In the last few years, there’s been a boom in children’s books about mental health and learning challenges. This year’s crop includes imaginative and sympathetic takes on emotional issues, from picture books for young children to a graphic novel for middle schoolers. We asked our experts to review them and recommend the best.

Some of the books tackle difficult experiences like losing a friend, moving to a new place, or dealing with disappointment. Others demystify mental health and developmental disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and autism. Many of the picks are about big emotions — helping kids learn to talk about them, cope with them, and feel assured that they can be sad or mad or cranky and they will still be loved. This week we’re also offering our earlier roundup of 77 kids’ books, along with resources on why reading to kids is so important and how kids best learn to read, including those with dyslexia.

— Caroline Miller, Editorial Director | ✉