CHILD & YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
adhd
taking charge of adhd by russell a barkley phd
Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents is written by Russell Barkley, PhD, a recently retired Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine who has authored numerous books on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The book is divided into four sections. The first describes the symptoms, causes, and course of the ADHD. Part 2. “How to be a Successful Executive Parent,” addresses the evaluation for and diagnosis of ADHD. Part 3 is about coping at home and school, and covers behaviour, problem-solving, peer problems, healthy lifestyle, and education. The book concludes with a section on medications. Now in its fourth edition, the book has over 425,000 copies in print.
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understanding girls with ADHD by Kathleen Nadeau PhD, Ellen Littman PHD, & Patricia Quinn MD
Understanding Girls with ADHD: How They Feel and Why They do What They Do is written by clinical psychologists Kathleen Nadeau and Ellen Littman, and developmental pediatrician Patricia Quinn. The book begins with a chapter on biology and the brain, and then devotes chapters to ADHD in preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school. It addresses how to help girls with ADHD function well academically, and effective approaches for managing ADHD, including medication. The book is in its second edition.
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cory stories: a kid’s book about living with adhd by jeanne kraus
Cory Stories: A Kid’s Book About Living with ADHD is written by Jeanne Kraus, a Florida-based educational specialist with expertise in ADHD, and illustrated by Witney Martin. The book give’s a child’s perspective on having ADHD, and follows the protagonist through his daily routine with at home, school and with friends and the challenges he faces due to having a “jumping bean” inside him even when is trying to sleep. Cory talks about his success with therapy, medications, and practical coping strategies. The book was published in 2004. and is appropriate for children age 6 to 11 years.
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anxiety
what to do when you worry too much by dawn huebner Ph.D.
What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is written by Dawn Huebner, an American clinical psychologist. This book, intended for children age 6 to 12 years, guides children through cognitive behavioural techniques for treatment of anxiety. She explains the use of logic, using worry time, talking back to worries, and use of activity and relaxation. There are pages in the book for writing and drawing activities. It is illustrated in black and white by Bonnie Matthews.
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me and my fear by francesca sanna
Me and My Fear is a picture book by Italian author and illustrator Francesca Sanna, published in 2018 and meant for children age 3 to 7 years. It is the story of an immigrant girl with “a tiny friend called Fear . . . who has always looked after me and kept me safe.” However, when she starts at a new school, Fear starts to grow and to limit the narrator’s life — until she finds a friend, who has his own secret pet fear. This book is simple, insightful, and charmingly illustrated; fear has never been so cute.
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scaredy squirrel by melanie watts
Scaredy Squirrel is the first picture book in a series, by Canadian children’s illustrator and author Melanie Watt. Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree for fear of the unknown, including poison ivy and killer bees. Admittedly, Scaredy Squirrel’s life is a bore. One day, something unexpected happens and he leaps from the tree, with surprising results. This book is written in an original, humorous style, and is intended for children aged 4 to 8 years.
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My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic
by Michael tompkins, Katherine martinez & michael sloan
My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic is written by psychologists Michael Tompkins, PhD and Katherine Martinez, PsyD, and illustrated by Michael Sloan. The book discusses when anxiety is a problem and where and how to seek help. My Anxious Mind is based on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) techniques, and covers breathing and relaxing, changing thinking patterns, and systematically facing fears. It also addresses dealing with stress, healthy living, and medications. Published in 2009, this book’s intended audience is youth ages 12 to 18 years.
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HELPING YOUR ANXIOUS CHILD BY RONALD RAPEE et al
Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents is written by Australian psychologists Ronald Rapee, PhD, Ann Wignall, D.Psych, Susan Spence, PhD, Vanessa Cobham, PhD, and Heidi Lyneham, PhD. The book is intended for parents of children with social anxiety, specific phobias, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The book is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and discuss the link between thoughts and feelings, learning to think realistically, a stepladder approach to facing fears, and assertiveness and social skills. First published in 2008, the book is in its second edition.
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Rapee, Ronald M., Maree J. Abbott, and Heidi J. Lyneham. 2006. "Bibliotherapy for Children with Anxiety Disorders using Written Materials for Parents: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 74 (3): 436-444.
obsessive-compulsive disorder
up and down the worry hill by aureen Pinto wagner Ph.D.
