Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes

Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes

Author: Rocky Callen

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: 2023-04-11

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1536231592

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Channeling their own experiences, sixteen exceptional authors subvert mental health stereotypes in a powerful and uplifting collection of fiction. A teen activist wrestles with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A socially anxious vampire learns he has to save his town by (gulp) working with people. As part of her teshuvah, a girl writes letters to the ex-boyfriend she still loves, revealing that her struggle with angry outbursts is related to PMDD. A boy sheds uncontrollable tears but finds that in doing so he’s helping to enable another’s healing. In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled mixed-genre collection, sixteen diverse and notable authors draw on their own lived experiences with mental health conditions to create stunning works of fiction that will uplift and empower you, break your heart and stitch it back together stronger than before. Through powerful prose, verse, and graphics, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes as they remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn’t mean that you’re defined by it. Each story is followed by a note from its author to the reader, and comprehensive back matter includes bios for the contributors as well as a collection of relevant resources. With contributions by: Mercedes Acosta * Karen Jialu Bao * James Bird * Rocky Callen * Nora Shalaway Carpenter * Alechia Dow * Patrick Downes * Anna Drury * Nikki Grimes * Val Howlett * Jonathan Lenore Kastin * Sonia Patel * Marcella Pixley * Isabel Quintero * Ebony Stewart * Francisco X. Stork


Rani Patel In Full Effect

Rani Patel In Full Effect

Author: Sonia Patel

Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press

Published: 2016-09-19

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1941026516

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2017 William C. Morris Award Finalist Almost seventeen, Rani Patel appears to be a kick-ass Indian girl breaking cultural norms as a hip-hop performer in full effect. But in truth, she's a nerdy flat-chested nobody who lives with her Gujarati immigrant parents on the remote Hawaiian island of Moloka'i, isolated from her high school peers by the unsettling norms of Indian culture where "husband is God." Her parents' traditionally arranged marriage is a sham. Her dad turns to her for all his needs—even the intimate ones. When Rani catches him two-timing with a woman barely older than herself, she feels like a widow and, like widows in India are often made to do, she shaves off her hair. Her sexy bald head and hard-driving rhyming skills attract the attention of Mark, the hot older customer who frequents her parents' store and is closer in age to her dad than to her. Mark makes the moves on her and Rani goes with it. He leads Rani into 4eva Flowin', an underground hip hop crew—and into other things she's never done. Rani ignores the red flags. Her naive choices look like they will undo her but ultimately give her the chance to discover her strengths and restore the things she thought she'd lost, including her mother. Sonia Patel is a psychiatrist who works with children and adults. She was trained at Stanford University and the University of Hawaii. She lives and practices in Hawaii. Rani Patel In Full Effect is her first young adult novel. BookExpo America Editor's Buzz Selection 2016 Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books 2016 New York Public Library 50 Best Teen Books 2016 Book Page Top 10 Best Teen Book 2016 Texas Library Associations Top 10 Teen Books 2017 Multnomah County Library Best Books 2016 The Volumes Bookcafe Staff's Best 20 of 2016 2017 Amelia Bloomer List Recommended Feminist Literature For Birth Through 18 15 Essential Novels Of The #MeToo Movement, Bustle


A Breath Too Late

A Breath Too Late

Author: Rocky Callen

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (BYR)

Published: 2020-04-28

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1250238803

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For fans of Girl in Pieces, All the Bright Places, and Girl, Interrupted comes a haunting and breathtaking YA contemporary debut novel that packs a powerful message: hope can be found in the darkness. "Raw, heartbreaking, and poignant." —New York Times-bestselling author Kathleen Glasgow A Chicago Public Library and Kirkus Best Book of the Year! Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds herself in the midst of an out-of-body experience. She is a spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death. But there are gaps in her memory, fractured pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There's her mother, a songbird who wanted to break free from her oppressive cage. The boy made of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought color into a gray world. Her brooding father, with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists. And Ellie's determined to find out why a piece of her was left behind. Told in epistolary-like style, Rocky Callen's deeply moving A Breath Too Late sensitively examines the beautiful and terrible moments that make up a life and the possibilities that live in even the darkest of places. Perfect for fans of the critically-acclaimed Speak, I’ll Give You the Sun, and If I Stay. "An exquisitely played love song to life, in all of its hurts, wonders, memories, and loves." –Jeff Zentner, Morris Award winning author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days "A haunting story, punctuated with brilliant points of hope and light. This is an important story. A necessary story . . . Callen’s writing radiates with passion, honesty and love." —National Book Award finalist and Printz Award–winning author An Na


The Edge of Anything

The Edge of Anything

Author: Nora Shalaway Carpenter

Publisher: Running Press Kids

Published: 2020-03-24

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 0762467576

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A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2020 One of A Mighty Girl's Best Books of the Year A Bank Street Best Books 2021 Finalist for the Cybils Awards Len is a loner teen photographer haunted by a past that's stagnated her work and left her terrified she's losing her mind. Sage is a high school volleyball star desperate to find a way around her sudden medical disqualification. Both girls need college scholarships. After a chance encounter, the two develop an unlikely friendship that enables them to begin facing their inner demons. But both Len and Sage are keeping secrets that, left hidden, could cost them everything, maybe even their lives. Set in the North Carolina mountains, this dynamic #ownvoices novel explores grief, mental health, and the transformative power of friendship.


