From SLJ: Mental Health in Middle Grade Fiction Author Interviews

Hop on over to School Library Journal’s site to see my March 2022 article Not OK? That’s OK. Middle Grade Authors Provide Compassionate Portrayals of Mental Health and the accompanying book list 10 Middle Grade Novels That Address Mental Health with Compassion.

The article features interviews with authors Chad Lucas, Barbara Dee, Sangu Mandanna, Lisa Allen-Agostini, Jimmy Matejek-Morris, Ellen Oh, Rosena Fung, and Nicole Melleby. I got such thoughtful and personal responses to the interview questions, so I was really excited when SLJ decided to run the interviews in their entirety on their website. I hope you can find the time to check them out!

It is hard to speak up about mental health and mental illness. If somebody trusts you with their truth, listen. Learn. If you are struggling and need help, I hope you find the comforting ear you need, whether that is a friend, a family member, a doctor, a classmate, a co-worker, a mental health hotline. I am so proud of you for taking the first step. I truly believe in you.

Jimmy Matejek-Morris

Chad Lucas on COVID, Anxiety, and Trusting Young Readers | Middle Grade & Mental Health

Sangu Mandanna on OCD, Empowerment, and Well-Intentioned Gatekeepers | Middle Grade & Mental Health

Ellen Oh: Readers Need to Know “They Are Not Alone” | Middle Grade & Mental Health

Author Jimmy Matejek-Morris on Hope, Humor, and Bipolar Disorder | Middle Grade & Mental Health

Rosena Fung Depicts Anxiety as a Mean Girl | Middle Grade & Mental Health

Barbara Dee Doesn’t like “Issue Books” | Middle Grade and Mental Health

Nicole Melleby on Depression and Hope | Middle Grade and Mental Health

Lisa Allen-Agostini on Support, Treatment, and Breaking the Silence | Middle Grade & Mental Health

I think kids who struggle with depression are incredibly strong. They are fighting a battle every day against deep emotional pain. That struggle is so real. But so is hope. And we have to reinforce that message and remind them that we see them and we are proud of them, and we are here for them.

–Ellen Oh

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