Middle grade books about mental illness — depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and PTSD are not as common as I wish they were. Thankfully, however, they do exist. On this list of middle grade books about mental illness, you’ll find a variety of picks.
I’ve included books where the parents have a mental illness and those where the kids struggle with a mental health issue. For each pick, I’ve indicated whether a child or parent has the mental health struggle. Bear in mind that middle grade books are typically aimed at kids 8-12 (I like to view this as a lower limit, of course). But I’ve marked “upper middle-grade” picks as ages 10-14.
In this updated list, I’ve also removed books featuring ADHD and autism as I prefer to refer to individuals with ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Tourette’s, dyslexia, and autism as neurodiverse.
I’ll be making a separate book list for those. I initially included some in this list because as a doctor, I just used the DSM as my guide before, but I feel differently now.
I’ve read many of the books on this list, and have a couple of the others on my Kindle already. My favorite thing about these middle grade books about mental illness is that while accurately depicting the struggles of mental illness — from anxiety (OCD, PTSD), hoarding, schizophrenia, and major depression — they’re hopeful.
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Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Major Depressive Disorder)
Table of Contents
Rain Rising
Child with depression; self-harm
Published: September 27, 2022
13-year-old Rain is dealing with several issues. First, her best friend has been acting like a frenemy lately. Then, she’s just so sad all the time and can’t stop feeling negative about her body — thinking she’s ugly and too big. Her single source of solace is her family. When the thoughts become too tough to handle, her mother and brother Xander, especially, bring light to her day, even without knowing her challenges.
But when Xander gets beaten up in a racially motivated attack during a potential college visit, Rain feels the walls closing in on her. Can she and her family find their way back to normalcy? This is a fantastic verse novel better suited to older tween readers.
Finding Junie Kim
Child with depression, suicidal ideation
Published: May 4, 2021
Junie Kim just wants to fit in. So she keeps her head down and tries not to draw attention to herself. But when racist graffiti appears at her middle school, Junie must decide between staying silent or speaking out.
Then Junie’s history teacher assigns a project and Junie decides to interview her grandparents, learning about their unbelievable experiences as kids during the Korean War. Junie comes to admire her grandma’s fierce determination to overcome impossible odds, and her grandpa’s unwavering compassion during wartime. And as racism becomes more pervasive at school, Junie taps into the strength of her ancestors and finds the courage to do what is right.
The Science of Breakable Things
Parent with Major Depression
Published: March 6, 2018
When Natalie’s mom stops coming out of her room for months in a row, their small family is shaken and they stop really talking. Despite being aimed at middle graders, Keller’s book does not gloss over mental health struggles. It is honestly one of the most honest and realistic portrayals of depression I’ve read. The protagonist Natalie is brave, independent and dynamic. Tae Keller tackles a multitude of themes with impressive finesse and relatable writing. From a parent suffering depression to what true friendship means, family and the importance of heritage, this book is loaded!
All Three Stooges
Parent with depression/suicide
Published: January 9, 2018
Spoiler alert: This book is not about the Three Stooges. It’s about Noah and Dash, two seventh graders who are best friends and comedy junkies. That is, they were best friends, until Dash’s father died suddenly and Dash shut Noah out. Which Noah deserved, according to Noa, the girl who, annoyingly, shares both his name and his bar mitzvah day.
Now Noah’s confusion, frustration, and determination to get through to Dash are threatening to destroy more than just their friendship. But what choice does he have? As Noah sees it, sometimes you need to risk losing everything, even your sense of humor, to prove that gone doesn’t have to mean “gone for good.”
Things You Can’t Say
Parent with depression; mention of parental suicide
Published: March 3, 2020
Things You Can’t Say was my first time reading author Jenn Bishop. After his father dies by suicide, Drew tries to move forward with life by volunteering at the library where his mom works. But this summer, three years after his father’s death, a new man, Phil seems to have ridden into his mother’s life and Drew isn’t sure what’s up between them. Somehow he begins to think that Phil might be his real father.
This is a thoughtful, realistic, and heartwarming (oh, so heartwarming) book about dealing with a parent’s suicide and changing friendships. If you’re looking for a book that emphasizes vulnerability in boy friendships, highlights cute sibling dynamics or set largely in a library, you’ll love this book!
Nest
Parent with depression
Published: January 1, 1807
In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp’s mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes.
Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they create their own private world and come up with the perfect plan: Escape. Adventure. Discovery.
All the Greys on Greene Street
Parent with depression
Published: June 4, 2019
SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist–and in her neighborhood, that’s normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye.
Then everything falls apart. Ollie’s dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she’s not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .
