The Henry Bloom Noble Library is supporting Reading Well for young people, a national scheme part of the Reading Well Books on Prescription programme that offers expert-endorsed books to borrow for free. 

At a time when 1 in 10 young people have a diagnosable mental health issue the scheme offers 13-18 year-olds with high quality information, support and advice on a wide range of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and self-harm, and difficult life pressures, like bullying and exams.

With the proportion of 15-16 year-olds reporting that they frequently feel anxious or depressed having doubled in the last 30 years, there is a need for quality assured mental health information and advice for young people. Co-created with a panel of young people who have had experience of mental health issues, the new Reading Well scheme helps young people to understand and manage their wellbeing and emotional resilience. The books can be recommended by GPs, school nurses, counsellors and other health professionals as well as being free to borrow from the library.

Dr Katie Edwards (BSc Hons, DClinPsy) clinical psychologist from the educational psychology team of the Department of Education and Children said: 'What a wonderful resource. I am delighted that Henry Bloom Noble library is participating in the Reading Well for young people scheme. This offers access to a range of quality assured books that will provide vital information and support regarding mental health issues, promoting resilience and emotional wellbeing. I have used and recommended many of these books in my clinical work with children and young people, and they really can be life-changing. I'm looking forward to being able to give families and young people a place to go where they can access this key information, and feel it will be a great benefit to the island.'

The list includes a wide range of self-help and information titles, as well as memoir, graphic novels and fiction.

The core booklist for Reading Well for young people:

1. Stuff That Sucks: Accepting What You Can’t Change and Committing to What You     Can by Ben Sedley 

2. Mind Your Head by Juno Dawson 

3. The Self-Esteem Team’s Guide to Sex, Drugs and WTFs?!! by The Self-Esteem Team 

4. Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed by Nicola Morgan

5. Quiet the Mind by Matthew Johnstone

6. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson 

7. Kite Spirit by Sita Brahmachari

8. House of Windows by Alexia Casale 

9. Every Day by David Levithan 

10. Putting on the Brakes: Understanding and Taking Control of Your ADD or ADHD by Patricia Quinn and Judith Stern

11. My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic by Michael Tompkins and Katherine Martinez 

12. The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry and Panic by Jennifer Shannon 

13. The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens by Jennifer Shannon 

14. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 

15. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida 

16. Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User’s Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson 

17. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon 

18. Teen Life Confidential: Bullies, Cyberbullies and Frenemies by Michele Elliott 

19. Vicious: True Stories by Teens about Bullying ed. Hope Vanderberg 

20. Banish Your Self-Esteem Thief: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook on Building Positive Self-Esteem for Young People by Kate Collins-Donnelly 

21. Teen Life Confidential: Self-Esteem and Being You by Anita Naik 

22. Face by Benjamin Zephaniah 

23. Am I Depressed and What Can I Do About it? by Shirley Reynolds and Monika Parkinson 

24. I Had a Black Dog by Matthew Johnstone 

25. Can I Tell You About Depression? by Christopher Dowrick and Susan Martin

26. Can I Tell You About Eating Disorders? by Bryan Lask and Lucy Watson

27. Banish Your Body Image Thief by Kate Collins-Donnelly 

28. Tyranny by Lesley Fairfield 

29. Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens by Sheri van Dijk

30. Touch and Go Joe by Joe Wells 

31. Breaking Free from OCD: A CBT Guide for Young People and their Families by Jo Derisley, Isobel Heyman, Sarah Robinson, Cynthia Turner

32. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten 

33. The Truth About Self-Harm by Celia Richardson 

34. Fighting Invisible Tigers: A Stress Management Guide for Teens by Earl Hipp 

35. Teenage Guide to Stress by Nicola Morgan

Borough librarian Jan Macartney said: 'Libraries play a significant role in the health of local communities by providing free access to advice and information for people of all ages. This important new scheme uses libraries, books and reading to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding mental illness, educating young people about mental health in general. The new Reading Well for Young People programme has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of young people and so I’m delighted that we have been able to invest in it.'