Up and Down the Worry Hill: A Children’s Book about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and its Treatment, is written by Aureen Pinto Wagner, a clinical child psychologist, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) expert, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. This book describes OCD and its treatment with CBT through the eyes of a child, Casey. The book has black and white illustrations by Paul A. Jutton, and is geared towards children aged 7 to 10 years. The book was first published in 2000, and is in its third edition.
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what to do when your brain gets stuck by dawn huebner
What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming OCD is written by American clinical psychologist Dawn Huebner. This book guides children through cognitive behavioural techniques for treatment of OCD. Huebner explains OCD as a “brain sorter“ problem, where the brain has trouble deciding which thoughts to keep and which to throw away. She guides the reader through identifying obsession and compulsions, “talking back” to OCD, and tactics for “showing OCD who’s boss” (exposure response prevention). There are pages in the book for writing and drawing activities. It is illustrated in black and white by Bonnie Matthews. The book is intended for children ages 6 to 12 years.
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ocdaniel by wesley king
OCDaniel is a novel by Canadian author Wesley King, who states in the Author’s Note that the book is an almost autobiographical account of his own experience of OCD in adolescence. Aimed at middle-schoolers, the book is a first-person narrative by a boy who hides his unusual habits of counting toothbrush strokes, flicking light switches, and avoiding writing certain numbers. Things change for him when another unusual student at his school, Sarah, invites him on an adventure. This book received Canada’s Silver Birch award in 2016. Excerpt here.
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van Koeverden , J. (2017, April 11). Wesley King on writing about OCD | CBC books. CBCnews. Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://www.cbc.ca/books/wesley-king-on-writing-about-ocd-1.4065416
grief & trauma
a terrible thing happened by margaret m. holmes
A Terrible Thing Happened is a picture book written by Margaret M. Holmes for children aged 4 to 8 years. It tells the story of Sherman Smith, who “saw the most terrible thing.” Initially he can push the memory out of his mind, but then he loses his appetite, gets headaches, feels sad and nervous, and develops insomnia and nightmares. When he is connected with Ms Maple, a grown-up who “helps children figure out their feelings,” he begins to talk about and draw his feelings, and eventually the event itself. He feels stronger and his symptoms resolve. The “terrible thing” is not defined, and so this book may be used for child witnesses of any traumatic event.
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i miss you: a first look at death by pat thomas
This picture book was written by Pat Thomas, psychotherapist, journalist and author. In direct language, it addresses death as a natural part of life, and the experience of grief in its varied forms. It includes questions to prompt conversations with the child. Published in 2001, the book is illustrated by Lesley Harker and targets children aged 4 to 7 years.
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michael rosen’s sad book by michael rosen
This picture book was written by celebrated British children’s author Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake in 2004. Both Rosen and Blake are former Children’s Laureates. The book was inspired by the death of Rosen’s son, Eddie, who died of meningitis at age 18. In a forthright and gentle way, the book explores Rosen’s experience of sadness and his efforts to “figure out ways of being sad that don’t hurt so much.” This book is appropriate for all ages.
RECOMMENDED BY
Popova, M. (2018, October 10). Michael Rosen’s Sad Book: A Beautiful Anatomy of Loss, Illustrated by Quentin Blake. Brain Pickings. https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/08/25/michael-rosens-sad-book-quentin-blake
THE HEART AND THE BOTTLE BY OLIVER JEFFERS
The Heart and the Bottle by award-winning Brooklyn-based children’s author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers is a picture book for children ages 5 years and up. The main character is a little girl “whose head was filled with all the curiosities of the world” — until the day she loses someone important to her. She puts her heart in a bottle and hangs it around her neck for safekeeping, but as she grows older her life becomes joyless and the bottle becomes heavy and awkward. When she wants her heart back she has difficulty extracting it, until someone helps her to recover it. This book is a poignant and thoughtful story of grief, with rich illustrations.
RECOMMENDED BY
Popova, M. (2015, September 25). The Heart and the Bottle: A Tender Illustrated Fable of What Happens When We Deny Our Difficult Emotions. The Marginalian. https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/05/14/oliver-jeffers-the-heart-and-the-bottle/