Title: Harry Potter Series

Author: J.K. Rowling

Themes: Anxiety, Bullying, Blended Families, Coping Skills, Depression, Developing Empathy, Developing Perspective, Friendship, Gratitude, Grief, Humor, Individuation, Self-Esteem

Age Recommendation: Elementary through High School

Summary: The Harry Potter series is very well-known among adolescents and preteens, but I am finding that many kids under the age of 10 aren't as familiar with it. Chances are, however, if you're reading this post, you are familiar with this series and it's fantastic array of characters and themes! As with most stories, the books are definitely better than the movies, so pick them up and read them if you haven't already! 

Ideas / Interventions: There really are endless ways to use the Harry Potter series for bibliotherapy. My favorite way to reference Harry Potter in a session is to draw similarities between client's fears of ____________ and everyone's fear of Voldemort in the stories. By overcoming the dread of saying Voldemort's, or even Tom Riddle's, name out loud, characters in the story realize a previously untapped power within themselves. The same is true of our own fears and anxieties. When children avoid talking about difficult or frightening topics,their feelings of powerlessness over that event/thought/emotion is increased. When they are coached in talking about the topic in a safe setting, they are empowered - just like saying "Voldemort" empowered characters in the Harry Potter series. Clinically, this process falls under the category of exposure/response prevention techniques.  

Title: The North Star

Authors: Peter H. Reynolds

Themes: Anxiety, Coping Skills, Depression, Developing Empathy, Developing Perspective, Gratitude, Individuation, Mindfulness, Parenting, Self-Esteem, Validation

Age Recommendation: Elementary through High School

Summary: The North Star is a sweet story that follows a boy from infancy through adolescence as he follows his own path to becoming his best self.

Ideas / Interventions: Adolescents secretly love this book; some of them might not want to admit it, but they can relate to the main character in the story and are asking some of the same questions about life that that he is. When working with teens, I use the same tactic as I do with any other picture book, which is to ask them to just listen and watch for the underlying message, even though it might seem "too little kid" for them.

If I have time, I like to use this book in conjunction with art therapy.  Encourage clients to identify what the specific points on their stars are; some choose to list coping skills, some list values, others point out internal qualities. If you are using this book for group therapy or in a classroom setting, invite kids to share details about their star with others and utilize it as an opportunity to appreciate individual differences. 

Title: Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book

Authors: Grumpy Cat

Themes: Anxiety, Communication, Coping Skills, Depression, Friendship, Social Skills, Validation, Humor

Age Recommendation:  Elementary through High School

Summary: Grumpy Cat is a compilation of photographs of, you guessed it, Grumpy Cat, each of which has a pessimistic thought attached to it. So what is it doing on a bibliotherapy blog? 

Ideas / Interventions: Most kids think Grumpy Cat is funny, but teenagers who protect themselves with sarcasm absolutely relate to this book! I use this book frequently in sessions with depressed teens. If they are ambivalent to therapy, asking them to relate some of their worldviews via this cat works amazingly well. If they are engaged in the therapeutic process already, ask them to identify which cognitive distortion the cat is employing in each statement; this is a trick question because the cat isn't always mistaken in it's assessment of a situation. Having your client diagram the statement into facts and opinions is a good way to introduce the skill of parsing up confusing communication when they encounter it in their own lives. 

Title: The Reason I Jump

Authors: Naoki Higashida

Themes: Autism, Communication, Developing Empathy, Developing Perspective, Friendship, Parenting, Self-Esteem

Age Recommendation:  Elementary through High School

Summary: The Reason I Jump was written by a 13 year old Japanese boy with autism. The book is essentially a compilation of his answers to questions about what it's "like" to be an autistic teenager. His answers are thought provoking, his humor is gentle, and he conveys a certain wisdom that strikes me as being unattainable for neurotypical kids.

Ideas / Ideation: As an intervention, use this book with children on the autistic spectrum to help them identify similarities and differences between themselves and Naoki in an effort to develop self awareness and strengthen self esteem. Find a question that interests your client or child, read Naoki's response together and then help your client generate their own insights into the subject matter. Do they agree or disagree with Naoki's answers? Why or why not? 

Title: Grandad's Prayers of the Earth

Author: Douglas Wood

Themes: Mindfulness, Grief, Individuation, Coping Skills, Developing Perspective, Gratitude

Age Recommendation: Elementary through High School 

Summary: Grandad's Prayers of the Earth is the beautifully illustrated story of a boy's relationship with his grandfather, his grandfather's relationship with nature, and nature's relationship with spirituality. The story follows the boy's life from childhood to young adulthood and describes his feelings about life, death, and his place in the universe. 

Ideas / Interventions: This is a great book to read with kids who are dealing with either the anticipated death or recent passing of a loved one. It can also be used to introduce a conversation about how thoughts, feelings, and spirituality can change over the life span. 

When utilizing this book as a way to discuss grief, I like to bring donuts or bagels to the session. Talk about what a "whole" bagel or donut is, and discuss how it can be "whole" even though there is a "hole" missing from the middle. This is a good introduction to the concept that even though grief feels like we have a "hole" in our heart, we can still be "whole." This book can also be used as a segue into the discussion about stages of grief and how they aren't linear in nature. Incorporating an activity related to gratitude, in combination with processing grief, is another great way to utilize this book for bibliotherapy. 

Title: One Bite Won't Kill You

Author: Ann Hodgman

Themes: Anxiety, Mindfulness, Coping Skills, Autism, Developing Perspective, Parenting

Age Recommendation: Elementary School through High School

Summary: One Bite Won't Kill You is a cookbook, subtitled: "More than 200 recipes to tempt even the pickiest kids on earth...And the rest of the family too." I recommend this book not because of the recipes, even though they are great, but because it helps families start a conversation about the power struggles that can surround food and mealtimes. Ideally this conversation, and those that will follow, can be focused on collaborative problem solving and occur in a setting that isn't already emotionally charged - like mealtime. Any parent with a finicky eater will tell you that mealtimes can become a war zone when power struggles ensue; emotions run high, no one feels validated, and everyone leaves the table feeling wounded.

Ideas / Interventions: It is important to remember, though, that kids who struggle with feeding issues in addition to dealing with anxiety, sensory issues, or autism aren't just being picky eaters. Using this book with children who carry those diagnoses provides a space for them to talk about their fears or food aversions, discuss the comforting rituals associated with certain foods or textures, and develop a plan for incorporating their preferences into mealtimes. While the ultimate goal is help children become more flexible eaters, it is important that they be validated in the process. 

Title: Walter Wick's Optical Tricks

Author: Walter Wick

Themes: Communication, Developing Perspective, Validation, DBT

Age Recommendation: Elementary through high school

Walter Wick's Optical Tricks teaches perspective with photographs of optical puzzles and their solutions. It is helpful as a tool to introduce the concept that there can be many truths about any given situation, which leads well into a DBT discussion about middle path and wise mind. It is also useful in helping children develop an awareness that things/circumstances may not always be as they first appear. 

A simple intervention I use with this book is to take turns describing what we are seeing on the pages; the pictures of the puzzles are very different than the pictures of their solutions, even though they contain the same objects arranged in the same way. Have your child or client describe one of the two photographs and you describe the other, then switch photographs. This is an engaging way to introduce communication tools such as validation and "I feel" statements. This activity can also be used with parents and children as a way to practice communication skills and reinforce the validity of varying perspectives.