Books about mental health for children under 12

Taking care of one’s mental wellbeing is important, and this is especially important to teach foster children as they learn to navigate the world.

Beacon Fostering understands that children in foster care can need extra support regarding their wellbeing. One way of doing this is through books, which can act as a gateway to different lives and struggles, showing children that they’re not alone. Here are some books that discuss mental health for children under 12.

The Worries: Shara and the Really Big Sleepover by Jion Sheibani (ages 6-8)

The third book in the Worries series, this story follows Shara and her younger brother, who are staying with their grandfather when their mother goes away with her netball team. In this story, Shara learns how to cope with her worries.

Colour Away Your Worries by Leslie Ironside and Haia Ironside (ages 6+)

Written by a child psychologist and a primary school teacher, this drawing and colouring book is a great way for children to express themselves and explore their feelings, as well as foster their self-esteem and sense of self.

The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson (ages 9+)

Due to his obsessive compulsive disorder, 12-year-old Matthew finds himself trapped in his bedroom, solving the mystery of his missing neighbour Teddy, as he was the last person to see the toddler before he vanished.

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers (for ages 5+)

Jeffers explores love and loss in this story of a girl who puts her heart in a safe place, only for the world to become emptier than before. How is she going to get her heart back?