Torbay Libraries are taking part in a new national scheme to help support young people who are suffering with mental health conditions.

The scheme, which is called ‘Reading Well for young people’, will provide 13-18 year olds free access to a reading list of 35 books. These books have been recommended by mental health experts, and include a wide range of self-help and information titles as well as novels and fiction.

The books will provide information, support and advice on a wide range of mental health issues, ranging from anxiety to eating disorders and life pressures around events such as exam stress.

One in ten young people have a diagnosable mental health condition and this campaign hopes to provide Torbay’s teenagers with the support and advice they need.

The scheme is delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with the Society of Chief Librarians and the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians. It is funded by Arts Council England and the Wellcome Trust. It is also supported by a range of health organisations including NHS England (IAPT), Public Health England, Mental Health Foundation, Mind and YoungMinds.

Torbay Libraries will be promoting a different book every day via their Facebook (www.facebook.com/Torbaylibraries) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/TorbayLibraries) accounts.

The full reading list is as follows:
1. Stuff That Sucks: Accepting What You Can’t Change and Committing to What You Can by Ben Sedley (Robinson, Little Brown)
2. Mind Your Head by Juno Dawson (Hot Key Books)
3. The Self-Esteem Team’s Guide to Sex, Drugs and WTFs?!! by The Self-Esteem Team (John Blake Publishing)
4. Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed by Nicola Morgan (Walker Books)
5. Quiet the Mind by Matthew Johnstone (Robinson, Little, Brown)
6. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Walker Books)
7. Kite Spirit by Sita Brahmachari (Macmillan Children’s Books)
8. House of Windows by Alexia Casale (Faber)
9. Every Day by David Levithan (Electric Monkey, Egmont)
10. Putting on the Brakes: Understanding and Taking Control of Your ADD or ADHD by Patricia Quinn and Judith Stern (Magination Press, American Psychological Association)
11. My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic by Michael Tompkins and Katherine Martinez (Magination Press, American Psychological Association)
12. The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry and Panic by Jennifer Shannon (New Harbinger Publications, Little, Brown)
13. The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens by Jennifer Shannon (New Harbinger Publications, Little Brown)
14. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Simon & Schuster)
15. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida (Sceptre, Hodder)
16. Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User’s Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson (Jessica Kingsley)
17. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (Vintage)
18. Teen Life Confidential: Bullies, Cyberbullies and Frenemies by Michele Elliott (Wayland, Hachette Children’s)
19. Vicious: True Stories by Teens about Bullying ed. Hope Vanderberg (Free Spirit Publishing)
20. Banish Your Self-Esteem Thief: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook on Building Positive Self-Esteem for Young People by Kate Collins-Donnelly (Jessica Kingsley)
21. Teen Life Confidential: Self-Esteem and Being You by Anita Naik (Wayland, Hachette Children’s)
22. Face by Benjamin Zephaniah (Bloomsbury)
23. Am I Depressed and What Can I Do About it? by Shirley Reynolds and Monika Parkinson (Robinson, Little, Brown)
24. I Had a Black Dog by Matthew Johnstone (Robinson, Little, Brown)
25. Can I Tell You About Depression? by Christopher Dowrick and Susan Martin (Jessica Kingsley)
26. Can I Tell You About Eating Disorders? by Bryan Lask and Lucy Watson (Jessica Kingsley)
27. Banish Your Body Image Thief by Kate Collins-Donnelly (Jessica Kingsley)
28. Tyranny by Lesley Fairfield (Walker Books)
29. Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens by Sheri van Dijk (New Harbinger Publications, Little, Brown)
30. Touch and Go Joe by Joe Wells (Jessica Kingsley)
31. Breaking Free from OCD: A CBT Guide for Young People and their Families by Jo Derisley, Isobel Heyman, Sarah Robinson, Cynthia Turner (Jessica Kingsley)
32. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten (Walker Books)
33. The Truth About Self-Harm by Celia Richardson (Mental Health Foundation)
34. Fighting Invisible Tigers: A Stress Management Guide for Teens by Earl Hipp (Free Spirit Publishing)
35. Teenage Guide to Stress by Nicola Morgan (Walker Books)

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