This weekend, I’ll be presenting at the
RM-SCBWI  Fall Conference  September 12 & 13
https://bit.ly/3bgEkKq

I invite you to join us for my virtual pre-recorded workshop session  from 11 am to 11:50 am MT, Saturday morning, September 12th

Nancy Bo Flood
Workshop Description:  Mental Illness, the Elephant in the Great Green Room of Children’s Literature

Mental illness touches all families. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of teenagers. The right book at the right time in a child’s life can help normalize the experience of struggling with mental illness, diminish the stigma and break the silence. Thus make it possible for a reader to reach out with the hope that someone will listen, not judge, and offer help. This workshop will describe several of these remarkable books, from picture books to YA novels. After analyzing what makes these books “work,” we will discuss guidelines for creating authentic, sensitive and realistic characters who struggle directly or indirectly with mental illness.

I will describe several books which present mental illness in an age-appropriate, realistic and hopeful way, including picture books, MG and YA fiction and informational. We will compare boundary-breaking books (Now One Foot, Now the Other, Tomie dePaola;  Missing May, Cynthia Rylant; After the Fall, How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again, Dan Santat).

Children’s books have finally broken the silence that shrouds many “forbidden topics,” including mental illness.  For more information, including an annotated list of books that present this topic well, please take a look at my website:  www.flood.lunadomo.com