With the global pandemic having wide-ranging impacts on mental health, it’s important to open up discussions of mental health, anxiety and resilience with kids of all ages. When educators, parents and librarians have access to stories, these can be used as avenues to explore difficult topics. In addition, helping kids understand mindfulness techniques will help prepare them for positive mental health outcomes. 

Using Story Box Library, children can discover stories featuring mental health issues and more, connecting with the challenges faced by characters in the stories, and relating to the strategies and tools to overcome tough feelings and adversity. 

It's Okay To Feel The Way You Do

Suitable for lower to upper primary students. Bursting with simple and effective ways that kids can notice and handle difficult emotions like anger, anxiety, and loss and also rejoice in the positive feelings such as joy, empathy and happiness, this is a little story with a big message.

Magnificent Mistakes and Fantastic Failures

Refreshingly simple and delightfully quirky, this story will help kids build resilience. They’ll discover how life’s little upsets can be big opportunities to learn and grow. And how good friends, positive self-talk, creativity and curiosity can help them become more confident.


Slow Down, World

Suitable for students from preschool to upper primary years. From a fast-paced metropolis to the greener, magical places of a young girl's imagination, Slow Down, World is a whimsical journey towards mindfulness. Learn the importance of making your own way, how good it is to take your time, and how to be brave.

Don't Think About Purple Elephants

Suitable for preschool to middle primary year students. Passionate children's literature advocate and author Susan Whelan, has written an insightful, humorous and thoughtful story for younger children, that provides a wonderful opportunity for discussing and dealing with troublesome thoughts.

Too Much for Turtle

A charmingly sweet story about friendship, community and overcoming shyness from creative duo Cat Rabbit and Isobel Knowles. In addition to the gentle, fun and chaotic story about reclusive Turtle and her neighbours, children will delight in the visual feast of the hand-crafted images. 

To support Mental Health Awareness Month in October, Story Box Library’s Free Access Stories for October explore and support mental health themes.

For Australian and New Zealand audiences, Girl on Wire, written by Lucy Estela, and illustrated and read by Elise Hurst, is a simple yet brilliantly uplifting allegory of a young girl struggling to build her self-esteem and overcome the anxiety many kids feel growing up.

For international audiences, The Red Tree, created by Shaun Tan and read by Jacek Korman, is an imaginary tale that seeks to remind us that, though some bad feelings are inevitable, they are always tempered by hope.

Explore more stories about mental health, anxiety and resilience here.