Good Morning! Here’s the Monday Morning Blog!
Did you get a chance to touch base with that teen or young adult in your life last week? Be sure to check in with them. Ask them what they are thinking about or if anything may be bothering them. And be ready to listen.
May’s Theme – Mental Health Awareness Month
Since 1949, Mental Health America and affiliates have observed May as being Mental Health Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness.
There are many messages popping up on social media with resources to help. The CDC currently has a public Service Announcement which pops up when you search for mental health awareness on Google.
Be Kind to Your Mind:
Tips to cope with stress
PAUSE – Breathe and notice how you feel
TAKE BREAKS – from internet content
MAKE TIME – to sleep and exercise
REACH OUT – and stay connected
SEEK HELP – If overwhelmed or unsafe
This month I am going to focus on bringing more awareness to mental health. Check out my mentor page and see how I am doing it Selma P. Verde – Mentor Page
Book of the Month
I chose this book for Mental Health Awareness month because it talks about mental health through a work of fiction. It gives us a relatable story about a struggle with depression that leads to the main characters suicide attempt. Instead of sending her to treatment for her depression, this action sends her to The Midnight Library.
Selma’s Book Review
Book Title
The Midnight Library
Author
Matt Haig
Type of Book
Fantasy Fiction/Speculative Fiction
Author Background
Matt Haig is an English author who typically writes speculative fiction. He suffered from depression and anxiety himself and wrote a memoir about it called Reasons to Stay Alive.
Summary of the book
After attempting suicide, Nora finds herself in a library filled with all the potential outcomes of the different choices she could have made in her life. She sees how her life would have turned out with multiple other choices she may have made. While there Nora seeks to find the path to the most “perfect” life, but what she finds is a far different outcome than expected.
Reaction to the book
I really liked this book. The story was engaging, but it also gave me something to think about. What if I could see what would have happened in my life had I made even one different choice? Would I regret the choice that I didn’t make? It would be a good read for a young adult or adult. But one should keep in mind that this is a work of fiction, and suicide if attempted, will probably not wind up sending you to this fictional place.
Link to the author
If you want to learn more about the author, here is a link to his website Matt Haig
Link to the book
If you want to purchase a copy of No More Games, here is a link to Amazon – The Midnight Library Or you can pick it up from one of your local bookstores or shop Bookshop.org and have the purchase credited to them.
Have you heard of The Way Series?
The Way Series is a coming-of-age series for teens and young adults. It focuses on challenges that teens face while growing up. The Hard Way is the first book, and it is a relatable story about peer pressure and Shawn’s Way is a relatable story about bullying. These books may help you to start a conversation with your teen about these issues or may give them a story they can relate to about something they may be facing.
There will be an eBook sale on June 2-5, 2022, when the eBook versions of both books will be $.99 each. What a great time to pick up your very own copies. Here is a link to my books tab – Selma’s Books.