Olympia knows her dad is the key–but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
Breathing Underwater
Sibling with depression
Published: March 30, 2021
Thirteen-year-old Olivia is excited about going on a road trip back to California with her sister and their uncle and aunt. Their family moved to Tennessee from California three years ago, and the girls had buried a time capsule before their move. Olivia’s big sister Ruth is now 16 and clinically depressed. She has good and bad days and is on medication to manage her depression. Olivia feels responsible for Ruth’s happiness and has a plan to recover their time capsule, while doing a photo project during their trip to remind Ruth of good times and make her just a little happier. But she soon finds out that with mental illness, it’s not always so simple.
The Sea in Winter
Child with depression
Published: January 5, 2021
12-year-old ballet dancer Maisie Cannon is recovering from a torn ACL. Maisie is Native American and part of a blended family; her mom remarried after her father’s death, and she has a younger half-brother.
Maisie is miserable because her two closest (and only) friends Eva and Hattie are also ballerinas, and now that she isn’t dancing, it’s too difficult to maintain her friendships with them. She’s also struggling with how slowly she’s recovering and is a bit depressed in general because of how much she loves ballet and how tightly woven into her identity it was.
This is a quiet, insightful book. Maisie is a deeply introspective character whose suffering will be deeply felt by all who read this book. Yet, this book manages to be uplifting with the help of Maisie’s brother Connor and her warm, loving family and friends.
Iveliz Explains It All
Child with depression; self-harm; PTSD
Published: September 13, 2022
Seventh grade is going to be Iveliz’s year. She’s going to make a new friend, help her abuela Mimi get settled after moving from Puerto Rico, and she is not going to get into any more trouble at school. . . .
Except is that what happens? Of course not. Because no matter how hard Iveliz tries, sometimes people say things that just make her so mad. And worse, Mimi keeps saying Iveliz’s medicine is unnecessary—even though it helps Iveliz feel less sad. But how do you explain your feelings to others when you’re not even sure what’s going on yourself?
Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Bipolar Disorder)
Small as an Elephant
Parent with bipolar disorder
Published: March 8, 2011
Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and “spinning” wildly until it’s over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food.
Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself – starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before DSS catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties – and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all.
No Fixed Address
Parent with bipolar disorder
Published: September 11, 2018
This middle grade book is set in Canada. It’s about Felix Knutsson, an almost 13-year-old who lives with his single mom. While it’s not stated exactly what mental illness she has, his mom has “slumps” from time to time. I loved this book and Felix’s character. The author really brings the issue of housing insecurity to life as Felix and his mom live in an RV with no fixed address and spend most of the story evading the authorities. It’s funny, heartbreaking, and entertaining.
Waiting for Normal
Parent with bipolar disorder
Published: February 5, 2008
Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie’s mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. Addie’s mother is bipolar, and she often neglects Addie. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can’t bring Addie home, where she wants to be with her half-sisters and her stepfather. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she’ll find normal.
Chasing the Milky Way
Parent with bipolar disorder
Published: June 12, 2014
Lucy Peevy has a dream–to get out of the trailer park she lives in and become a famous scientist. And she’s already figured out how to do that: Build a robot that will win a cash prize at the BotBlock competition and save it for college. But when you’ve got a mama who doesn’t always take her meds, it’s not easy to achieve those goals. Especially when Lucy’s mama takes her, her baby sister Izzy, and their neighbor Cam away in her convertible, bound for parts unknown. But Lucy, Izzy and Cam are good at sticking together, and even better at solving problems. But not all problems have the best solutions, and Lucy and Izzy must face the one thing they’re scared of even more than Mama’s moods: living without her at all.
Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Schizophrenia)
Where the Watermelons Grow
Parent with schizophrenia
Published: July 3, 2018
This is the first middle grade book I’ve read about a girl dealing with a parent who has schizophrenia. It’s set in the summer on a farm in Maryville, North Carolina with a dash of magical realism. I have strong memories of how vivid this story was and how atmospheric the setting was. Prepare to have your heart broken though.
Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe
Parent with Schizophrenia(?)
Published: July 10, 2018
How far would you go to find something that might not even exist?
All her life, Cricket’s mama has told her stories about a secret room painted by a mysterious artist. Now Mama’s run off, and Cricket thinks the room might be the answer to getting her to come back. If it exists. And if she can find it.
Cricket’s only clue is a coin from a grown-over ghost town in the woods. So with her daddy’s old guidebook and a coat full of snacks stolen from the Cash ‘n’ Carry, Cricket runs away to find the room. Surviving in the woods isn’t easy. While Cricket camps out in an old tree house and looks for clues, she meets the last resident of the ghost town, encounters a poetry-loving dog (who just might hold a key to part of the puzzle), and discovers that sometimes you have to get a little lost . . . to really find your way.
