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Story Books and Novels
RESOURCES FOR KIDS:
MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE: STORY BOOKS AND NOVELS
Legend
Anxiety | Bullying
| Body Image & Eating Disorders
Emotional Development |
Mood Disorders/Depression | Relationships
Substance Use & Addictions
Anxiety
| |
The Panic Book |
Gr 4 - 9 |
| Neil Phillips |
English
|
Story book that helps normalize disorders for students who
may be suffering from them. Done with a sense of humour. |
| |
The School Wobbies |
Gr 4 - 9 |
| Chris Wever |
English
|
This is a book about worries and scary thoughts that lurk
in the mind of children who won't go to school. It is also
about dealing with those worries. |
| |
Worry: A Story About OCD |
Gr K - 4 |
| By Holly L. Niner |
English
|
Available at:
Mental Health
Education Resource Center of Manitoba (borrow)
Local or online bookstore |
A story about a young boy trying to overcome the terrors of
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in his daily life. All
of the people in young Kevin's life join forces to help him
manage his problem, which he names Mr. Worry. |
Bullying
| |
Stop Picking On Me: A First Look
At Bullying |
Age 4 - 8 |
| By Pat Thomas |
English
|
Available at:
Mental Health
Education Resource Centre of Manitoba (borrow)
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
This book explores the difficult issue of bullying in reassuringly
simple terms. The fears, worries and questions surrounding
this upsetting experience are made accessible to young children. |
Body Image & Eating
Disorders
| |
Full Mouse, Empty Mouse |
Age 3 - 8 |
| By Dina Zeckhausen |
English
|
Available at:
Gurze Books
Full Mouse
Empty Mouse |
This book is written for children which can be used as a tool
for both obesity prevention and eating disorder prevention!
This children’s story addresses the complex issues surrounding
eating disorders in a language that children can understand. |
| |
Shapesville |
Age 3 - 8 |
| By J. Andrews
Mills and Rebecca Osborne |
English
|
Available at:
Gurze Books
Local or online bookstores |
Shapesville is a small town where five friends of various
shapes, sizes, colors, and talents celebrate what makes each
of them unique. Simple, rhyming verse, bold, playful illustrations
of basic shapes and colors, and endearing characters show
that "It's not the size of your shape or the shape of
your size, but the size of your heart that deserves first
prize." Discussion questions and a note to parents and
educators at the end of the book further its message of positive
body image. |
Emotional Development
| |
A Cool Kid Like Me |
|
| By Hans Wilhelm |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
This book tells the story of a young boy who although "cool"
on the outside, needs to share his inner feelings with his
grandmother. Her gift of a teddy bear provides him someone
to confide in while she is on holiday. |
| |
Agatha's Feather Bed |
|
| By Carmen Agra
Deedy |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Agatha loves her new feather bed, but six shivering, naked
geese pay her a visit to discuss the origin of the feathers. |
| |
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible,
No Good, Very Bad Day |
|
| By Judith Viorst |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Poor Alexander! He woke up with gum in his hair; his mom forgot
to put dessert in his lunch bag; there were lima beans for
dinner, and kissing on TV -- even the cat refuses to sleep
in his bed. Some days are just like that. |
| |
Anger Arthur |
|
| By Hiawyn Oram |
English
|
Available at:
Local or online bookstores |
When Arthur's mother won't let him stay up, he becomes too
angry. His anger creates a thunderstorm, a hurricane, even
a universe-quake! |
| |
Anger Mountain |
|
| By Hebert Bryna |
English
|
Available at:
Mental Health
Education Resource Centre of Manitoba (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
This book helps children better understand anger and deal
more effectively with it. This book is written for elementary
school aged children, but may be of use for those younger
or older. |
| |
Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses |
|
| By Ainslie Manson |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Ben finds his baby sister, Allison, to be annoying at the
best of times. And now he’s stuck with her all day —
and he has to cart her off to her stupid ballet recital! But
blood runs thicker than water. After Allison breaks down crying
because she receives an ugly, voluminous swan costume, Ben
learns all about it. The other little ballerinas always tease
Allison because she wears her hair in a ponytail, because
she’s awkward, because she wears glasses… because
they’re little girls! So Ben springs into action, with
some scissors, thread and safety pins. He’s going to
make sure no one makes fun of his baby sister! |
| |
Crash |
|
| By Jerry Spinelli |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Through the eyes of Crash, readers get a rare glimpse into
the life of a bully in this unforgettable story about stereotypes
and the surprises life can bring. |
| |
Feelings |
|
| By Joanne Murphy |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Poetry about emotions. |
| |
I Like Me! |
Ages 4 - 8 |
| By Nancy Carlson |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
"I Like
Me,'' says an emphatically cheerful girl pig who demonstrates
an imperturbable sense of self-esteem: She paints, bikes,
reads, takes good care of herself, and even deals with her
own occasional fallibility: ``When I make mistakes, I try
and try and try again.'' |
| |
I Was So Mad |
|
| By Norma Simon |
English
|
Available at:
Local or online bookstores |
Children catalog the things that make them mad and learn that
adults get angry too. |
| |
I'm Furious |
Age 4 - 8 |
| By Elizabeth Crary |
English
|
Available at:
Mental Health
Education Resource Centre of Manitoba (borrow)
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
This book is about Matt's little brother ruining his favorite
baseball card, and Matt just wants to knock him flat. Then
his mom lets him know it's OK to be mad and helps him discover
some ways to express his anger without hurting his brother
or being destructive. |
| |
I'm Gonna Like Me: Let off a Little
Self-Esteem |
|
| By Jamie Lee Curtis |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Celebrate liking yourself! Through alternating points of view,
a girl’s and a boy’s, showing kids that the key
to feeling good is liking yourself because you are you. |
| |
It's No Joke, My Telephone is Broke
|
Age 4 - 8 |
| By Linda Grossman |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Each story teaches a different lesson: about making better
choices, communicating well, and having self-esteem. |
| |
Mean Soup |
|
| By Betsy Everitt |
English
|
Available at:
Local or online bookstores |
It has been a bad day for Horace. He's come home feeling mean.
