This season’s health titles offer a holistic approach to wellness and model responses for young readers facing illness, stress, and potentially difficult or awkward situations. Social and emotional wellness and bodily autonomy take center stage in these series, and readers will relate to the young people or familiar characters facing challenges like divorce, anxiety, or adjusting to a new diagnosis. Information on how bodies work, how to keep them healthy, and practicing ways to set boundaries in interactions with others is included, and libraries looking to strengthen their SEL and physical health collections will find plenty of options.

Elementary

Emminizer, Theresa. I Don’t Keep Secrets. ISBN 9781978539389.
––––. I Trust My Feelings. ISBN 9781978539419.
––––. I Use My Voice. ISBN 9781978539440.
––––. My Body Bubble. ISBN 9781978539471.
––––. My Safety Circle. ISBN 9781978539501.
ea vol: 24p. (My Body, My Rules). Enslow. Jul. 2024. Tr. $24.27.
Gr 1-3–Readers will see children dealing with and responding to difficult scenarios in this series that promotes bodily autonomy. Characters realistically struggle with things like keeping secrets or trusting their feelings, and key strategies for speaking up and asking for help are presented in each title. Safety tips are provided at the end of the scenarios. Real photographs of children working through the relevant topical circumstances are displayed among appealing graphics designed to resemble a school notebook. VERDICT A valuable resource for children and families that explores personal safety and bodily autonomy in an approachable way.

Ganeri, Anita. Body Privacy. ISBN 9781499445473.
––––. Growing and Changing. ISBN 9781499445503.
––––. Taking Care of Your Body. ISBN 9781499445534.
––––. You’re Unique. ISBN 9781499445565.
ea vol: 32p. (Your Body and You). Rosen/PowerKids. Aug. 2024. Tr. $27.93.
Gr 2-4–A holistic look at the health of children from their growing bodies to the ways they interact with the world around them. Ganeri provides empowering words to bolster mental and physical well-being. Illustrations highlight the unique value of the individual from the cells of their body to the feelings inside them. They are exceptionally expressive and convey the thematic concepts of bodily autonomy and safety effectively. These titles work to created a world where young people can feel safe to say what they are thinking and to respect themselves as well as their bodies. VERDICT A delightfully illustrated look at the body and mind for young readers that explores important topics like bodily autonomy.

Ganeri, Anita. Cold. ISBN 9781978538603.
––––. Ear Infection. ISBN 9781978538634.
––––. Head Lice. ISBN 9781978538665.
––––. Stomach Bug. ISBN 9781978538726.
––––. Tonsillitis. ISBN 9781978538696.
ea vol: 32p. (Get Well Soon). Enslow. Aug. 2024. Tr. $26.93.
Gr 1-3–The start of the school year can be a time of excitement, but it can also be a time of back-to-school illnesses, like colds. Follow kids as they navigate health issues from stomach bugs to ear infections. The feeling of being sick at school, which many readers will have experienced, is communicated in a relatable way through the narrative and illustrations. Characters are depicted with visible signs of their illness, getting diagnosed, and receiving treatment. The characters will become familiar to readers as they show up in each other’s stories. The shining star of this series is Head Lice as it fights the stigma around a pretty common school issue often inaccurately connected with uncleanliness. VERDICT An informative collection of ailments for readers curious about common health conditions that arise during childhood.

Haynes, Danielle. What Happens When I Am Diagnosed with Autism?ISBN 9781725327078.
––––. What Happens When I Have a Serious Illness?ISBN 9781725327153.
Klatte, Kathleen A. What Happens When I Have to Use a Wheelchair?ISBN 9781725327276.
Levy, Janey. What Happens When I Have a Learning Difference?ISBN 9781725327115.
Shea, Therese M. What Happens When I Have Diabetes?ISBN 9781725327191.
Wallace, Amy. When Happens When I Have a Serious Allergy?ISBN 9781725327238.
ea vol: 24p. (What Happens Next? Dealing with Life Changes). Rosen/PowerKids. Jul. 2024. Tr. $25.27.
Gr 1-3–Sometimes a new diagnosis can cause uncertainty, but these titles are here to use the power of information to dispel fears. The medical issues presented are some that school age children may experience themselves or see in their classrooms. Presented in a neutral tone, these titles work to normalize the daily experience of a person with ASD or serious allergies across multiple settings. There is a dual focus on understanding people first and also giving factual information about the respective subject. Those within and without the respective communities represented can gather value from these titles as resources exploring oneself or their community members. VERDICT A great choice for school or public library collections looking to add to their neurodiversity and disability literature.