Sure Signs of Crazy
Parent with Schizophrenia
Published: August 20, 2013
You’ve never met anyone exactly like twelve-year-old Sarah Nelson. While most of her friends obsess over Harry Potter, she spends her time writing letters to Atticus Finch. She collects trouble words in her diary. Her best friend is a plant. And she’s never known her mother, who left when Sarah was two.
Since then, Sarah and her dad have moved from one small Texas town to another, and not one has felt like home.
Everything changes when Sarah launches an investigation into her family’s Big Secret. She makes unexpected new friends and has her first real crush, and instead of a “typical boring Sarah Nelson summer,” this one might just turn out to be extraordinary.
A Corner of the Universe
Uncle with schizophrenia
Published: March 1, 2013
Ann Martin’s phenomenal Newbery Honor book, now in paperback
The summer Hattie turns 12, her predictable smalltown life is turned on end when her uncle Adam returns home for the first time in over ten years. Hattie has never met him, never known about him. He’s been institutionalized; his condition invovles schizophrenia and autism.
Hattie, a shy girl who prefers the company of adults, takes immediately to her excitable uncle, even when the rest of the family — her parents and grandparents — have trouble dealing with his intense way of seeing the world. And Adam, too, sees that Hattie is special, that her quiet, shy ways are not a disability,
Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Anxiety)
I have a full list of anxiety middle grade books here. But here are a few to try first:
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things
Child with anxiety
Published: July 8, 2008
A humorous and touching series about facing your fears and embracing new experiences—with a truly unforgettable character—from author Lenore Look and New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor winning illustrator LeUyen Pham.
Alvin, an Asian American second grader, is afraid of everything—elevators, tunnels, girls, and, most of all, school. He’s so afraid of school that, while he’ s there, he never, ever, says a word. But at home, Alvin is a very loud superhero named Firecracker Man, a brother to Calvin and Anibelly, and a gentleman-in-training, just like his dad. With the help of his family, can Alvin take on the outside world without letting his fears get the best of him?
Guts
Child with anxiety
Published: September 17, 2019
Guts is based on Telegmeier’s experience with anxiety as a tween. After a case of the stomach flu in their family, Raina becomes terrified of vomit and vomiting. Her anxiety manifests physically as a stomachache which further exacerbates her fear of vomiting and intensifies her anxiety. Her parents take her to see a doctor who after multiple tests assures them that Raina is “healthy as a horse.” Unsure what to do next, they take her to see a therapist.
I would definitely recommend this book for graphic novel fans (and non-fans alike). If you’re looking for a fun, quick, but impactful book about anxiety, friendships, and empathy, this is the one for you.
Umbrella Summer
Child with anxiety
Published: June 2, 2009
Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for—bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That’s why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races with her best friend, Rebecca, and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Everyone keeps telling Annie not to worry so much, that she’s just fine. But they thought her brother, Jared, was just fine too, and Jared died.
It takes a new neighbor, who looks as plain as a box of toothpicks but has some surprising secrets of her own, to make Annie realize that her plans for being careful aren’t working out as well as she had hoped. And with a lot of help from those around her—and a book about a pig, too—Annie just may find a way to close her umbrella of sadness and step back into the sunshine.
With winsome humor and a dash of small-town charm, Lisa Graff’s third novel is a touching look at rising above grief and the healing power of community.
So B. It
Parent with Severe agoraphobia
Published: April 27, 2004
From acclaimed author Sarah Weeks comes a touching coming-of-age story about a young girl who goes on a cross-country journey to discover the truth about her parents, which the New York Times called “a remarkable novel.” Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me and Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish.
She doesn’t know when her birthday is or who her father is. In fact, everything about Heidi and her mentally disabled mother’s past is a mystery. When a strange word in her mother’s vocabulary begins to haunt her, Heidi sets out on a cross-country journey in search of the secrets of her past.
Far away from home, pieces of her puzzling history come together. But it isn’t until she learns to accept not knowing that Heidi truly arrives.
A Thousand Minutes to Sunlight
Child with anxiety
Published: April 20, 2021
Cora is constantly counting the minutes. It’s the only thing that stops her brain from rattling with worry, from convincing her that danger is up ahead. Afraid of the unknown, Cora spends her days with her feet tucked into sand, marveling at La Quinta beach’s giant waves and her little sister Sunshine’s boundless energy.
