Mental Health Awareness Month: Recommended YA Fiction and Nonfiction

Updated April 28, 2026
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Lewis and Clark Library Lewis and Clark Public Library
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Mental Health Awareness Month: Recommended YA Fiction and Nonfiction

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(Don't) call me crazy : 33 voices start the conversation about mental health
Jensen, Kelly
Paper Book
Talk openly about mental health with thirty-three diverse and empowering actors, athletes, writers, and artists in thisaward-winning book. Contributors include: Kristin Bell, Nancy Kerrigan, S. Jae-Jones, Meredith Russo, V.E. Schwab, and Adam Silvera, among many others.
All better now : a memoir
Smith, Emily Wing
Paper Book
An honest and captivating memoir of the author's childhood struggles as a result of a brain tumor, only discovered following a near-fatal car accident.   All her life, Emily has felt different from other kids. Between therapist visits, sudden uncontrollable bursts of anger,...
I am not your perfect Mexican daughter
Sánchez, Erika L.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A "stunning" (America Ferrera) YA novel about a teenager coming to terms with losing her sister and finding herself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home. "Alive and crackling--a...
Challenger deep
Shusterman, Neal
Paper Book
National Book Award * Golden Kite Award Winner * Six Starred Reviews A captivating novel about mental illness that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman. Caden Bosch is...
The coven tendency
Mikuta, Zoe Hana
Paper Book
Zoe Hana Mikuta delivers a bloody and unrelenting fantasy about young witches dangling on the edge of love and obsession, of magic and madness, of life and death (and death and death and death). . . Just like her mother and her mother's mother, 18-year-old Vanity Adams is...
Darius the Great is not okay
Khorram, Adib
Paper Book
Darius doesn't think he'll ever be enough, in America or in Iran. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this unforgettable debut introduces a brilliant new voice in contemporary YA. Winner of the William C. Morris Debut Award "Heartfelt, tender, and so utterly real. I'd live...
The Emotionally Intelligent Teen : Skills to Help You Deal With What You Feel, Build Stronger Relationships, and Boost Self-confidence
Mcnally, Melanie
Paper Book
Build a solid foundation for mental health and wellness with this fun and engaging guide--just for teens! Do you ever feel misunderstood? Do you get upset easily, or struggle to manage difficult thoughts and feelings like sadness, anger, frustration, or worry? Does it feel like...
Fitting Indian
Chand, Jyoti
Paper Book
This debut teen graphic novel from social media influencer Jyoti Chand and rising star illustrator Tara Anand follows one girl's journey navigating high school and her mental health within a traditional South Asian family. Perfect for fans of Netflix's Never Have I...
Forever is now
Lockington, Mariama
Paper Book
SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD WINNER ● A poignant and lyrical young adult novel-in-verse about a Black teen coming of age in an anxiety-inducing world, from the author of For Black Girls Like Me and In the Key of Us. I'm safe here. ...
The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar
Reyes, Sonora.
Paper Book
2026 Schneider Family Book Awards Honor MPIBA's Reading the West YA Longlist "This is Sonora Reyes at their absolute best." -- Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys From bestselling author Sonora Reyes comes a poignant...
Harbor me
Woodson, Jacqueline
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Jacqueline Woodson's first middle-grade novel since National Book Award winner Brown Girl Dreaming celebrates the healing that can occur when a group of students share their stories. It all starts when six kids...
A heart in a body in the world
Caletti, Deb
Paper Book
When everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run? So that's what Annabelle does--she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She's not ready to think about the why yet,...
Hello Sunshine (a Graphic Novel)
Young, Keezy
Paper Book
In this lush and romantic queer horror graphic novel, a troubled teen disappears from his small town-sending his loved ones on a paranormal journey to bring him home. Noah is heartbroken. He returns from Bible camp to find that Alex, his secret boyfriend, has had 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,...
Light filters in : poems
Kaufman, Caroline
Paper Book
In the vein of poetry collections like Milk and Honey and Adultolescence, this compilation of short, powerful poems from teen Instagram sensation @poeticpoison perfectly captures the human experience.  In Light Filters In, Caroline Kaufman--known as...
Little & Lion
Colbert, Brandy
Paper Book
A stunning novel on love, identity, loss, and redemption. When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she's isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother,...
Love, Sivvy: A Novel Inspired by the Life, Letters, and Diaries of Young Sylvia Plath
Toalson, R L
Paper Book
This intensely relatable historical novel-in-verse follows the young adult years of the exceptionally talented tortured poet, Sylvia Plath, as she casts off the limiting expectations of American women and forges her own path. Perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces.​ ...
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...
Shout
Anderson, Laurie Halse
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller and one of 2019's best-reviewed books, a poetic memoir and call to action from the award-winning author of Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson! Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and...
Social anxiety relief for teens : a step-by-step CBT guide to feel confident & comfortable in any situation
Walker, Bridget Flynn
Paper Book
A simple, five-step program to overcome the social anxiety standing between you and a  happier, more confident life Do you worry about what others think of you? Does fear of being judged trigger intense anxiety? If you're one of millions of teens suffering from social anxiety...
This moth saw brightness
Vacharat, A. A.
Paper Book
A weird and revelatory debut that vividly captures the dislocation of growing up BIPOC and neurodivergent in a country awash in both conspiracy theories and genuine conspiracies. "The invisible D in my name is my mother's second most lasting contribution to my life." ...
This Winter
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
A very special Heartstopper story set over a challenging holiday season... Reuniting Tori Spring, her little brother Charlie, and Charlie's boyfriend Nick, this novella sees the Spring siblings brave a particularly difficult festive season.
Turtles all the way down
Green, John
Paper Book
FEATURED ON 60 MINUTES and FRESH AIR "So surprising and moving and true that I became completely unstrung." - The New York Times Named a best book of the year by: The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Wall...
Wrong Answers Only
Madden, Tobias
Marco should be at university, studying biomedicine. Instead, he's been sent to live on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean with his estranged uncle, all because of a "blip" everyone else is convinced was a panic attack. (Which it most definitely was not.) And even though Marco's trip...
Your brain needs a hug : life, love, mental health, and sandwiches
Earl, Rae
Paper Book
Imbued with a sense of humor, understanding, and hope, Your Brain Needs a Hug is a judgment-free guide for living well with your mind. My Mad Fat Diary author Rae Earl offers her personalized advice on the A to Zs of mental health, social media, family and...
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