Children’s mental health and happiness is an area of widespread concern. In a hyper-connected world, children are having to grow up quickly and are being exposed to all sorts of pressures and subject to all sorts of anxieties that were completely alien to their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. Here we have a range of interviews that address these issues head on. Author Chitra Soundar chooses her best books to help children overcome anxiety. Psychologist Vanessa King chooses hers on happiness for children, while Ray Earl, author of My Mad Fat Diary, chooses her best books on teenager mental health.
Beyond any advice or analysis these books on mental health offer, getting offline and starting to read books is probably a good place to start reducing one’s anxiety and becoming a happier human being.
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids, recommended by Dana Sheridan
What should you read with your kids on Thanksgiving? Dana Sheridan of Princeton University Library’s Cotsen Children’s Library recommends five children’s books with themes of love, gratitude, belonging and sharing with one another—what the holiday is all about.
Books To Help Children Overcome Anxiety, recommended by Chitra Soundar
As young children grow, finding a vocabulary for their worries and anxiety is often difficult. Children’s author Chitra Soundar recommends five books that help children process their emotions and use fiction as a tool for talking about anxiety.
The best books on Happiness for Children, recommended by Vanessa King
What is happiness? Why does happiness matter? Vanessa King, lead psychologist at the charity/non-profit Action for Happiness, discusses how developing ours and our children’s happiness skills can have benefits for our own lives and for society as a whole.
The best books on Teenage Mental Health, recommended by Rae Earl
Every generation has its own minefield to negotiate in order to reach adulthood. Rae Earl discusses five books that explore a range of mental health issues that some teenagers may face, and many adults have faced, while on this difficult journey.
