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Mental Health Spotlight

Resources listed are for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat a condition without the guidance of a mental health professional. If you or someone you know is having a mental health emergency, please call 911 or Colorado Crisis Services at 1.844.493.TALK.

Hey teens! Interested in mental health?

Each month the Aurora Public Library focuses on a different topic related to mental health. Swing by the Aurora Central Library's teen area to browse YA novels and nonfiction related to the monthly topic. Whether you or someone you know is facing a mental health issue, or you are just interested in the topic, APL has information, resources and reading materials for you. 

Remember, your mental health matters. 

This month’s Mental Health Spotlight is on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.  

PTSD Young Adult book display

About PTSD: 
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health issue that some people may develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. A traumatic event varies from person to person, some examples include:
- physical, verbal, or sexual abuse
- mass shootings
- natural disasters
- violent crime
- serious injury or illness
- military combat
- car accidents

Many people associate PTSD with soldiers returning home from war. However, this stereotype can be damaging to those who have lived through a trauma and are suffering from PTSD-- but may feel that what they experienced was “not bad enough” to seek help. This is not true. Your trauma is valid, whatever that may be and you deserve to receive support and treatment

Read more from Mayo Clinic about PTSD here.

This infographic breaks down the basics of PTSD:

Infographic about PTSD
 

Additional informative articles specifically related to youth:
Polaris Teen
Kids Health

Did you know that there are two types of PTSD?
PTSD is typically reserved for a single event. An example could be a serious car accident or witnessing a friend’s suicide. However, Complex PTSD often referred to as C-PTSD is a repeated trauma that can last months to years. An example could be ongoing physical, verbal, or sexual abuse. 
Read more about C-PTSD here.

Infographic about complex  P T S D 

If you are wondering if you may have PTSD, take this self-assessment.

Coping with Suicidal Thoughts:
Suicidal thoughts can accompany those with PTSD. 
Asking for help can be really difficult, but it’s vital you reach out to someone you trust—a friend, family member, or teacher, etc. If you don’t feel that you have anyone to talk to, or think that talking to a stranger might be easier, call the suicide helpline at 1-800-273-8255. 
Remember:
Whatever your situation, it takes real courage to face death and step back from the brink. 
Having thoughts of hurting yourself or others does not make you a bad person. 
If your feelings are uncontrollable, tell yourself to wait 24 hours before you take any action. 
If you’re afraid you might do something, make sure you are never alone. Even if you can’t verbalize your feelings, just stay in public places, hang out with friends or family members.
Read more on suicidal thoughts here.

Find Community: 
Check out The Mighty, a website dedicated to providing community and support online. No matter what health situation you're going through. The Mighty breaks down what health is really like. 
Join a PTSD Support Community - more information here.

Read through these relatable articles regarding PTSD and how it can affect your life.
31 Small Ways To Make Living With PTSD A Little Easier
- 41 Truths People With PTSD Wish Others Understood
- 5 Ways People With PTSD Love Differently In Relationships
- Grounding Exercises For PTSD 
9 Surprising Facts About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- 76 Healing C-PTSD Quotes and Affirmations
- 16 Lies People With PTSD Tell
- TED Talks on Trauma and PTSD
- 23 'Embarrassing' Symptoms of PTSD We Don't Talk About
 
Young Adult Book display about P T S D

Explore Young Adult novels & nonfiction that address PTSD: 


For more resources for all ages, visit the nonfiction department at your local library and look for call number 616.85. Resources are also available at Aurora Mental Health

Check back in September for our next Mental Health Spotlight!  
Posted by [email protected]  On Aug 06, 2021 at 10:24 AM
  
Family Book Club - click to registerWelcome to Family Book Club!

This is an exciting club for families who love to read and is appropriate for ages 8-15. The books chosen are always within the 3rd-6th grade level but both younger and older kids have enjoyed them! If your child is younger, I encourage the family to read the book aloud together or listen to the audiobook (if available)!