But guess who knows what to do? His mother, of course. |
| |
Mustard |
|
| By Charlotte Graeber |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Eight-year-old Alex can't face the fact that his cat is getting
old. |
| |
Oliver Button is a Sissy |
Gr K - 3 |
| By Tomie de Paola |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Oliver Button would rather read, dance, and draw pictures
than play football like the other boys. His classmates' taunts
don't stop him from doing what he likes best, and his practice
and persistence pay off in the end--when Oliver Button is
a star. |
| |
On the Night of the Comet |
|
| By Lena Coakley |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
On The Night Of the Comet, when cats can talk, three large
cats stop by Peter's house on their way to the mountains to
ask the Great Cat their questions. The plants in Peter's parents'
room are dead. His father sleep on the couch. And Peter is
very, very sad. With her tail long enough to wrap Peter up
from head to toe, the great white snow leopard tries to help.
She may not be able to answer Peter's questions, but perhaps
she can give him a way to say goodbye. |
| |
Star of the Sea |
|
| By Marcus Pfister |
English
|
Available at:
Local or online bookstores |
Little sisters often follow their big sisters' leads, but
sooner or later they must find the courage to make their own
decisions. The school play is providing just that occasion
for Pearl. |
| |
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf
|
Gr K - 3 |
| By Leo F. Buscaglia |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
As Freddie experiences the changing seasons along with his
companion leaves, he learns that death is part of life. |
| |
The Fourth Grade Wizards |
|
| By Barthe DeClements |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
After her mother dies, Marianne becomes a daydreamer and begins
to fall behind in her schoolwork. |
| |
The Hundred Dresses |
|
| By Eleanor
Estes |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
A book about prejudice and understanding. |
| |
The Memory String |
|
| By Eve Bunting |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Each button on Laura's memory string represents a piece of
her family history. The buttons Laura cherishes the most belonged
to her mother, a button from her prom dress, a white one off
her wedding dress, and a single small button from the nightgown
she was wearing on the day she died. When the string breaks,
Laura's new stepmother, Jane, is there to comfort Laura and
search for a missing button, just as Laura's mother would
have done. But it's not the same, Jane isn't Mom. |
| |
The Moons of Goose Island |
|
| By Don K. Philpot |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
David is an only child. When his mother becomes ill and passes
away, he’s left all alone, sent to live with his grandparents.
On a springtime afternoon, David boards his grandfather’s
snowmobile and is off to his new home on Goose Island. In
time, he discovers the moons are unlike any others on Earth
in The Moons of Goose Island. |
| |
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
|
|
| By Judith Viorst |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
This book is about a child whose cat, Barney, has just died.
It handles both the emotions stemming from the loss of a beloved
pet and the questions about the finality of death which naturally
arise in such a situation. |
| |
Through Grandpa's Eyes |
|
| By Patricia
MacLachlan |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
John’s Grandpa is blind. But Grandpa has his own way
of seeing. And for John this makes a day spent with Grandpa
an adventure of new sounds and smells and ways of doing everyday
things. |
| |
Today I Feel Silly: And other moods
that make my day |
|
| By Jamie Lee Curtis |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Silly, cranky, excited, or sad, everyone has moods that can
change each day. This book helps kids explore, identify, and,
even have fun with their ever-changing moods. |
| |
When I was Little: A Four Year Olds
Memoir of her Youth |
|
| By Jamie Lee Curtis |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Whether it's going down the slide all by yourself, sharing
a secret with your best friend, or painting your toenails
bubble-gum pink, being four years old is even better than
being little. A joyous celebration of growing up. |
| |
When Sophie Gets Angry |
|
| By Molly Bang |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Young Sophie screams, runs, cries and climbs trees, takes
a breather and then goes home to the loving arms of mom and
dad. At one time or another, parents have to deal with their
children’s angry moments or even all-out temper tantrums.
