to do so."--Kirkus Reviews From the multi...
Borderline : the biography of a personality disorder
Kriss, Alexander
Paper Book
An intimate, compassionate, and expansive portrait of Borderline Personality Disorder that rejects the conventional wisdom that this condition is untreatable, told by a psychologist who specializes in BPD Mental illness is heavily stigmatized within our society, and within this...
Start making sense : how existential psychology can help us build meaningful lives in absurd times
Heine, Steven J.
Paper Book
A "beautiful, deep, thoughtful" (Angela Duckworth, New York Times-bestselling author of Grit) investigation into the science of why we crave meaning--and how we can pursue it in this age of anxiety  These days everyone feels on edge,...
Conscious grieving : a transformative approach to healing from loss
Smith, Claire Bidwell
Paper Book
From one of the leading grief therapists, this compassionate and accessible guide to grieving offers a new framework for understanding and navigating loss. An intimate guide to grieving that offers hope and healing within loss from one of the nation's top...
Reconnected : how 7 screen-free weeks with monks and Amish farmers helped me recover the lost art of being human
Whittaker, Carlos
Paper Book
USA TODAY BESTSELLER Change your relationship with technology. Change your life. Share. Post. Reply...Most of us have gotten so used to notifications and alerts, pings and rings, that even if we don't want to be on our phones so much, we don't know what to do about it. The constant...

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