Books About Mental Health and Wellness for Tweens
The tween years (ages 8-12) are … a lot. Feelings get bigger, friendships get trickier, and suddenly everything feels very important. One minute, a kid could be fine navigating the ups and downs of growing up, and the next, they’re not. Academic pressure, chat groups, or family dynamics can overwhelm kids, who can develop unhealthy coping strategies. They might also find that their thoughts, behaviors, or worries are too big to control.
During this pivotal time, books can be a powerful tool to put into young readers’ hands. The right books can help tweens understand their emotions, build empathy, and learn good coping strategies. Hopefully, for those who need more support, relatable stories can empower them to ask a safe adult for help.
From fun and engaging workbooks to relatable memoirs and beloved stories, the following books are an easy, approachable way to start conversations about mental health, resilience, and self-care.
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1
Add to BookshelfThe Amazing Generation
by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price
Author Jonathan Haidt (The Anxious Generation) teamed up with bestselling author Catherine Price (How to Break Up with Your Phone) to create this empowering guidebook. It asks tweens to question smartphone hype through mini-comics, illustrations, interactive challenges, and eye-opening facts. Readers will discover how constant screen use can fuel anxiety, bullying, and isolation. Named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, this research-packed guidebook includes real stories from young people who wish they’d unplugged sooner. It also offers practical tips for choosing real-life connections and building a healthier, more confident life.
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$24.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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2
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Superpowered
by Renee Jain and Dr. Shefali Tsabary
Superpowered is a hands-on workbook that helps kids understand anxiety. Framed around the idea that every child has the unique superpowers of being present, original, whole, energized, and resilient, it offers practical strategies for managing anxiety. Diverse cartoon illustrations depict relatable problems like fitting in at school alongside kid-friendly explanations, quizzes, and worksheets. Readers will learn to recognize anxious thinking and discover how to harness their inner strengths. It’s a supportive resource for kids who feel overwhelmed and want simple, empowering ways to feel calmer and more capable.
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$9.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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3
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Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day
by John Cena
WWE wrestler, actor, and rapper John Cena delivers an illustrated book of encouragement and motivation designed to uplift and inspire kids as they grow. Adapted from his popular X (formerly Twitter) feed, the affirmations focus on perseverance, kindness, self-belief, and the idea that hope and effort make big things possible. It’s a feel-good, giftable pick for graduations, birthdays, and other milestone moments when kids could use a confidence boost.
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$14.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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4
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The Everybody Gets Anxious Activity Book
by Jordan Reid and Erin Williams
Inspired by The Big Activity Book for Anxious People, this fun, kid-friendly workbook will help 8-12-year-olds understand and manage anxious feelings. Jam-packed with games, scavenger hunts, coloring exercises, and quirky activities, it helps children see that everyone feels anxious sometimes. From designing expressive emojis to drawing faces on deep-sea creatures, this book turns coping strategies into humorous, hands-on learning.
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$9.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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5
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Wonder, Auggie & Me, 365 Days of Wonder boxed set
by R. J. Palacio
This giftable boxed set contains the internationally beloved novel Wonder, Auggie & Me, and 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts. August Pullman, a fifth-grader with a facial difference, faces bullying, isolation, and fear while learning how kindness, empathy, and friendship can change everything. 365 Days of Wonder has short reflections, conversations with beloved characters, and a daily precept for every day of the year. This collection will help tweens reflect on their inner strengths while providing bite-sized nuggets of inspiration when they need reassurance.
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$43.97Buy from Other Retailers:
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6
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Social Situation Survival Guide
by Rebel Girls and Michelle Schusterman
Part of the Growing Up Powerful series, this friendly, confidence-boosting guide examines social situations that can feel awkward, scary, or overwhelming. With practical advice, quizzes, expert tips, and real-life stories, readers get help dealing with everyday challenges like being the new kid, handling embarrassment, standing up to bullying, and trying something new. Warm, reassuring, and highly relatable, this book empowers kids to build social confidence and recover from missteps by feeling prepared and capable.
