My Depression: A Picture Book

MY DEPRESSION: A Picture Book by Elizabeth Swados (Hyperion, 2005)
GENRE: Nonfiction - Autobiography
HONORS: None

REVIEW: Depression is a difficult topic and there are very few books written for tweens on the subject. Though My Depression: A Picture Book is written by an adult with an adult audience in mind, there are many aspects of her story that will resonate with tweens struggling to understand the condition. Swados writes about depression frankly, as one who has struggled with the condition since she herself was an adolescent. Her illustrations are raw, evocative and gently humorous, underscoring her minimal text and the emotional difficulties of traveling through a depressive episode and successfully reaching the other side. Swados deals with everything from onset and coping mechanisms to social difficulties and treatment options without falling into the trap of recommending a cure - lots of things work, you just have to be patient and find what works for you. With an absolute lack of judgement, Swados delivers an encouraging message from a person with first hand experience.

OPINION: Certain topics in Swados's story may be inappropriate for younger adolescents (she briefly addresses suicide - though in such as way that emphasizes the many reasons she chose not to. Also mentioned are smoking and drinking as initial coping mechanisms). As such, it's a book that should be recommended and read with care. For older adolescents, particularly those who can read the book and discuss it with a trusted adult, My Depression: A Picture Book is an enlightening, encouraging and nourishing read, filled with sensitivity, frankness and the gentle humor of a person who has been there and made it through.

IDEAS: Unless dealing with a tween or teen that you know quite well,  this My Depression:  A Picture Book is best recommended to parents / caregivers by librarians (counselors and professionals often recommend it directly, but for nonprofessionals, caution is best). Though blatantly encouraging (the ability to draw strength from depression is repeatedly underscored, while Swados's positive attitude communicates strong authorial support), for older adolescents, it is still a book ideally read with the support of someone else.

Virginia Wolf

VIRGINIA WOLF by Kyo Maclear; Illustrated by Isabella Aresenault (Kids Can Press, 2012)
GENRE: Loosely Fictional Biography
HONORS: None yet, though it has received a number of very positive reviews.

REVIEW: One day, a girl named Vanessa notices that her sister, Virginia, has begun to behave "wolfishly". She howls and sends people away, isolating herself in her bed while the household turns upside-down. Rather than be chased off by her sister's terrible, dark mood, Vanessa embraces her and engages her, painting her walls with flowers and enchanted objects so that she might create an enchanted place called "Bloomsberry" for the unhappy Virginia. Thanks to Vanessa's stalwart love, Virginia emerges from her wolfish mood and rejoins her sister in the light. Virginia Wolf is a subtle, delicately crafted book. It draws just enough from the lives of Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf to be undeniable biographical, while never explicitly bringing up the topics of depression or Woolf's eventual suicide. Instead, it is a story of sisterly love and support, and how it helps the wolfish Virginia emerge from her dark place. Aresnault's delicate, watercolor illustrations mirror the subtlety and depth of Maclear's prose, making Virginia Wolf an effective, yet unthreatening meditation on "the doldrums" and the isolation that can result.

OPINION: Though simple on the surface, Virginia Wolf is a book with deep emotional resonance. Because Maclear's hand is so light, it is a perfect book for young people not yet ready to deal with the dark, potentially alienating topic of depression or sadness in a direct manner. Instead, Maclear allows the topic to perfume the air while focusing on the support that helps Virginia transcend her doldrums. A beautiful, sensitive book with sophisticated underpinnings and gorgeous illustrations, it is truly a picture book for older readers.

IDEAS: Beautiful in it's own right, Virginia Wolf is a strong suggestion for young people interested in stories about the bond between sisters, as well as for those dealing with sadness, grief, depression or even just a series of bad moods or bad days. These themes are touched on lightly, but it is this gentle treatment which allows individual readers to glean what they need from the text and illustrations.
*For a lovely short essay by the author on writing a children's book based on a famous depressive and her sister, see the following: http://kyomaclearkids.com/virginia-wolf/extras/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf/

A Monster Calls

A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness; Illustrated by Jim Kay (Candlewick Press, 2011)
GENRE: Horror
HONORS: Carnegie Medal (2012); Greenaway Medal (2012); various "Best of 2011" lists, including Booklist's for youth fiction

REVIEW: Any summary will do a disservice to A Monster Calls - it is not a book easily summarized and to do so renders it's subtleties flat or, even worse, nonexistent. Suffice it to say, that a monster comes to Conor O'Malley, a thirteen year old boy whose mother is dying. Through repeated meetings (all of which take place at 12:07 - a time whose profound and unsettling significance is only hinted toward the end), during which the monster tells him three separate stories, Conor faces the nightmare that has plagued him since his mum got sick. Ness's prose is subtle and incisive. Although there is nothing showy about it, his words are profound. Even more impressive, however, is the monster - horrifying, gorgeous and metaphorically towering, the monster is a challenging figure, neither evil nor good, one whose ultimate purpose is frightening, but not in the way one might think. Kay's inky illustrations set the tone for the tale - sooty, dark and confusing - beautifully framing a story that builds to a masterful, natural climax. There is no false step in this book. It is perfect and painful. Most impressively with this subject matter, it rings emotionally true.

OPINION: A Monster Calls is a special book. Without wishing to gush or sound fatuous, it is one of the most incisive, metaphorically sound books I have ever read. Best digested in a single sitting, A Monster Calls is a profoundly moving portrait of grief, denial and catharsis, written by an author with an instinctive understanding of, and empathy for, those trapped in that emotional landscape. It's a frightening book fully of foreboding atmosphere and inevitable hurt. But it is an important book - one whose central truth resonates with the same wild force as the stories that the monster tells.

IDEAS: This is not standard, boo-scare horror. Though younger tweens can read it and get something from it, it will most likely resonate more strongly with readers 12 and up. I would recommend it enthusiastically while keeping the potential reader's age and emotional maturity in mind. It is also a wonderful book for classroom discussions on metaphor, tone, characterization and story structure, and a natural fit for young people struggling with loss and grief.