This month we are reading "The Dragon With a Chocolate Heart" by Stephanie Burgis. Aventurine is restless inside her family’s cave and one day decides to explore the world outside. She meets a sorcerer and cannot say no to his enchanted hot chocolate which turns her into a human. Yet, now she has a new passion - chocolate! Genre: FANTASY. 

Suggested reading schedule:  
Monday, Aug 2 – Sunday, Aug 8: Chapters 1-6
Monday, Aug 9 – Sunday, Aug 15: Chapters 7-12
Monday, Aug 16 – Sunday, Aug 22: Chapters 13-18
Monday, Aug 23 – Friday, Aug 27: Chapters 19-24

We will be having a special virtual event on Saturday, August 28 at 1 p.m. to meet the author! Please register here.
 
Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Tallyn's Reach Library. Please call 303.627.3050 if you'd like to put one on hold to be picked up at a different branch. Unlimited eAudiobooks are available via HooplaDigital, free with your library card
Posted by [email protected]  On Aug 04, 2021 at 10:00 AM
  
Three on a Theme: Mountains

Votes have been counted and it's time for this month's Three on a Theme recommendations!

This month's options were MOUNTAINS vs. BEACH and the winner was...MOUNTAINS! Check out our staff’s recommendations below! 

Have book recommendation that we missed? Tell us about it in the comments!

ADULTS:
“The Bear” by Andrew Krivak

The Bear
In an Edenic future, a girl and her father live close to the land in the shadow of a lone mountain. They possess a few remnants of civilization: some books, a pane of glass, a set of flint and steel, a comb. The father teaches the girl how to fish and hunt, the secrets of the seasons and the stars. He is preparing her for an adulthood in harmony with nature, for they are the last two left. But when the girl suddenly finds herself alone in an unknown landscape, it is a bear that will lead her back home through a vast wilderness, which offers the greatest lessons of all, if she can only learn to listen. A cautionary tale of human fragility, of love and loss, “The Bear” is a stunning tribute to the beauty of nature's dominion.

TEENS:
“Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen


Hatchet
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

CHILDREN (J2):
“My Side of the Mountain” by Jean Craighead George 

My Side of the Mountain
A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.
Posted by [email protected]  On Jul 29, 2021 at 8:09 PM
  
Family Book Club

Welcome to Family Book Club! This is an exciting club for families who love to read and is appropriate for ages 8-15. The books chosen are always within the 3rd-6th grade level but both younger and older kids have enjoyed them! If your child is younger, I encourage the family to read the book aloud together or listen to the audiobook (if available)!

This month we are reading "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. When Emily moves to San Francisco, home of her literary hero Garrison Griswold, she soon becomes involved with a mystery involving one of his books. With the help of her new friend, James, they must solve puzzles in order to find the hidden prize but must be beware of others after the same thing! 
Please note: There is gun violence in chapters 1 & 39. The details Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror story, "The Black Cat", is described in chapter 20.  
Genre: MYSTERY.

Chapters 33 -42
1. Even though Maddie is unpleasant, was it right for Emily and James to trick her?
2. I never trusted Mr. Remora. Did you?
3. Did you expect Hollister to be in on everything? I had wondered when Emily and James saw him in places they were also searching.
4. Did you like that this ended up being a treasure hunt?
5. What did you think of the book?

We will be having a special virtual event TODAY at 5 p.m.to meet the author! 
Please register here.
 
Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Tallyn's Reach Library. Please call 303.627.3050 if you'd like to put one on hold to be picked up at a different branch. Unlimited eAudiobooks are available via HooplaDigital, free with your library card! Copies are also available through Prospector.


UPCOMING AUGUST BOOK
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart"The Dragon With a Chocolate Heart" by Stephanie Burgis

We will be having a special virtual event on Saturday, August 28 at 1 p.m. to meet the author! Please register here.
 
Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Tallyn's Reach Library. Please call 303.627.3050 if you'd like to put one on hold to be picked up at a different branch. Unlimited eAudiobooks are available via HooplaDigital, free with your library card! The eAudiobook is also available via Overdrive. 
Posted by [email protected]  On Jul 26, 2021 at 11:20 AM
  
Family Book Club

Welcome to Family Book Club! This is an exciting club for families who love to read and is appropriate for ages 8-15. The books chosen are always within the 3rd-6th grade level but both younger and older kids have enjoyed them! If your child is younger, I encourage the family to read the book aloud together or listen to the audiobook (if available)!

This month we are reading "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. When Emily moves to San Francisco, home of her literary hero Garrison Griswold, she soon becomes involved with a mystery involving one of his books. With the help of her new friend, James, they must solve puzzles in order to find the hidden prize but must be beware of others after the same thing! 
Please note: There is gun violence in chapters 1 & 39. The details Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror story, "The Black Cat", is described in chapter 20.  
Genre: MYSTERY.

Chapters 22 - 32
1. At this point in the story, are you more interested in Mr. Griswold’s game or the cipher competition between James and Maddie? 
2. How did you feel after Maddie had stolen James’ Baconian cipher?
3. Do you agree with James or Emily about the importance of the game?
4. Did you expect Mr. Quisling to be Babbage??
5. Do you think James will forgive Emily?
 
Next week read chapters 33-42!
We will be having a special virtual event on Monday, July 26 at 5 p.m.to meet the author! Please register here.
 

Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Tallyn's Reach Library. Please call 303.627.3050 if you'd like to put one on hold to be picked up at a different branch. Unlimited eAudiobooks are available via HooplaDigital, free with your library card! Copies are also available through Prospector.
Posted by [email protected]  On Jul 19, 2021 at 11:58 AM
  
Family Book Club

Welcome to Family Book Club! This is an exciting club for families who love to read and is appropriate for ages 8-15. The books chosen are always within the 3rd-6th grade level but both younger and older kids have enjoyed them! If your child is younger, I encourage the family to read the book aloud together or listen to the audiobook (if available)!

This month we are reading "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. When Emily moves to San Francisco, home of her literary hero Garrison Griswold, she soon becomes involved with a mystery involving one of his books. With the help of her new friend, James, they must solve puzzles in order to find the hidden prize but must be beware of others after the same thing! 
Please note: There is gun violence in chapters 1 & 39. The details Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror story, "The Black Cat", is described in chapter 20.  
Genre: MYSTERY.

Chapters 11 - 21
1. Have you ever had to start at a new school in the middle of the year? Were you as nervous as Emily?
2. Have you ever had a teacher like Mr. Quisling?
3. Do you think Maddie could be Babbage?
4. Have you read any Edgar Allan Poe stories?
5. Do you think Mr. Remora is an imposter or really Mr. Griswold’s book collector? Would you give him The Gold-Bug to save his job or would you keep it to finish the game first?
 
Next week read chapters 22-32!
We will be having a special virtual event on Monday, July 26 at 5 p.m.to meet the author! Please register here.
 

Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Tallyn's Reach Library. Please call 303.627.3050 if you'd like to put one on hold to be picked up at a different branch. Unlimited eAudiobooks are available via HooplaDigital, free with your library card! Copies are also available through Prospector.
Posted by [email protected]  On Jul 13, 2021 at 12:25 PM
  
Make & Learn

Welcome to Make & Learn! Help prepare your child for kindergarten with activities that focus on early literacy skills you can make and play at home.

In this video, Miss Sara shares how to make story stones – a fun activity that uses the early literacy practice of talk to support vocabulary and narrative skill development. These skills help a child practice and understand language and how we use it to tell stories and communicate, which in turn helps them get ready to read!

Posted by [email protected]  On Jul 07, 2021 at 10:44 AM
  
Mental Health Spotlight

Resources listed are for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat a condition without the guidance of a mental health professional. If you or someone you know is having a mental health emergency, please call 911 or Colorado Crisis Services at 1.844.493.TALK. 
 
Hey teens! Interested in mental health? 
 
Each month the Aurora Public Library focuses on a different topic related to mental health. Swing by the Central branch teen area to browse YA novels and nonfiction. Whether you or someone you know is living with a mental health issue, or you merely are interested in the topic, APL has information, resources, and reading materials for you. 
 
