National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month was first observed in July 2008. The purpose of the month is “to help raise awareness about mental illness and its effects on racial and ethnic minority populations.” The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health has statistics and helpful information for organizations, families, and individuals in marginalized communities who want to learn more about how to recognize, care, and receive help for those living with mental illnesses. Sometimes exploring literature with children, in classroom or home settings, can introduce and encourage talks about tough topics. The ten fiction books listed include a mix of picture, middle-grade, and young adult titles. Mental illness may not be the primary theme in all of the books, but all are valuable tools for raising awareness.
Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry | Bebe Moore Campbell | Putnam Juvenile | 2003
The Face at the Window | Regina Hanson | Clarion Books | 1997
Towers Falling | Jewell Parker Rhodes | Little, Brown BYR | 2016
The Dream Bearer | Walter Dean Myers | Thorndike Press | 2003
A Piece of Heaven | Sharon Dennis Wyeth | Yearling | 2007
Little & Lion | Brandy Colbert | Little, Brown BYR | 2017
Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now | Dana L. Davis | Harlequin Teen | 2018
A Bitter Pill to Swallow | Tiffany Gholar | Blurb | 2016
Humming Whispers | Angela Johnson | Scholastic | 1996
The Beauty That Remains | Ashley Woodfolk | Delacorte Press | 2018
What are your thoughts on the books listed? Do you know of any other titles that may be helpful in sparking a conversation about mental illness? Leave us a comment below.
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