And then danger really does show up at Cora’s doorstep—her absentee uncle, whose sudden presence in the middle of the night makes her parents nervous and secretive. As dawn breaks once more, Cora must piece together her family and herself, one minute at a time.
Courage for Beginners
Parent with agoraphobia
Published: August 12, 2014
Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she’d magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a “hipster.” She’d be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she’d certainly be able to change her family’s secret.
Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-air balloon, her new friend Rama Khan, and a bright orange coat, can she find the courage to change?
Stanley Will Probably Be Fine
Child with anxiety
Published: February 6, 2018
Nobody knows comics trivia like Stanley knows comics trivia.
It’s what he takes comfort in when the world around him gets to be too much. And after he faints during a safety assembly, Stanley takes his love of comics up a level by inventing his own imaginary superhero, named John Lockdown, to help him through.
Help is what he needs, because Stanley’s entered Trivia Quest—a giant comics-trivia treasure hunt—to prove he can tackle his worries, score VIP passes to Comic Fest, and win back his ex-best friend. Partnered with his fearless new neighbor Liberty, Stanley faces his most epic, overwhelming, challenging day ever.
What would John Lockdown do?
Stanley’s about to find out.
Sidetracked
Child with anxiety
Published: August 22, 2017
If middle school were a race, Joseph Friedman wouldn’t even be in last place—he’d be on the sidelines. With an overactive mind and phobias of everything from hard-boiled eggs to gargoyles, he struggles to understand his classes, let alone his fellow classmates. So he spends most of his time avoiding school bully Charlie Kastner and hiding out in the Resource Room, a safe place for misfit kids like him.
But then, on the first day of seventh grade, two important things happen. First, his Resource Room teacher encourages (i.e., practically forces) him to join the school track team, and second, he meets Heather, a crazy-fast runner who isn’t going to be pushed around by Charlie Kastner or anybody else.
With a new friend and a new team, Joseph finds himself off the sidelines and in the race (quite literally) for the first time. Is he a good runner? Well, no, he’s terrible. But the funny thing about running is, once you’re in the race, anything can happen.
Living with Viola
Child with anxiety
Published: October 5, 2021
Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school—and then there’s Viola. Viola is Livy’s anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola’s relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola’s days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola.
Rosena Fung draws on her own early experiences with anxiety and the pressures of growing up as the child of Chinese immigrant parents to craft a charming, deeply personal story that combines the poignancy of Raina Telgemeier’s Guts with the wacky humor of Lumberjanes. Exuberant, colorful art brings Livy’s rich imaginative world—filled with everything from sentient dumplings to flying unicorns—to life on the page.
Mirror to Mirror
Child with anxiety
Published: March 21, 2023
Twins Maya and Chaya, although opposites are inseparable. Where Maya is quiet and reserved, Chaya is outgoing. Both girls also share a few similar interests, top of which is their love for music. They even share friends, although they each have a different best friend. Suddenly, Maya starts to pull away from Chaya and the two begin to fight more.
Concluding that her sister needs space from her, Chaya starts trying to distinguish herself — getting a pink streak in her hair and dropping music and trying a new art form. But the girls keep butting heads. This is an immersive middle grade verse novel about sisterhood, friendships, anxiety, and the imperfections in family. LaRocca is a brilliant verse novelist, and this story is enrapturing, relatable, and compulsively readable.
The Gray
Child with anxiety
Published: June 13, 2023
It’s been a tough year for Sasha―he’s been bullied at his middle school and his anxiety, which he calls the Gray, is growing. Sasha’s dad tells him to “toughen up”―and he does, but with unfortunate, hurtful results. His parents and therapist agree that a summer in the country with his aunt might be the best medicine, but it’s the last place he wants to be. He’ll be away from his best friend, video games, and stuck in the house that reminds him of his beloved uncle who died two years earlier.
His aunt is supportive, and there are lots of places to explore, and even some potential new friends. When Sasha is introduced at a local ranch to a horse coincidentally–incredibly–nicknamed the Gray, he feels he’s found a kindred spirit.
But his own Gray is ever-present. When one of his new friends disappears, Sasha discovers that the country is wilder and more mysterious than he imagined. He tries to muster enough courage to help in the search . . . but will the Gray hold him back?
Related: Interview with Chris Baron About The Gray
Stuntboy in the Meantime
Child with anxiety
Published: November 30, 2021
Portico Reeves’s superpower is making sure all the other superheroes—like his parents and two best friends—stay super. And safe. Super safe. And he does this all in secret. No one in his civilian life knows he’s actually…Stuntboy!
