Self-Care Booklist
Begin the new year with mindfulness and intent, and strive to make your needs a priority. We've curated a list of books for all ages that tackle mental health and well-being and promote self-care.
Click on a title to find it in our catalog; and find many more titles at cobbcat.org.
Children's Picture Books
Big Breath: A Guided Meditation for Kids by William Meyer
The Boy with the Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee
Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems by Kate Coombs
Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere by Kira Willey
Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mr. Rogers by Laura Renauld
Good Morning Yoga: A Pose-By-Pose Wake Up Story by Miriam Gates
Here and Now by Julia Denos
Hurry Up!: A Book About Slowing Down by Kate Dopirak
I Am Enough by Grace Byers
I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde
I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde
I Am Yoga by Susan Verde
Is Nothing Something?: Kids’ Questions and Zen Answers About Life, Death, Family, Friendship, and Everything in Between by Thích Nhất Hạnh
Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More by Mallika Chopra
Mindful Me: Mindfulness and Meditation for Kids by Whitney Stewart
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
My Mindful Walk with Grandma by Sheri Mabry
My Thoughts are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness by Georgia Heard
Now by Antoinette Portis
A Shelter for Sadness by Anne Booth
Straw by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein
You Are Ready! The World is Waiting by Eric Carle
Children’s and Preteen Chapter Books
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
Breathing Underwater by Sarah Elisabeth Allen
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
The Golden Hour by Niki Smith
How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby
Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Just Roll With It by Lee Durfey-Lavoie
The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall
Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher
The Summer of June by Jamie Sumner
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
Teen and Young Adult Fiction
Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter
All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs
The Cartographers by Amy Zhang
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Cold Girls by Maxine Rae
Hello (From Here) by Chandler Baker
How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner
Icebreaker by AL Graziadei
The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora
In the Ring by Sierra Isley
The Last Words We Said by Leah Scheier
The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin
Reality Check by Kirpa Singh
Some Other Now by Sarah Everett
The Stepping Off Place by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
The Tragedy of Dane Riley by Kat Spears
The Warning by Kristy Acevedo
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
We Weren’t Looking to be Found by Stephanie Kuehn
Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker
The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart
Teen and Young Adult Nonfiction
Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community with a forward by Lady Gaga
(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health edited by Kelly Jensen
Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles edited by Jessica Burkhart
Positively Teen: A Practical Guide to a More Positive, More Confident You by Nicola Morgan
Stress Less: A Teen’s Guide to a Calm Chill Life by Michael A. Tompkins
You Are Enough by Jen Petro-Roy
Your Brain Needs a Hug: Life, Love, Mental Health, and Sandwiches by Rae Earl
Adult Fiction
Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott
The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker
Getting His Game Back by Gia De Cadenet
The Haunting of Alejandra by V Castro
Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
The Kingdom’s Sandcastle: A Novel Based on True Events by Luai Qubain
Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong
Little Bandaged Days by Kyra Wilder
A Million Things by Emily Spurr
The Perfect Daughter by Daniel Palmer
Savage Tongues by Asareen Van der Vliet Oloomi
Shadows in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp
Suture by Nic Brewer
Adult Nonfiction
8 Keys to Practicing Mindfulness: Practical Strategies for Emotional Health and Well-Being by Manuela Mischke-Reeds
Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence by Daniel Siegel
Be Mighty: A Woman’s Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry & Stress Using Mindfulness & Acceptance by Jill A. Stoddard
Bliss More: How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying by Light Watkins
Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Finding the Center Within: The Healing Way of Mindfulness Meditation by Thomas Bien
Healing: Our Path From Mental Illness to Mental Health by Thomas Insel
How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness by Jan Chozen Bays
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book by Dan Harris
Mindful Pregnancy: Meditation, Yoga, Hypnobirthing, Natural Remedies, Nutrition by Tracy Donegan
Move: How the New Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free by Caroline Williams
Move the Body, Heal the Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity, and Sleep by Jennifer Heisz
Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing by Olga Mecking
The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough by Thomas Curran
Practical Mindfulness by Ken A. Verni
Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence by Gavin Francis
Sisterhood Heals: The Transformative Power of Healing in Community by Joy Harden Bradford
Unplug: A Simple Guide to Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers by Suze Yalof Schwartz
While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence by Meg Kissinger
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May