Adults know that anger can be misdirected and mismanaged but
it can be very difficult to open the lines of communication
about it with kids. |
| |
Wings |
|
| By Christopher
Myers |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Ikarus Jackson, the new boy in school, is outcast because
he has wings, but his resilient spirit inspires one girl to
speak up for him. |
Mood Disorders/Depression
 |
Can I Catch It like a Cold? A Story
to help children understand a parent's depression |
|
| By Gretchen Kelbaugh |
English
|
Available at:
Mental Health
Education Resource Centre of Manitoba (borrow)
AFM
William Potoroka Memorial Library |
Alex can't understand why his father sits at home alone crying,
instead of coming out to watch him play his soccer game. Alex
soon discovers that his father has depression. Alex learns
what causes depression, what treatments are available and
how he can cope and live well while his father is ill. He
also learns that it's not his fault that his father has depression
-- and no, depression is not something you can catch, like
a cold. |
| |
Sometimes my Mommy gets Angry |
|
| By Bebe Moore
Campbell |
English
|
Available at:
Mental Health
Education Resource Centre of Manitoba (borrow)
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or
online bookstores |
This book tells of an African American girl living with a
mother who is mentally ill. The spare first-person narrative
and exquisite realistic watercolor paintings show the child
at home with her unpredictable parent, who is manic and cheerful
in the morning, then angry, depressed, and paranoid when the
child returns from school. |
| |
Too Blue |
Gr 4 - 9 |
| By Neil Phillips |
English
|
Available at:
Shrink-Rap Press Books |
Story book that helps normalize disorders for students who
may be suffering from them. Done with a sense of humour. |
Relationships
| |
A Baby Sister for Frances |
Gr K - 3 |
| By Russell Hoban |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
When a baby sister arrives, Frances the badger finds a charming
way to prove her own importance. |
| |
A Chair for my Mother |
|
| By Vera B. Williams |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
The jar of coins is full. The day has come to buy the chair,
the big, fat, comfortable, wonderful chair they have been
saving for. The chair that will replace the one that was burned
up, along with everything else, in the terrible fire. A book
of love and tenderness filled with the affirmation of life. |
| |
All the Colors of the Earth |
|
| By Sheila Hamanaka |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Celebrate the colors of children and the colors of love--not
black or white or yellow or red, but roaring brown, whispering
gold, tinkling pink, and more. |
| |
The Day I Swapped My Dad for 2 Goldfish |
|
| By Neil Gaiman |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
What if you wanted your best friend’s two goldfish so
much that you’d swap anything for them, even your father?
What if your mother came home and found out what you’d
done? |
| |
The Giving Tree |
|
| By Shel Silverstein |
English
|
Available at:
Winnipeg Public
Library (borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
’Once
there was a tree...and she loved a little boy.’ Every
day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing
from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree
was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more
from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. |
Substance Use & Addictions
| |
I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink So Much
|
Gr K - 2 |
| By Judith Vigna |
English |
Available at:
Winnipeg Public Library
(borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
A realistic story about Lisa, whose father is an alcoholic. |
| |
My Big Sister Takes Drugs |
|
| By Judith Vigna |
English
|
Available at:
Local or online bookstores |
It's bad enough when Paul's big sister, Tina, turns mean and
hangs out with mean kids. But when the family discovers Tina's
drug abuse problem, things turn much worse. Paul's new friend
doesn't want to play with him, and Paul can't go to soccer
camp because Tina's hospital program costs so much. Worst
of all, Paul's afraid that his sister may not recover. But
with work and love, it looks as if all kinds of things in
Paul's life will soon be getting better. |
| |
Smoking Stinks |
|
| By Kim Gosselin |
English |
Available at:
Winnipeg Public Library
(borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
When Grandpa Norman, who is addicted to nicotine, speaks to
Maddie's class about the bad effects of smoking, he teaches
important lessons and makes a big decision. |
| |
The Berenstein Bears and the Drug
Free Zone |
|
| By Jan and Stan
Berenstain |
English |
Available at:
Winnipeg Public Library
(borrow)
Local or online bookstores |
Sister and Brother uncover a drug problem in Bear Country,
and they're determined to track down the culprits. But just
when they're sure they've solved the case, they learn that
jumping to conclusions is not the best way to solve a problem. |
For more information
about
Healthy Schools, please contact:
Healthy Schools
Phone: (204) 788-6679
Email: healthyschools@gov.mb.ca |
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