Remember, your mental health matters. 
 
This month’s Mental Health Spotlight is on ADHD.  

Photo of Teen Resources book display at Central Library; titles include young adult titles about ADHD
 
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a condition marked by patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with daily functioning.  

The National Institute of Mental Health describes the three categories of symptoms: 
“Inattention means a person wanders off task, lacks persistence, has difficulty sustaining focus, and is disorganized; and these problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension. 
Hyperactivity means a person seems to move about constantly, including in situations in which it is not appropriate; or excessively fidgets, taps or talks. In adults, it may be extreme restlessness or wearing others out with constant activity. 
Impulsivity means a person makes hasty actions that occur in the moment without first thinking about them and that may have a high potential for harm, or a desire for immediate rewards or inability to delay gratification. An impulsive person may be socially intrusive and excessively interrupt others or make important decisions without considering the long-term consequences.” 
 
About ADHD:  
ADHD in Teens
Everything You Need to Know About ADHD
 
Relatable + Helpful Articles:  
Sometimes ADHD has an unfortunate stigma attached with it. Here’s a handful of common misconceptions regarding ADHD: it only impacts children, it isn’t a real disorder, people who have ADHD are just lazy or easily distracted, ADHD is overly and recklessly diagnosed, you can grow out of ADHD… to name a few.  
This is NOT true! ADHD is a real medical condition that can severely impact a person’s life.  

Check out these relatable and helpful articles regarding ADHD: 
19 Truths People With ADHD Wish Others Understood
23 Times Tumblr Nailed What It's Like To Have ADHD
What is EFT Tapping, and Can It Calm the ADHD Brain 
35 Things People With ADHD Want Everyone Else To Know 
17 Unfortunate Realities Of Having ADHD
What is EFT Tapping, and Can It Calm the ADHD Brain
TikTok Creators Show the “Real” ADHD
29-Year-Old Artist With ADHD Explains This Mental Disorder In 23 Comics
ADHD Coping Strategies You Haven’t Tried Yet
 
Explore Young Adult novels that address ADHD: 

For more resources for all ages, visit the nonfiction department at your local library and look for the call numbers 616 & 618. Resources are also available at Aurora Mental Health
 
Check back in August for our next Mental Health Spotlight! 
Posted by [email protected]  On Jul 06, 2021 at 11:42 AM
  
Leah Henderson

Welcome to Family Book Club! This is an exciting club for families who love to read and is appropriate for ages 8-15. The books chosen are always within the third to sixth grade level but both younger and older kids have enjoyed them! If your child is younger, I encourage the family to read the book aloud together or listen to the audiobook (if available)!

This month we are reading "The Magic in Changing Your Stars" by Leah Henderson. Ailey loves to dance but struggles with fears such as stage fright. With a magical pair of tap shoes, Ailey travels back in time and meets his grandfather and together they help each other build confidence. However, now that Ailey has changed the past, can he get home again to the present? Genre: FANTASY.

Chapters 30 (Truth Rings True All the Way to Your Toes) – 43 (A Smidgen of Your Own Magic)
1. Do you think that by convincing Taps he is good enough, Ailey also convinced himself?
2. What other lessons did Ailey learn while in 1939?
3. Did Ailey change things for the better for his grandpa?
4. What did you think of the book?
 
We will be having a special virtual event TODAY to meet the author! Please register here.
 
Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Tallyn's Reach Library. Please call 303.627.3050 if you'd like to put one on hold to be picked up at a different branch. Copies are also available through Prospector here.
Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 28, 2021 at 3:43 PM
  
Create It Pets

Welcome to Create It: Pets! Each month, in partnership with the Aurora Animal Shelter, we will be sharing a fun, easy DIY to make for furry friends! 

Help a shelter animal find a new home with an "Adopt me" vest! Vests can be donated to the Aurora Animal Shelter. Visit AuroraAnimalShelter.org or call 303.326.8280 for donation information. 


Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 24, 2021 at 8:57 AM
  
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