Content note: Mentions of depression, a suicide attempt, and suicidal thoughts Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narváez Varela is on sale now. Order it here! By Alessandra Narváez Varela Quiero morirme y ver como la vida de los demás se facilita despues de mi ausencia…El inicio de una … [Read more...] about Of Pozole, Masks, and Beauty Marks: Talking and Writing About Depression
mental health
Q&A With Niki Smith, The Golden Hour
By Michele Kirichanskaya Today we're pleased to invite Niki Smith to the WNDB blog to discuss her upcoming middle grade graphic novel The Golden Hour. First of all, welcome to We Need Diverse Books! Could you tell us a little about yourself and your upcoming graphic novel, The Golden … [Read more...] about Q&A With Niki Smith, The Golden Hour
How Picture Books Can Normalize Anxiety and Make Kids Feel Understood
By Manka Kasha Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster by Manka Kasha is on sale now. I was an extremely anxious child. Saying “hello” or “thank you” to adults, phone calls, interacting with other kids—all these day-to-day activities were my personal hell (and, who am I kidding, in many ways they … [Read more...] about How Picture Books Can Normalize Anxiety and Make Kids Feel Understood
Reading Widely Was the Best Research I Did for Writing
By Julia Drake The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake is on sale now. While I was on a book tour for my debut novel The Last True Poets of the Sea, a person attending an event asked me a question that began, “Did you do a lot of research?" Why, yes, I thought, and gleefully began to … [Read more...] about Reading Widely Was the Best Research I Did for Writing
How Laura Taylor Namey Wrote a Book About Grief After the Loss of Her Grandmother
By Karis Rogerson Laura Taylor Namey describes herself as someone who was always a writer, if not an author. She was a teacher before transitioning to full-time writing, and though she says she was good at the job, it didn’t bring her joy the way writing does. “I’m obsessed with writing,” she … [Read more...] about How Laura Taylor Namey Wrote a Book About Grief After the Loss of Her Grandmother
Why Fiction for Younger Readers Needs to Talk About Suicide
Content warning: Graphic mentions of suicide/self-harm and discussions of mental health, bullying, racism, and suicidal ideation By Rukhsana Khan When I was eleven, I nearly committed suicide. I’d said something so silly during sex ed. class, I thought my life was over. I remember it … [Read more...] about Why Fiction for Younger Readers Needs to Talk About Suicide
5 Kidlit Authors Talk About Writing About and Living With Mental Illness
By Karis Rogerson When I read Emery Lord’s When We Collided in February 2017, I found myself, for the first time, truly understanding what it meant to see your mental illness represented in fiction. Since then, I’ve found a similar mirror in books like Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib … [Read more...] about 5 Kidlit Authors Talk About Writing About and Living With Mental Illness
Writing Responsibly About Mental Health and Suicide in Children’s Fiction
By Rocky Callen Content warning: Mention of suicide and discussions of mental health conditions and suicidal ideation It was a day in spring. I was standing in my kitchen. My husband and daughter were loudly playing in the living room. And I stood over the stove just watching the burners turn … [Read more...] about Writing Responsibly About Mental Health and Suicide in Children’s Fiction
