Fostering Mental Health Literacy through Adolescent Literature

This collection provides secondary (6-12) educators background information pertaining to a variety of mental health themes, along with specific pedagogical approaches for engaging readers in developing their mental health literacy.

Brooke Eisenbach is a former middle school teacher and current associate professor of middle and secondary education at Lesley University where she teaches courses in young adult literature, as well as middle school and high school methods of instruction Jason S. Frydman is a nationally certified school psychologist, registered drama therapist, and assistant professor of psychology at Lesley University. His research focuses on trauma-informed programming in educational settings and school-based creative arts therapies.

CHAPTER 1 Introduction: Preparing to Engage with Mental Health Themes in Adolescent Literature Jason S. Frydman and Brooke B. Eisenbach CHAPTER 2 What's Mined is Ours: Mental Health and American Rurality in Kristin Russell's A Sky For Us Alone Jeff Spanke and Sara Tyner CHAPTER 3 Literacy and Loss: Examining Loss and Grief through Characterization in The Boy in the Black Suit Sherri Harper Woods and Terri Benton CHAPTER 4 First Person Perspective: Understanding Adolescent Eating Disorders Through the Text Good Enough Laura L. Wood, MaryBeth DeGennaro, and Brooke B. Eisenbach CHAPTER 5 Secrecy, Silence, and Transgenerational Trauma: Conflict and Character Development in I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Daniela Bustamante and Katie Sciurba CHAPTER 6 Exploring graphic memoir trajectories: Processing the effects of substance use disorder and healing through art in Hey, Kiddo Grace Enriquez and Michelle Pate CHAPTER 7 Teaching When Reason Breaks: Understanding Depression and Interrogating Bias through Character Analysis Elsie Lindy Olan, Kia Jane Richmond, and Mary Mae Kelly CHAPTER 8 "I'm Not Like That": Reading Heroine to Engage Students in Conversations and Research About Opioid Use Disorder Amanda Rigell, Arianna Banack, and Allen Rigell CHAPTER 9 Reading A Hero's Journey through OCDaniel Caitlin Corrieri and Elyanna Genovese CHAPTER 10 Exploring Mental Health Literacy through Book Clubs Lesley Roessing and Jessica Traylor ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS SUBJECT INDEX ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON MENTAL HEALTH