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Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin

Rating  5 Stars Themes: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction  Thoughts: This is a great book to show compassion and understanding that is needed now more than ever. The story being told in graphic novel format is better for building compassion as we can see the fear on their faces and brutal reality of those seeking asylum in a safe country. Colfer is able to show us a few different reasons people flee to safety through the people Ebo meets on his journey. It was interesting to see the before and during the ship in different formats with us meeting Ebo on the boat and then seeing why back and forth but it did throw me off at first. The illustrations are great and portray Colfer's message well. Favourite Quote: "It’s not a journey to be undertaken lightly. Every person making the choice to embark on that journey has their own reasons for doing so. And every person is a human being."
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Appearance Anxiety by The National and Specialist OCD, BDD and Related Disorders Service, Maudseley Hospital

Rating:  4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Mental Health  Thoughts: This is a great introductory book for anyone living with or who loves somebody with BDD. It is marketed to young people and does keep mentioning so throughout the book but aside from school (which can also be applied to work) it is actually a great resource for anyone with BDD. The information is in a concise manner with small sections on each topic so as not to overwhelm anyone with details. The book also avoids jargon which makes it much more reader friendly and accessible to anyone who needs it rather than just for professionals. The images that are provided are also great as they give insights into different people’s experiences with BDD and can help readers feel less alone. 
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Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Graphic Novel Thoughts: This is quite the thought provoking graphic novel. Will decides he needs to follow the rules of the streets and hops in the elevator from his home and takes a much longer ride to the lobby than he expected. It’s an interesting approach to the cycle of violence that occurs in street/gang life with the eye for an eye mentality and with each new person on each floor we get another insight into that kind of life. There are moments when the illustrations almost turn violent themselves with harsh red painted text and others are sweet with the haze of nostalgia present. The ending is quite interesting and it definitely leaves a lot to the imagination, almost as if Reynolds is testing what the audience has learnt. Favourite Quote: "The Rules weren’t meant to be broken. They were meant for the broken to follow."
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Stuff That Sucks by Ben Sedley

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Teen, Mental Health  Thoughts: This is written in a great format for teens as often they use the term just stuff instead of talking about their feelings so contextualising it as stuff that sucks and stuff that helps is a good way to get through to them. The book covers a lot of different things that go into wellbeing in a short concise way so as to avoid overloading young brains but still manages to get across the important parts. Favourite Quote: "We live in a world that tells us to be an individual and to be independent, yet that doesn't always feel safe."
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I Had a Black Dog by Matthew Johnstone

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Mental Health  Thoughts: This is a great way to introduce the basic concept of depression to those who won’t admit it or use the word. Stating that it is the same term that Winston Churchill used may help the more reluctant people to embrace their reality and see the benefits of getting support. Favourite Quote: "The most important thing to remember is that no matter how bad it gets ... if you take the right steps, Black Dog days can and will pass."
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A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Romance, Fantasy Thoughts: I haven’t read a cross-species romance like this before so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was really cute. Mariel is a really sweet and relatable character with insecurities, family drama and a passion that makes us fall in love with her. The banter and snark between her and Ozroth is great to read and leads to some very funny moments (especially the pond/pool). The ending did feel a little bit overly soppy but given the way in which the story played out it also seemed almost perfect. Favourite Quote: “It wouldn't be a full life without laughter or tears. Being human was messy, but Mariel couldn't think of anything worse than losing that emotional core.”
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Quiet the Mind by Matthew Johnstone

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help Thoughts: This is a great and age appropriate introduction to meditation. The illustrations are beautifully simple and demonstrate the beauty in simplicity well. Johnstone does a good job of illustrating the reasons why we should all meditate and the benefit of it. He also shares quite a few different visualisation and focus techniques to help first time meditators find a method that works best for them. 
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