Hawaiʻi State
Public Library System

Posted on: May 3, 2023 | Category: Uncategorized

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging everyone to wear green on Fridays and display green throughout the month to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and well-being. Hawaii residents are encouraged to foster acceptance and take action to change attitudes, behaviors and systems regarding mental health.

DOH’s Child & Adolescent Mental Health Division (CAMHD) offers a variety of services for families with children and youth who have serious emotional and/or behavioral challenges. Read about CAMHD’s resources and services in this Child & Adolescent Mental Health Division brochure. CAMHD also provides resources for LGBTQ+ youth and families; learn more at their “Safe Spaces” website.

Hawaii’s public libraries support positive teen mental health and strive to help teens to build their abilities to have a positive mental well-being. If you or a loved one is experiencing or living with mental health challenges, visit or contact your library for booklists and links to online and community resources.

ONLINE RESOURCES FOR TEENS

• Hawaii CARES 988
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• The Trevor Project
• Teen Line
• MedlinePlus Teen Mental Health

RECOMMENDED TEEN BOOK TITLES

These titles were curated by the Young Adult Services Staff at the McCully-Moiliili Public Library.
Select the link to reserve a copy.

For Grades 6-8:

• The Best At It by Maulik Pancholy (Anxiety)
• Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (OCD, grief)
• Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya (ADHD, father’s PTSD)
• The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller (mother’s depression)

For Grades 9-12:

• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Suicide)
• Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (Depression)
• (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Illness edited by Kelly Jensen
• Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (OCD)
• Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella (Anxiety Disorder)
• Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (Self-harm, Sexual abuse) 
• How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox (Depression)
• It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (Mental Illness, Depression)
• Summer Bird Blue by Akeni Dawn Bowman (Grief)
• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (OCD, Anxiety)