His parents are fighting all the time. They’re trying to hide it by repeatedly telling Portico to go check on a neighbor “in the meantime.” But Portico knows “meantime” means his parents are heading into the Mean Time which means they’re about to get into it, and well, Portico’s superhero responsibility is to save them, too—as soon as he figures out how.
Only, all these secrets give Portico the worry wiggles, the frets, which his mom calls anxiety. Plus, like all superheroes, Portico has an arch-nemesis who is determined to prove that there is nothing super about Portico at all.
Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
OCDaniel
Child with OCD
Published: April 12, 2016
Daniel is the back-up punter for the Erie Hills Elephants. Which really means he’s the water boy. He spends football practice perfectly arranging water cups—and hoping no one notices. Actually, he spends most of his time hoping no one notices his strange habits—he calls them Zaps: avoiding writing the number four, for example, or flipping a light switch on and off dozens of times over. He hopes no one notices that he’s crazy, especially his best friend Max, and Raya, the prettiest girl in school. His life gets weirder when another girl at school, who is unkindly nicknamed Psycho Sara, notices him for the first time. She doesn’t just notice him: she seems to peer through him.
Then Daniel gets a note: “I need your help,” it says, signed, Fellow Star Child—whatever that means. And suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him.
With great voice and grand adventure, this book is about feeling different and finding those who understand.
Finding Perfect
Child with OCD
Published: October 18, 2016
Molly Nathans’s mom has moved to Canada for work, right in the midst of her separation from Molly’s dad. Her father is constantly engrossed in his work and is often too busy to pay attention to his kids. While Molly’s sister, Kate is convinced that their mom has left them for good, Molly is certain of her return. In the meantime, she works on a plan to ensure this: she’s going to win her middle school slam poetry contest.
However, as the story progresses, we quickly see that Molly is struggling with intrusive thoughts and compulsive responses. She lines up her figurines one inch apart (measured with her ruler), otherwise, she thinks “something bad” will happen. Other compulsions include brushing her hair and washing her hands for extended periods, and an obsessive orderliness. These manifestations impact Molly’s relationships with her best friend, Hannah, and even her little brother, Ian.
The Goldfish Boy
Child with OCD
Published: February 28, 2017
Lisa Thompson’s debut novel is a page-turning mystery with an emotionally-driven, complex character study at its core — like Rear Window meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He hasn’t been to school in weeks. His hands are cracked and bleeding from cleaning. He refuses to leave his bedroom. To pass the time, he observes his neighbors from his bedroom window, making mundane notes about their habits as they bustle about the cul-de-sac.
When a toddler staying next door goes missing, it becomes apparent that Matthew was the last person to see him alive. Suddenly, Matthew finds himself at the center of a high-stakes mystery, and every one of his neighbors is a suspect. Matthew is the key to figuring out what happened and potentially saving a child’s life… but is he able to do so if it means exposing his own secrets, and stepping out from the safety of his home?
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
Child with OCD
Published: May 1, 2018
I enjoyed this book so much, which says a lot for a Math hater! Lucy acquires savant Level Math skills after being struck by lightning as a child. She also becomes obsessive-compulsive and reclusive after the incident. So her grandmother insists she goes to middle school for at least a year, in addition to other social requirements.
The narration of this book is so well done! I can’t recommend it enough for math lovers, but everyone will enjoy following Lucy’s social miscalculations and her journey to seeing how much having people in your life can enrich it.
Kat Greene Comes Clean
Parent with OCD
Published: August 22, 2017
Kat Greene lives in New York City with her mom and attends an unconventional middle-school (where no one gets disciplined). Since her parents’ divorce and her mom’s job loss, Kat’s mom has been cleaning and washing her hands a bit too often. Her hands are red and chapped, and she has to wipe down cans at the grocery store before she can buy them — no matter how long it takes.
Kat wants to talk to another adult about her mom’s habits, but is worried she’ll get taken away from her. Her dad has a new wife and son, all of which have a good relationship with Kat and her mom, but her dad is always asking her to move in with them. Kat Greene Comes Clean is a moving addition to a too-short list of middle-grade books about mental illness. This novel also tackles friendship issues, blended families, and of course, is set in New York!
Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Ghost
Child with PTSD
Published: August 30, 2016
Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?
Simon Sort of Says
Child with PTSD
Published: January 31, 2023
After surviving a school shooting, Simon and his parents (one a priest, the other a mortician) move to a town in America’s National Quiet Zone with no internet or TV. As Simon tries to stay under the radar, new friends, a new mission, and a warm community draw him out in this funny, quirky, and moving release about science and PTSD. This is a good one for older kids ages 11+ who like off-beat humor, astronomy, and science.