Fit in 40 Days

Fit in 40 Days

Author: London Spivey-Jones

Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises

Published: 2014-07-22

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9781633062436

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Rural Voices

Rural Voices

Author: Nora Shalaway Carpenter

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: 2020-10-13

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1536216119

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Think you know what rural America is like? Discover a plurality of perspectives in this enlightening anthology of stories that turns preconceptions on their head. Gracie sees a chance of fitting in at her South Carolina private school, until a “white trash”–themed Halloween party has her steering clear of the rich kids. Samuel’s Tejano family has both stood up to oppression and been a source of it, but now he’s ready to own his true sexual identity. A Puerto Rican teen in Utah discovers that being a rodeo queen means embracing her heritage, not shedding it. . . . For most of America’s history, rural people and culture have been casually mocked, stereotyped, and, in general, deeply misunderstood. Now an array of short stories, poetry, graphic short stories, and personal essays, along with anecdotes from the authors’ real lives, dives deep into the complexity and diversity of rural America and the people who call it home. Fifteen extraordinary authors—diverse in ethnic background, sexual orientation, geographic location, and socioeconomic status—explore the challenges, beauty, and nuances of growing up in rural America. From a mountain town in New Mexico to the gorges of New York to the arctic tundra of Alaska, you’ll find yourself visiting parts of this country you might not know existed—and meet characters whose lives might be surprisingly similar to your own. Featuring contributors: David Bowles Joseph Bruchac Veeda Bybee Nora Shalaway Carpenter Shae Carys S. A. Cosby Rob Costello Randy DuBurke David Macinnis Gill Nasugraq Rainey Hopson Estelle Laure Yamile Saied Méndez Ashley Hope Pérez Tirzah Price Monica Roe


Love Poems for Anxious People

Love Poems for Anxious People

Author: John Kenney

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2020-04-21

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 0593190688

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In the spirit of his New York Times bestseller Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Children, as well as his wildly popular New Yorker pieces, Thurber Prize-winner John Kenney presents a hilarious new collection of poetry for anxious people. With the same brilliant wit and hilarious realism that made Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Children such hits, John Kenney is back with a brand new collection of poems, this time taking on one of the most common feelings in our day-and-age: anxiety. Kenney covers it all, from awkward social interactions and insomnia to nervous ticks and writing and rewriting that email.


Dream Guidance

Dream Guidance

Author: Anna-Karin Bjorklund

Publisher:

Published: 2012-12-04

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780615730226

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In Dream Guidance, Anna-Karin Bjorklund invites you into the majestic dream realms with a charming introduction to Jungian psychology, a step-by-step guide for working with your own dreams, and an illuminating collection of dream interpretation examples. Learn about different types of dreams, and how honoring your dreams can help you: *Reach better knowledge of yourself, including your shadow, by analyzing the projections you are making on other dream characters*Process and clear unconscious emotions*Decode symbols and messages*Explore synchronicity and other forms of divine guidanceContents: IntroductionChapter 1: An Introduction to Dream Realms, Inspired by Jungian PsychologyChapter 2: Decode Messages from Your Dream Characters Chapter 3: An Intuitive Step-By-Step Guide to Dream Interpretation Chapter 4: Enhance Your Dreams with the Power of Intention and Programming Chapter 5: Nightmares Come with Urgent Messages! Chapter 6: Guidance Is All Around You-Learn How to Notice Synchronicities! Chapter 7: Recognize Intuitive and Prophetic Dreams Chapter 8: Questions to Ask When Interpreting Dreams Chapter 9: Invite Miracles into Your Life Using the Guidance from Your Dreams! Bibliographical Note


Bloody Seoul

Bloody Seoul

Author: Sonia Patel

Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press

Published: 2019-08-20

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1947627228

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Rocky’s the most loyal 16-year-old you’ll ever meet: loyal to the Three Star Pa gang, which his father runs in Seoul, Korea; loyal to his best friends, who accompany him everywhere he goes; loyal to his ever-escalating public bullying of Ha-na, a girl at school; and, finally, loyal to the memory of his mother, even though there are some things about her that he tries to forget. He loves his friends, his city, and the power he wields. But when he catches his father in a lie, the truth is exposed, and his life begins to unravel—and Rocky has no idea where it’s going to lead.


The Truly Brave Princesses

The Truly Brave Princesses

Author: Dolores Brown

Publisher: Egalite

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 9788417123383

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Do all princesses live in a castle and spend their lives happy everafter with the prince? Could a princess be a working mom or in a wheel chair? What does it really take to be a princess?