Hicks, Kelli. Dealing with Bullying. ISBN 9798892600521.
––––. Dealing with Depression. ISBN 9798892600538.
––––. Dealing with School Stress. ISBN 9798892600507.
––––. Dealing with Social Media. ISBN 9798892600552.
Popalis, Aimee. Dealing with Anxiety. ISBN 9798892600514.
––––. Dealing with Self-Esteem. ISBN 9798892600545.
ea vol: 48p. (Dealing With...). Mitchell Lane. Aug. 2024. Tr. $40.
Gr 3-5–Example scenarios allow readers to step into a day in which a young person is dealing with a tough topic, like bullying or anxiety. Stories are tied to definitions and coping skills needed to get through each issue with ease and empathy. Green bubbles and sidebars offer a chance to consider how the heavier content relates to real-world situations and how to best deal with things like social media usage and stress. Processing difficult situations can be hard to talk about, so reading about others going through similar things can open a door to understanding oneself and others. VERDICT Combining emotional intelligence and self-care, these titles are essential for libraries serving school age children.

Kaiser, Brianna. Talking about Divorce: A Sesame Street ® Resource. ISBN 9798765620151.
Miller, Marie-Therese. Talking about Grief: A Sesame Street® Resource. ISBN 9798765620168.
––––. Talking about Illness: A Sesame Street® Resource. ISBN 9798765620182.
––––. Talking about Incarceration: A Sesame Street® Resource. ISBN 9798765620175.
––––. Talking about Natural Disasters: A Sesame Street® Resource. ISBN 9798765620199.
Reed, Charlotte. Talking about Deployment: A Sesame Street® Resource. ISBN 9798765620205.
ea vol: 24p. (Sesame Street® Tough Topics). Lerner. Aug. 2024. Tr. $29.32.
K-Gr 2–The trusted and beloved Sesame Street cast returns to tackle a new series of topics for young readers, like divorce and deployment. Easy-to-understand terms are used to take some of the mystery and fear out of situations like grief and serious illness. There are an even selection of puppets and families depicted in photographs expressing their feelings together. Respect is shown for the intelligence and feelings of young readers as their friends from the Sesame Workshop help to guide them through life events that might be difficult to process. Fans of these characters will be drawn to these titles and adults can rely on the tested brand for its gentle insights into childhood. VERDICT A good addition to this excellent series aimed at helping children and families find the language to discuss sensitive topics.

Snow, Peggy. Active and Fit. ISBN 9781632357939.
––––. Being a Friend. ISBN 9781632357946.
––––. Being Kind. ISBN 9781632357953.
––––. Eating Right. ISBN 9781632357960.
––––. Healthy Brain. ISBN 9781632357977.
––––. Healthy Habits. ISBN 9781632357984.
––––. Staying Safe. ISBN 9781632357991.
ea vol: 24p. (Healthy and Happy). Black Rabbit. Jul. 2024. Tr. $24.95.
Gr 3-6–Perfect young readers learning about taking care of their bodies and minds, this series tackles the mental, emotional, physical, and social aspects of health. Answering questions like how muscles grow and how vegan diets work, the short chapters in these titles feature dynamic text and color photographs of active kids. The nutrition and dietary content emphasizes mindfulness and the usefulness of food to growing bodies. In a delightful change of pace, rest and relaxation are highlighted as equally valuable to one’s health as exercise or diet. VERDICT A well-balanced approach to whole body health for readers looking to explore the next step beyond food pyramids and general habit titles.

Upper Middle School to High School

Burling, Alexis. Yoga & Pilates. ISBN 9781098293321.
Miller, Marie-Therese. High-Intensity Interval Training. ISBN 9781098293284.
Morris, Rebecca. Sports Training. ISBN 9781098293291.
––––. Stretching & Balance. ISBN 9781098293314.
Roggio, Sarah. Strength Training. ISBN 9781098293307.
Scirri, Kaitlin. Aerobic Exercise. ISBN 9781098293277.
ea vol: 112p. (Essential Fitness). ABDO/Essential Library. Sept. 2024. Tr. $42.79.
Gr 8 Up–How do you start a fitness routine? What do you need and what is safe? These questions and more are addressed for teens looking to develop healthy habits around exercise. Hot topics are explored like fitness-based applications and specific exercises hyped on social media. Clutter and buzz around what the right workout routine is or even the right time of day to workout are demystified in easy-to-understand sidebar discussions. Sample experiences remain the core of the text as readers can shadow others on their fitness journey to see how to approach workout buddies and healthy habits. VERDICT A collection of high-interest exercise topics that balance inclusion of abilities and fitness goals for teens with reliable, safe information.

A few standouts among this season’s health series include “My Body, My Rules” (Enslow), which models ways young people can speak up and set boundaries and ask for help in uncomfortable situations. Additions to the ongoing series “Sesame Street® Tough Topics” (Lerner) continue its excellent employment of trusted characters to talk openly about topics that might make children experiencing them feel isolated and afraid. “What Happens Next? Dealing with Life Changes” (Rosen/PowerKids) uses straightforward information to address fears about medial issues readers or their loved ones might be facing.