The War That Saved My Life
Child with PTSD
Published: January 8, 2015
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
Each Tiny Spark
Parent with PTSD
Published: August 6, 2019
Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It’s hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels.
Dad shuts himself in the back stall of their family’s auto shop to work on an old car. Emilia peeks in on him daily, mesmerized by his welder. One day, Dad calls Emilia over. Then, he teaches her how to weld. And over time, flickers of her old dad reappear.
But as Emilia finds a way to repair the relationship with her father at home, her community ruptures with some of her classmates, like her best friend, Gus, at the center of the conflict.
The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins
Parent with PTSD
Published: March 26, 2019
When it comes to American history or defending the underdog or getting to the bottom of things, no one outsmarts or outfights Lyndie B. Hawkins. But as far as her family goes, her knowledge is full of holes: What exactly happened to Daddy in Vietnam? Why did he lose his job? And why did they have to move in with her grandparents? Grandma Lady’s number one rule is Keep Quiet About Family Business. But when her beloved daddy goes missing, Lyndie faces a difficult choice: follow Lady’s rule and do nothing–which doesn’t help her father–or say something and split her family right down the middle.
As Brave As You
Grandparent with PTSD
Published: May 3, 2016
Genie’s summer is full of surprises. The first is that he and his big brother, Ernie, are leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their grandparents all the way in Virginia—in the COUNTRY! The second surprise comes when Genie figures out that their grandfather is blind. Thunderstruck, Genie peppers Grandpop with questions about how he hides it so well (besides wearing way cool Ray-Bans).
How does he match his clothes? Know where to walk? Cook with a gas stove? Pour a glass of sweet tea without spilling it? Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he’s ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house—as in NEVER. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into—a room so full of songbirds and plants that it’s almost as if it’s been pulled inside-out—he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.
Then Ernie lets him down in the bravery department. It’s his fourteenth birthday, and, Grandpop says to become a man, you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks that is AWESOME until he realizes Ernie has no interest in learning how to shoot. None. Nada. Dumbfounded by Ernie’s reluctance, Genie is left to wonder—is bravery and becoming a man only about proving something, or is it just as important to own up to what you won’t do?
The Road to Wherever
Parent with PTSD
Published: May 11, 2021
11-year-old June (Henry Junior) Ball’s mother sends him off on the road with his adult second cousins after his father disappears without a word. Cousins Thomas and Cornell are “Ford Men” traveling throughout the US to fix people’s old Ford trucks for free. The Ford owners only have to buy spare parts.
As the road trip progresses, the men teach June about Ford trucks, fixing cars, and being kind. June also processes his father’s absence while expanding his heart by meeting just as many broken humans as Ford trucks.
Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Selective Mutism)
The Magical Imperfect
Parent with depression; child with selective mutism
Published: June 15, 2021
The Magical Imperfect is a middle grade verse novel about a boy named Etan. Etan develops selective mutism after his mom has to go to a treatment facility for a mental disorder in 1980’s San Francisco. Around that time, mini-earthquakes are frequent and Etan tries to keep up his daily schedule, which is basically school and then time with his grandfather. Sometimes, he helps an older shopkeeper in the neighborhood walk her dog and run errands. It is while he is on one of those errands that he meets Malia, a Filipina-American girl with severe eczema.
Etan and Malia become fast friends and he gets a closer look at how debilitating her eczema is. He also realizes that Malia loves singing and has a beautiful singing voice. Etan wants to take Malia’s suffering away, and he thinks his grandfather’s Dead Sea clay can make a difference — perhaps even heal Malia’s eczema. He also suggests that she sing in the community’s talent show. But will the clay work? And will Malia and Etan’s friendship survive the challenges it faces?
After Zero
Child with selective mutism
Published: September 4, 2018
Elise carries a notebook full of tallies, each page marking a day spent at her new public school, each stroke of her pencil marking a word spoken. A word that can’t be taken back. Five tally marks isn’t so bad. Two is pretty good. But zero? Zero is perfect. Zero means no wrong answers called out in class, no secrets accidentally spilled, no conversations to agonize over at night when sleep is far away.
But now months have passed, and Elise isn’t sure she could speak even if she wanted to—not to keep her only friend, Mel, from drifting further away—or to ask if anyone else has seen her English teacher’s stuffed raven come to life. Then, the discovery of a shocking family secret helps Elise realize that her silence might just be the key to unlocking everything she’s ever hoped for…
Middle Grade Books About Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating
The Year I Didn’t Eat
Child with eating disorder
Published: March 5, 2019
Fourteen-year-old Max doesn’t like to eat, and the only one he can confess his true feelings to is Ana—also known as his eating disorder, anorexia. In a journal that his therapist makes him keep, he tells Ana his unfiltered thoughts and fears while also keeping track of his food intake. But Ana’s presence has leapt off the page and into his head, as she feeds upon all of his fears and amplifies them.
