Please check back often as I continue to add new books to this reading list.

CHILDREN AND TEENS:

ADHD
Putting on the Brakes: Young People’s Guide to Understanding ADHD - Patricia Quinn
This easy to read book helps children understand ADHD and find ways to help themselves cope with ADHD. It’s a good book for parents and their children to read together. (rec. ages 9-12)

Depression
Conquering the Beast Within: How I Fought Depression and Won... And How You Can Too - Cait Irwin
This book is written by a teenager about her own experience with depression using words and images.

Divorce
Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families - Lawrence Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
One of the best picture books written for children dealing with the many aspects of divorce.

Grief and Loss
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death - Lawrence Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
This book helps children understand death. Chapters include “Why Does Someone Die?”, “Feelings About Death”, “Saying Goodbye” and “What Comes After Death?”

Puberty
What’s Happening to Me? An Illustrated Guide to Puberty - Peter Mayle
Mayle describes the book as “answers to some of the world’s most embarrassing questions”. It’s a book for those going through puberty. Kids will be relieved by the funny pictures and down to earth text.

Relationships
The Hurt - Teddi Doleski
A picture book that describes the importance of sharing your feelings with others.

The Hating Book - Charlotte Zolotow
A picture book that discusses resolving conflicts with friends by talking with them. (rec. ages 4-8)

Mean Chicks, Cliques and Dirty Tricks - Erika Shearin Karres
This is an empowering book which helps girls deal with teasing and bullying. It includes true stories from girls who have dealt with these issues and helps girls understand what is behind this behavior. (rec. grades 6th-12th)

Self-Esteem
I Like Me - Nancy Carlson
This is a sweet, funny picture book that encourages positive self-esteem in children. (rec. ages 3-8)

Unstoppable Me! 10 Ways to Soar Through Life
Incredible You! 10 Ways to Let Your Greatness Shine - both by Dr. Wayne Dyer
Both picture books describe ways to increase self-esteem, deal with stress and anxiety and enjoy life. Easy and fun to read with your children.

Separation Anxiety
Don’t Forget to Come Back! - Robie Harris
This picture book is about a child who doesn’t want her parents to go out and leave her with a baby-sitter. It’s a reassuring book that helps children deal with separation anxiety. (rec. ages 4-6)

Sexual Abuse
NoNo and the Secret Touch - Sherri Patterson and Judith Feldman
A picture book about a baby seal that has been sexually abused. It describes the importance of disclosing abuse to others and saying no when one is uncomfortable in a relationship (helps children gain self-esteem and empowerment).


ADULTS:

Abuse (Physical, Emotional and Sexual)
The Emotionally Abused Women: Overcoming Destructive Patterns and Reclaiming Yourself - Beverly Engel, MFCC
This book helps women recognize abusive patterns, includes good case examples from the writer’s work with clients, and offers exercises to rebuild self-esteem.

When Your Child Has Been Molested: A Parent’s Guide to Healing & Recovery - Kathryn Hagans & Joyce Case
This is a helpful book for parents whose children have been sexually abused. It includes basic information about sexual abuse, reporting abuse, normal sexual development, steps to healing, how to deal with family members, working with a therapist and dealing with the court system.

ADD/ADHD Children
Helping Your ADD Child: Hundreds of Practical Solutions for Parents and Teachers of ADD Children and Teens (With or Without Hyperactivity) - John Taylor
The title says it all.

Divorce
Rebuilding: When Your Relationship Ends - Dr. Bruce Fisher and Dr. Robert Alberti
This compassionate book describes how to put your life back together after a divorce or separation.

Grief and Loss
How To Survive the Loss of a Love - Melba Cograve, Ph.D., Harold Bloomfield, M.D. & Peter McWilliams
This is a guide for all types of loss. Written by a psychologist, a psychiatrist and a poet. It has an educational piece and includes poetry that is very touching and meaningful.

Nurturing Ourselves
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan
This book can be completed on your own or with a “sacred circle” of friends. This twelve-week program helps people to recover their creativity that has been blocked due to many reasons. You do not have to be an “artist” to benefit from this book.

Creative Visualization - Shakti Gawain
This book describes the power of using affirmations, thoughts and visualizations to create one's life. It has different exercises and affirmations that one can use.

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy - Sarah Ban Breathnach
An essay for every day of the year. This book helps women connect back to themselves. She describes this as an “authentic wakening”. Her “6 threads of abundant living” include Gratitude, Simplicity, Order, Harmony, Beauty and Joy.

The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction - Chellie Campbell
This book is about removing stress in regards to money and enjoying what you have. She has 365 affirmations and stories to inspire you and create change.

Relationships
The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships - Harriet Lerner
This easy to read book teaches women how to recognize and express their anger so that they can get their needs met. She discusses how anger in women has been looked at negatively by society, However, she sees anger more as a sign that something is just not right.

He’s Just Not That Into You: The No Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys - Greg Behrendt & Liz Lucillo
This book has “the empowering message that a woman deserves a man who truly loves her and not one that she must constantly make excuses for”. It’s also a fun and easy read.

Parenting
Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility - Foster Cline, M.D. & Jim Fay
A parenting book that teaches how to avoid power struggles with your children. The importance of teaching kids responsibility through making choices and dealing with the consequences of these choices.

Teen Relationships
Queen Bees & Wannabes - Rosalind Wiseman
This book will help you understand your daughter and her secret world of friendships. It also includes discussion of how parents can help their daughters deal with this challenging time.