Submitted by Dana Folkerts, Youth Services Manager, and Donna Matturri, Information & Research Manager at Pickerington Public Library
Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection
By Ben Rein
Dr. Ben Rein examines how the human brain is wired for interpersonal interaction and how modern, increasingly virtual lifestyles challenge those instincts. The book highlights the effects of virtual versus in-person communication, the health benefits of relationships with both humans and animals and the neurological impact of certain drugs on social behavior. Rein offers evidence-based guidance for strengthening social connections to enhance overall brain and mental health.
What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters
By Marion Nestle
The typical American supermarket carries more than thirty thousand products. How do you choose? Misinformation, disinformation and corporate misdirection play a crucial and hard-to-see role in how the average shopper thinks about and chooses food. In an aisle-by-aisle guide, Nestle takes us through the American supermarket. With persistence, wit and common sense, she establishes the basics of good nutrition, food safety and ethical and sustainable eating and gives readers a close-up look at the web of interests – from supermarket slotting policies to multinational food corporations to lobbying groups – that food has to navigate before it gets to your shopping basket.
Do Not Disturb: How to Say No to Your Phone
By Brad Marshall and Lindsay Hassock
In Do Not Disturb: How to Say No to Your Phone, authors Brad Marshall and Lindsay Hassock share insights on how young people can unplug from their phones. Readers will discover the effects that their phone has on their brain and body, how to create a relationship with their phone on their terms and even establish simple, healthy screen time habits. Do Not Disturb includes tips, toolkits and advice from psychologists.
The College Student’s Guide to Mental Health: Essential Wellness Strategies for Flourishing in College
By Mia Nosanow
This comprehensive guidebook covers almost every factor that can influence the mental health of college students, providing clear guidance for maintaining a healthy and successful lifestyle as students navigate their new life away from home.
What Medicine Can Do
Written by Gabrielle Balkan,
Illustrated by Alberto Lo
Uh-oh! Raccoon feels blerg and ick. Read along as he and his friends do symptom checks, get examined and receive the medicine they need. Readers will learn that medicine can make you feel more comfortable, help you heal, help prevent you from getting sick and more.
How to Talk to Your Succulent
By Zoe Persico
Eleven-year-old Adara and her dad are moving from California to the cold and flat lands of Michigan... and it sucks. After Mom’s recent passing, it seems way too soon. This middle-grade graphic novel explores loneliness, mental health and empathy, showing how communication, openness and a willingness to listen can help young people – as well as older people and plants – navigate their mental well-being and heal from loss, individually and together.