When Max’s older brother Robin gives him a geocache box, it becomes a safe place where Max stores his journal, but someone finds it and starts writing to him, signing it with “E.” Is it a joke? Could it be the new girl at school, Evie, who has taken an interest in Max? Although Max is unsure of the secret writer’s identity, he takes comfort in the words that appear in his journal as they continually confide in one another about their problems.
As Max’s eating disorder intensifies, his family unit fractures. His parents and brother are stressed and strained as they attempt to deal with the elephant in the room. When Robin leaves home, Max is left with two parents who are on the verge of splitting up. Max thought he could handle his anorexia, but as time goes on, he feels himself losing any semblance of control.
Will anorexia continue to rule Max’s life, or will he be able to find a way to live around his eating disorder?
A Work in Progress
Child with disordered eating
Published: May 2, 2023
Will is self-conscious about being the only chubby kid in his class — a fact worsened by the bullying he endures for being larger. As a result, he starts restricting his food intake and exercising excessively. But when he meets another kid at school named Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.
Good Enough
Child with eating disorder
Published: February 19, 2019
I liked this book about a girl in treatment for anorexia. The author does a fantastic job depicting the experience of struggling with an eating disorder and how non-linear the healing process can be. The story feels authentic and is highly insightful about the therapy process. I also liked the diary-style format.
What Happens Next
Main character’s sister with eating disorder
Published: May 19, 2020
Astronomy lover, Abby McCourt and her family are thrown off balance when her sister Blair is diagnosed with anorexia. As Blair goes off to rehab, leaving a potential ballet career in the lurch, the McCourt’s small town is abuzz with a highly anticipated solar eclipse. Abby is not handling her sister’s absence very well. Especially because she was closest to Blair and doesn’t have the best relationship with her more brash middle-sister, Jade.
At the same time, she stumbles upon a famous astronomer who’s staying at her family’s lodge. He enlists her to assist him in locating a lost telescope. Eager to avoid the pain of her sister’s situation, Abby throws herself into helping Professor Lacamoire. Interestingly, this story is told in alternating timelines, simultaneously showing readers how things went wrong for Blair and how Abby is coping with Blair’s departure and pending return from rehab.
Up for Air
Side character recovering from eating disorder
Published: May 7, 2019
Annabelle is a fantastic swimmer who happens to have learning difficulties. She’s happy to finally be getting something right when she’s moved up to the high school team in the summer. However, things get a bit complicated when an older boy starts showing her attention and her estranged father seems to want to return to her life. A distant side character in this book struggles with disordered eating.
Swing Sideways
Parent with eating disorder; child with panic attacks
Published: May 3, 2016
Annie has been promised a summer of freedom in the country. Freedom from a difficult school year, freedom from her fake “friends” back in the city, and, most of all, freedom from her mom’s life-governing spreadsheets and rigid schedules.
When Annie meets California, who is visiting her grandfather’s farm, it seems she has found the perfect partner for the summer she’s always craved. Especially when California offers Annie a real-life adventure: if she and Annie can find the ponies her mom rode as a girl, surely it will remind her mom how wonderful the farm is—and fix what’s broken between her mom and her grandfather.
But Annie’s summer of freedom is sprinkled with secrets, and everything she has learned about bravery and love will be put to the test when the truth behind the ultimate secret changes her life forever.
Taking Up Space (Disordered Eating)
Child with disordered eating pattern; parent recovering from eating disorder
Published: May 18, 2021
Sarah loves basketball more than anything. Crushing it on the court makes her feel like she matters. And it’s the only thing that helps her ignore how much it hurts when her mom forgets to feed her.
But lately Sarah can’t even play basketball right. She’s slower now and missing shots she should be able to make. Her body doesn’t feel like it’s her own anymore. She’s worried that changing herself back to how she used to be is the only way she can take control over what’s happening.
When Sarah’s crush asks her to be partners in a cooking competition, she feels pulled in a million directions. She’ll have to dig deep to stand up for what she needs at home, be honest with her best friends, and accept that she doesn’t need to change to feel good about herself.
Related: Author Interview; Alyson Gerber on Taking Up Space
Middle Grade Books About Mental Illness (Hoarding Disorder)
Give and Take
Child with hoarding disorder
Published: October 15, 2019
Maggie and her family are recovering from her Nana’s death when Maggie’s mom announces that they’ll start fostering babies temporarily. Maggie was traumatized by her Nana’s Alzheimer’s, marking the first day Nana did not recognize her as “Forgot-Me Day.” As a result, she holds on to objects as a way to preserve memories, becoming enraged when anyone tries to touch her stuff.
