Browse our recommended books for teens on managing mental health and encouraging positive wellbeing.
Want more books? Take a look at our recommendations for teens or see more from our parenting book collection.
Stress Less: Mindfulness for Teenagers
Adam Avin
Adam Avin is a strong believer that mindfulness is the key to coping with stress, pressure and the strong emotions that the teenage years often bring. And he would know – he’s not only a teen himself, but he’s a mindfulness expert and the founder of Wuf Shanti, an organisation that teaches kids of all ages to be more mindful.
In ‘Stress Less’, Adam walks you through the reasons why stress and pressure are bad for your body and mind. He will teach you what mindfulness is and how to develop a mindful mindset so that you can be in the moment and focus on the present, rather than worrying about the past or the future.
The Teenager’s Guide to Burnout
Naomi Fisher
This book will help you to understand what burnout is, how you got there and what you can do to get back to a life you enjoy.
We’ve written it to help you work out if you might be burnt out, and if so, what you can do about it. It will help you identify some of the ways that you might be getting stuck when you’re trying to get better. You’ll get some ideas as to what is and isn’t helping. And if you decide that you aren’t really burnt out but you’re heading that way, this book has some ideas to stop it from happening in the future.
Co-written by expert clinical psychologist Dr Naomi Fisher, who has helped many teenagers deal with the stresses and pressures of school and life, and by bestselling author and illustrator Eliza Fricker.
No Filters: A Mother and Teenage Daughter Love Story
Christie Watson
How can we communicate when things are so painful? How can we connect when generational differences are extreme? How do parents and teenagers – and all of us – have real conversations?
When Rowan was 16, she only tolerated communication from her mother in the form of Snapchat. Desperate to be closer to her daughter, Christie sent daily selfies of her face superimposed onto a chicken nugget. It took serious illness for them to finally talk – and truly listen.
Rowan’s mental health struggles revealed the chasm between their generations. They started being more honest with each other than they had ever been before: discussing identity, race and gender; opening up about disordered eating and self-harm; navigating the perils of social media.
In an age of polarisation, this is how a mother and daughter find humour in the things that divide them and become more hopeful about the future of our world.
I Wish I Knew
Donna Ashworth
‘I Wish I Knew’ is a very personal collection of poems, for young women in particular who are navigating their bodies, emotions, mental health and growth in this fast-paced world.
Having struggled in her teenage years with perfectionism, eating disorders and depression, for Donna this a very personal passion project. This is a book that will bring comfort, confidence, sisterhood and acceptance into the hearts of young women, and is also relevant for young men. Daily interaction with her followers has shown the dire need for a book to shine a light on these issues, further exacerbated by the pandemic which has been so tough on many young people and is proving to have long lasting effects.
This book will start conversations and open discussions on the serious issues young people are facing today.
Girlhood, Translated: Understanding Girls in the Age of Therapy Speak and Self-Diagnosis
Suzanne Garfinkle-Crowell
Over the past decade, psychiatrist Suzanne Garfinkle-Crowell noticed that girls were coming to her office with an increasingly long list of psychiatric diagnoses, often pulled from social media.
It seemed like it was becoming impossible for young women to talk about their feelings without connecting them to mental illnesses like anxiety or PTSD. At the same time, she saw a growing communication gap between the girls and their parents, who often responded to this jargon, unhelpfully, with either alarm or dismissiveness.
In ‘Girlhood, Translated’, Dr. Garfinkle-Crowell explores how ‘therapy speak’ is fundamentally reshaping the identities of girls and young women. While some terms help girls name problems and find common ground, the reflexive use of self-diagnosis inadvertently plays into the age-old cliché that teenage girls are ‘hysterical’ and ‘crazy’.
The Body Confidence Book
Phillippa Diedrichs
By age 15, 60% of us lack body confidence. It’s now seen as normal to grow up feeling unhappy with our bodies. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
From filtered faces and dangerous body expectations on social media, to the pressures put on us by friends and family, our bodies have been through enough. The time is now to rally against these outdated ideals and create communities that celebrate the diversity of our bodies.
Through science and storytelling, Professor Diedrichs breaks down key topics such as toxic social media content, the value of diverse role models, health and body image and expressing yourself through your looks. Providing you with the information, positivity and encouragement to accept and respect yourself, this book will give you the power to challenge appearance stereotypes and feel at home in your body.
How to Be Body Happy: Feel Comfortable In Your Skin
Olivia Kirkby
Do you wish you could be body positive but can’t stop thinking about all your perceived imperfections? Join Olivia Kirkby on her journey to accepting herself as perfectly imperfect and learn how you can too.
In this inspiring book for teenage girls aged 13+, Olivia talks openly and honestly about growing up with body issues, low self-worth and an unhealthy relationship with food. By setting herself free from society’s beauty ideals, she learned to appreciate and love her changing body.
Letters from Wonderland
Josie George
In this illustrated collection of letters, Josie George, well-being guru, shows readers that the world is full of magic and mystery if you only look hard enough.
Because Wonderland exists outside of stories – it’s in the cracks between the pavement, in neglected urban spaces, in overgrown gardens, in weeds and upturned flower pots.
