Mental Health Fiction for Middle GradesLike this list

12 items

• Louder Than Hunger

  Schu, John, 1981-

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  A fictionalized account of the author's experiences and emotions living in residential treatment facilities as a young teen with an eating disorder.

• What Happened to Rachel Riley?

  Swinarski, Claire,

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  Thirteen-year-old new girl Anna Hunt decides to make an investigative podcast about how fellow classmate Rachel Riley who went from being the most popular girl in school to the most hated.

• Absolutely, Positively Natty

  Greenwald, Lisa,

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  Moving to Miller Creek with her dad after her mom decides she needs a "break" from her family, Natty is determined to remain positive no matter what and starts a pep squad at her new school but soon finds herself with no more cheer to give.

• Front Country

  St. Antoine, Sara, 1966-

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  Eighth grader Ginny Shepard attempts to ground herself after realizing that the world is apathetic to the very real, very urgent realities of climate change, and reckoning with her own feelings of guilt and impotence.

• Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea

  Blake, Ashley Herring,

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  For two years, twelve-year-old Hazel has coped with her Mum's accidental death by overprotecting her sister and Mama, but when Mama reconnects with her first love, roles begin to shift. Content warning: PTSD, untreated trauma, parental death, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Trouble With a Tiny T

  Saunders, Merriam Sarcia,

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  Twelve-year-old Westin Hopper gets in trouble—a lot. At home, at school, at his grandparents’ house—his ADHD always seems to mess with his brain, making him do impulsive things. Content: ADHD.

• Real

  Cujec, Carol,

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  Charity may have mad math skills and a near-perfect memory, but with a mouth that can’t speak and a body that jumps, rocks, and howls unpredictably, most people incorrectly assume she cannot learn. Charity’s brain works differently from most…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Not If I Can Help It

  Mackler, Carolyn,

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  Willa likes certain things to be certain ways. Her socks have to be soft and definitely can’t have irritating tags on the inside. She loves the crunch of popcorn and nachos—but is grossed out by the crunch of a baby carrot. And slimy foods? Those…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Focused

  Gerber, Alyson,

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  Clea can’t control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework, but she gets distracted. She knows she can’t just say whatever thought comes into her head, but sometimes she can’t help herself. She knows she needs to focus, but how can she do…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Planet Earth Is Blue

  Panteleakos, Nicole,

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  Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger—it’s the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Science of Breakable Things

  Keller, Tae,

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  Middle-schooler Natalie's year-long assignment to answer a question using the scientific process leads to truths about her mother's depression and her own cultural identity. Content warning: Depression.

• The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

  McAnulty, Stacy,

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  Lucy Callahan’s life was changed forever when she was struck by lightning. She doesn’t remember it, but the zap gave her genius-level math skills, and she’s been homeschooled ever since. Now, at 12 years old, she’s technically ready for college. She…Read moreRead more of this annotation