Although knowing that Izzie, the new baby her family gets is only theirs for a short time, Maggie secretly hopes the baby will stay and her hoarding tendencies also begin to worsen. This is a sweet middle grade book about the impact of dementia, mental health challenges, and the joy of team sport.
The Battle of Junk Mountain
Grandparent with hoarding disorder
Published: April 17, 2018
Twelve-year-old Shayne Whittaker has always spent summers on the Maine coast, visiting her grandmother Bea and playing with her BFF Poppy. Both Shayne and Bea are collectors, in their own ways: Shayne revels in golden memories of searching for sea glass and weaving friendship bracelets with Poppy, while Bea scours flea markets for valuable finds, much of which she adds to a growing pile in her house that Shayne jokingly calls Junk Mountain.
This summer, though, everything has changed. Poppy would rather talk about boys than bracelets, and Bea’s collecting mania has morphed into hoarding. Only Linc, the weird Civil War-obsessed kid next door, pays attention to her. Turns out Linc’s collected a secret of his own, one that could enrage the meanest lobsterman on the planet, his grandpa. What begins as the worst summer of Shayne’s life becomes the most meaningful, as she wages an all-out battle to save her friendships, rescue her grandmother, and protect the memories she loves the most.
Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes
Parent with hoarding disorder
Published: February 28, 2017
Annabelle has a secret . . . a secret so big she won’t allow friends within five miles of her home. Her mom collects things. Their house is overflowing with stuff. It gives Annabelle’s sister nightmares, her brother spends as much time as he can at friends’ houses, and her dad buries himself in his work.
So when a stack of newspapers falls on Annabelle’s sister, it sparks a catastrophic fight between their parents–one that might tear them all apart–and Annabelle starts to think that things at home finally need to change.
Is it possible for her to clean up the family’s mess? Or are they really, truly broken?
Mary E. Lambert’s moving and heartbreakingly funny debut novel about the things we hold dear–and the things we let go–will resonate with anyone whose life has ever felt just a little too messy.
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There they are: 50+ of the best middle grade books about mental illness. I have read and loved several of the books on this list and they do a phenomenal job of presenting real, difficult issues in a sensitive way. Which of these books have you read and loved? I’d love to know!
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Hi Afoma! I missed your call for recommendations. If I hadn’t, I definitely would’ve suggested Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Haven’t read any on this list but I’ve seen a couple I would definitely like to read
Hi! I’ve read Eleanor! Love her. I don’t think she was mentally ill though. I tried to include recommendations where the author specifically mentions the mental illness 🙂 Hope you enjoy the books you decide on!
I absolutely loved Nest and Sure Signs of Crazy and The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins. All were beautifully written. These are really important books for the MG crowd. You might want to take a look at Every Shiny Thing by Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison. I think it would fit will with this grouping. Thanks for a terrific post. I have ordered several of the books you listed.
NEST and LYNDIE are on my list for sure! Will be including them in next month’s book budget! Ahhh so many great books in the world. Glad you found some to order from this list. I’ll look up EVERY SHINY THING too. I loved Laurie Morrison’s UP FOR AIR! Thanks for reading and commenting, Rosi. 🙂
My middle grade novel, Good Enough, deals with a main character recovering from an eating disorder!
Hi Jen! Thanks for the heads-up! I’ve certainly seen your book around. I’ll add it to the list 🙂
Great list! Good Enough was excellent, as was The Year I Didn’t Eat by Samuel Pollen. It also has a protagonist – a 14-year-old boy – with an eating disorder. Its content is notably more mature than Good Enough’s, however, so I’d tag is as an upper middle-grade pick, bordering on YA.
Thanks Kevin, I’ll check it out and include it. I enjoy upper MG, so if it fits, that’ll work.
Another stunning list, Afoma, thank you SO much for putting all of these together and for these wonderful recommendations. Always looking for more reads about mental illness, so thank you!! <3 <3
My pleasure, Marie! Thank you for being so kind and supportive. You’re such a bright light in the community 🙂
Aww, of course, always!! <3 <3 <3
Wow – this is an amazingly comprehensive list! Thank you!
Thank you for reading, Linda! 🙂
Thank you so much for compiling this list and your Neurodiversity list. My 8th grade team and I are doing a book club unit centered around neurodiversity and mental health, and your lists have been invaluable in helping us direct our kids to good books.