It’s the wonder we all experience as very small children but that we grow out of as time goes on. Reading it is to feel bewitched – and transported to a happier place. She gives readers the tools they need to navigate through life and retain an inner peace and joy.
10 Minutes to Beat Anxiety and Panic: A Step-by-Step Guide for Teens Using CBT and Mindfulness
Lee David
What can you really do in 10 minutes? You could make a sandwich, take a shower, or maybe dance around to three of your favourite songs, and now, with this book, you can learn to beat anxiety.
No matter how busy or stressful your day, with 10-minute steps and quick exercises, you can better understand and manage your experiences of anxiety and panic. It includes sections to read, questions to reflect on, and things to try out in your everyday life. The book covers everything from surviving panic attacks and negative self-talk to dealing with common anxieties, including health anxiety and social anxiety.
Using evidence-based therapies such as CBT and ACT, this book will help you take a problem-solving approach to your worries, escape toxic thought spirals, treat yourself kindly, and get the best out of life!
Am I Normal Yet?
Holly Bourne
Evie just wants to be normal. She wants to stop obsessing over germs, wash her hands just once (instead of a dozen times), and maybe even kiss a boy without mentally calculating how many billions of bacteria must be on his tongue.
But being a normal teenager isn’t easy when you’ve just been sectioned and diagnosed with OCD. And with new friends and cute-but-confusing boys in the mix, will Evie be able to keep it together…or is she about to spiral out of control?
Both hilarious and heart-rending, this is Evie’s no-holds-barred story of struggling to live a ‘normal’ teen life in the grip of OCD.
If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come
Jen St. Jude
Avery Byrne has secrets. She’s queer; she’s in love with her best friend, Cass; and she’s suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression.
But on the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to live: an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it. Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days.
As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. But most importantly, she learns to save herself.
Desi Girl Speaking
A.S. Hussain
Tweety is struggling. Battling depression and faced with parents and friends who don’t fully understand what’s happening, sixteen-year-old Tweety feels like no one is listening and there’s nowhere to turn to.
Until she stumbles across Desi Girl Speaking, a podcast by someone else who’s struggling too. Through episodes and exchanged emails, Tweety and Desi Girl begin to confide in each other, but as Tweety’s depression deepens, she’ll have to decide whether to stay silenced or use her voice to speak up.
You Are Not Alone
Shauna Robertson
Just like our physical health, our mental health can fluctuate over the course of our lives, or even from day to day. The poems in this collection explore a variety of topics, from diagnosed mental health conditions to the everyday personal challenges faced by young people.
These poems are variously thought-provoking, reassuring, heart-breaking, galvanizing, funny and hopeful, reflecting a diversity of perspectives, experiences and voices.
No Worries: How to Deal With Teenage Anxiety
Nicola Morgan
Based on the latest science, ‘No Worries’ is packed with advice to help teenagers master the best tricks and hacks to stay firmly in control of worries and embrace calm.
From understanding how anxiety works, to building strategies to calm the body and mind, this essential guide equips young people with the tools to tackle their worries and live brilliantly.
Just Another Little Lie
Eve Ainsworth
Violet’s mum hasn’t been herself for a while. A few too many glasses of wine in the evening. Mornings when she can’t get out of bed. Now Violet’s the one looking after her little brother and looking out for empty bottles in Mum’s bag.
But it’s just another little blip. Mum will be fine again soon. She has to be … How long do blips last for?
Award-winning author Eve Ainsworth returns with a stark, honest and deeply moving novella exploring the difficult subject of alcoholism.
In Your Orbit
Lise Villadsen
Growing up, Astrid’s big sister Cecilie was her whole world. But when Cecilie’s anxiety threatens to swallow her whole, their dynamic shifts.
Now Astrid must be the big sister and put her own life on hold to be by Cecilie’s side. Will she still have room for her best friend Jonas and the handsome Greenlandic boy who’s determined to steal her heart?
Healthy Mind, Happy You
Emily MacDonagh
This reassuring, fact-packed book for girls and boys is all about how to maintain good mental health while growing up. Dr Emily MacDonagh, practising NHS doctor, talks about anxiety and mental health in a simple and friendly way.
Plus, expert tips and practical information on self-esteem, the physical changes of puberty, resilience, and lots more.
The Teenage Guide to Stress
Nicola Morgan
Essential reading for teenagers and the adults who care about them. A fantastically wide-ranging, reassuring, eye-opening and comprehensive look at the stresses many teenagers face, empowering them to take control of their mental health and wellbeing.
Nicola Morgan is something of an authority on the teenage brain and is often invited to schools and colleges to speak on the subject. She came up with the idea of ‘The Teenage Guide to Stress’ because so many parents and teenagers contacted her for advice and help.
The Sad Ghost Club
Lize Meddings
Find your kindred spirits at The Sad Ghost Club. When one sad ghost, alone at a crowded party, spies another sad ghost across the room, they decide to leave together.
What happens next changes everything. Because that night they start The Sad Ghost Club – a secret society for the anxious and alone, a club for people who think they don’t belong.
English 
Polish 
Lithuanian 
Romanian 
Portuguese 
Bengali