Books on Our Radar: (Don’t) Call Me Crazy Edited by Kelly Jensen
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and this week in specific is the week we call attention to de-stigmatizing mental health. One in 5 Americans experiences a mental health concern and 20% of youth are living with mental health condition right now. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth today.
If you or someone you know is thinking of hurting themselves or someone else:
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 in the US
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255
And the only way this is going to change is to talk about it. Normalize it. Learn to ask if someone is thinking of hurting themselves. (Don’t) Call Me Crazy is a collection of essays, graphics, short stories, and more by authors you know and love (and maybe a few you don’t yet!). I was thrilled when Stephanie Kuehn, YA author (of books that explore mental health concepts) and psychologist, shared a copy with me and I can’t wait for you all to experience it. (Don’t) Call Me Crazy releases on October 2nd, so be sure to add this one to your TBR.
pssst there’s also this excellent pre-order gift. Details here.
(Don't) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health
by Kelly JensenPublished by: Algonquin Young Readers
on October 2, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Non-Fiction, Anthology
Bookshop
Goodreads
Who’s Crazy? What does it mean to be crazy? Is using the word crazy offensive? What happens when such a label gets attached to your everyday experiences? In order to understand mental health, we need to talk openly about it. Because there’s no single definition of crazy, there’s no single experience that embodies it, and the word itself means different things—wild? extreme? disturbed? passionate?—to different people. (Don’t) Call Me Crazy is a conversation starter and guide to better understanding how our mental health affects us every day. Thirty-three writers, athletes, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and do not talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person’s brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy. If you’ve ever struggled with your mental health, or know someone who has, come on in, turn the pages, and let’s get talking.
