Fiction that helps understanding
October 10, 2009
Forgive me if this seems an unusual post, but I’m deep in reading the six finalists in the YoungMinds book award 2009.
No, I’m not a judge – I wish! But I read about the shortlist and decided I would read them all.
I always read teen fiction because I’m also a writer for children, but this was extra. I wanted to see how mental health was portrayed in books that young people themselves read and recommend to be shortlisted. It counts as research for my own “work in progress”, which involves a dad who is suffering with PTSD after returning from Helmund Province. The central characters are twins of 15. Watch this space. No, delete that – this is a mental health blog. But I can always learn something about young people – and I think that’s the idea behind the award, actually!
If you’re interested to read and discover what appeals to the 12+ age group in this genre, here is the list (with an indication of issues in brackets, though you can’t reduce a novel to its issues). I got all six from Amazon for around £26.
A Perfect Ten – Chris Higgins (eating issues, bullying, guilt over a death)
Without Looking Back – Tabitha Suzuma (custody battles)
Ostrich Boys – Keith Gray (death and ashes)
The Stuff of Nightmares – Malorie Blackman (fear of dying)
Bang, Bang, You’re Dead – Narinder Dhami (living with a mum’s mental ill health)
Ginger Snaps – Cathy Cassidy (starting secondary school)
So as you can see, a wide range. Much to be learned, I’m finding. I hope some of you will perhaps not only read the odd book from this list (they’re great reads, by the way), but have them available if bibliotherapy is your thing. Or even just to know what your client is talking about! (For that, I could use a course on Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga which they all seem to read!)
