Barnes & NobleHere I Am, I Am Me: An Illustrated Guide to Mental Health by Cara Bean

This vibrant graphic novel adventure through the brain aims to demystify and destigmatize emotional and mental health for children using accessible language and lessons. Join author-illustrator Cara Bean in "Here I Am, I Am Me" as she guides readers on an illustrated journey to the brain's center. Each of the 9 chapters in this therapist-recommended book explores various mental health aspects, from the brain and mind to feelings and emotions. By portraying complex neuroscience concepts with illustrated characters representing different brain parts, the book explains what truly happens in the reader's head in an approachable way, empowering them. Each chapter includes a "question map" for context and a "Bean Memory," sharing a first-person true story from the author's life to illustrate the chapter's subject matter. The book doesn't talk down to its readers, acknowledging that teens are not immune to mental health struggles. Cara Bean adeptly discusses crucial topics such as depression, substance use, addiction, and suicide, providing mindfulness tips, specific resources, and empathetic affirmations to equip readers. Through this, readers will learn to destigmatize conversations around mental health.