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$12.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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7
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Ugly
by Robert Hoge
This memoir tells the true story of Robert Hoge, an Australian boy born with significant facial differences and physical disabilities, and his determination to live a full, self-directed life. Robert underwent surgeries in infancy and faced relentless bullying growing up, but learned to navigate school, friendships, and crushes. Refusing to let his appearance define his future, he chose self-acceptance and followed his own path. This book is perfect for readers who loved Wonder and want another inspiring story about identity and the journey toward defining “normal” for oneself.
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$8.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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8
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Puzzled
by Pan Cooke
Pan Cooke shares his experience in this candid and funny graphic-novel memoir about growing up with undiagnosed OCD. From intrusive thoughts and exhausting rituals to questioning whether he’s “crazy” or possessed, Pan’s story shows the real struggles of living with obsessive-compulsive disorder. With humor, striking visuals, and a clear look at cognitive-behavioral therapy, this memoir helps readers understand OCD while emphasizing empathy, self-compassion, and the importance of seeking help.
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$23.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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9
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The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of
by Kristin Levine
In this middle-grade novel, twelve-year-old Becca faces her anxiety head-on when she spends the summer in Vienna with her father. Armed with her Doomsday Journal, where she writes down her fears, she boards the long flight, navigates panic attacks, and eases into new routines with courage. Along the way, she befriends Sara, a Bosnian refugee, and Felix, her father’s new partner’s son. She discovers that fear can be conquered through connection, preparation, and small acts of bravery. It’s a relatable story that explores anxiety and personal growth.
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$17.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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10
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Each Tiny Spark
by Pablo Cartaya
During Emilia Torres’s sixth-grade year, she navigates numerous issues, from her father’s return from deployment and her mom’s extended business trip to political injustice and an ADHD diagnosis. As she struggles with managing friendships, anxious thoughts, and her father’s mood swings, Emilia learns to cope and advocate for herself. This tender middle grade novel blends humor and heart while addressing issues like mental health, PTSD, and the challenges of growing up.
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$9.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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11
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Louder Than Hunger
by John Schu
This powerful novel-in-verse explores anorexia, mental health, and self-expression through the deeply personal story of Jake Stacey, a fourteen-year-old boy hospitalized for an eating disorder. Told in striking first-person poems, journal entries, and confessions, the book follows Jake’s experience in inpatient treatment as he confronts depression, OCD, bullying, and the relentless “voice” of his disorder. With raw honesty and emotional nuance gleaned from the author’s own experiences, this story centers on hope, applauds the courage it takes to ask for help, and portrays healing as a process rather than a destination.
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$10.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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12
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Everywhere Blue
by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz
When twelve-year-old Maddie’s older brother disappears, her carefully ordered world unravels, forcing her to confront grief, family tension, and her compulsive behaviors. As she maneuvers through anxious thoughts, counting rituals, and her need for control, Maddie realizes she needs help processing her feelings and coping with uncertainty. Told in lyrical verse, Everywhere Blue explores mental health, family dynamics, and resilience while offering tweens an accessible look at anxiety, OCD tendencies, and the power of seeking support.
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$9.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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13
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Elfie Unperfect
by Kristin Mahoney
Things have gone from bad to worse for Elfie Oster, a devoted rule-follower and high achiever who believes academic excellence is the key to belonging. This plucky perfectionist believes she has “arrived” when she earns a scholarship to an elite private school. However, a first-day misunderstanding gets her expelled and sent back to her old public school, where she feels out of place. Things unravel further as Elfie juggles strained family relationships, her beloved babysitter’s illness, and a fifth-grade school project that forces her into an uncomfortable collaboration. This warm, funny, and heartfelt middle grade novel celebrates letting go of perfection and accepting yourself as you are.
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$8.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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14
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Worst-Case Collin
by Rebecca Caprara
Told in lyrical verse, this moving middle grade novel follows anxious sixth-grader Collin as he copes with his mom’s death by creating survival-plans for every possible worst-case scenario. As his father’s grief and subsequent hoarding worsen, bullying and middle school pressures pile up. Collin struggles to hide his home life while leaning on his loyal best friends. Balancing heavy topics with humor and care, this story offers a compassionate look at grief, anxiety, and the courage it takes to be vulnerable.
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$12.99Buy from Other Retailers:
