Facing the Truth: Feeling Better!

I can say with confidence that we all have hidden stories about ourselves. They may be hidden from the general public, from our circle of family and friends, from those closest in our lives, or even from ourselves. At a time when privacy feels (and usually is) elusive, the last, most sacred, private spaces are within our own heads and hearts. As a very private person myself, this feels like a good thing, something to help kids appreciate and develop for themselves. 
Except...
When those inner secrets haunt us, make us sick, twist our guts, or torment our thoughts, finding safe ways to let them out is the healthy thing to do.
Healthy, but not easy.
Once again, using picture books (and other books- see below) allows us, at any age, to live through intense or seemingly threatening inner struggles through the eyes of a character. That slight distance from the personal and often visceral distress of trying to talk about our own turmoils, whether those are minor or major, provides a sense of safety and  perspective.

NorthSouth Books, 2019

I AM A THIEF is written by Abigail Raynor and illustrated by Molly Ruttan, both of whom seem to be deeply connected with the emotional distress some prickly secrets can generate, at any age. 
The text introduces the issue in Eliza Jane Murphy's matter-of-fact first person voice: 
"I am a thief. Me. Eliza Jane Murphy. Line leader. Caring friend. Captain of the Worm Rescue Team."
This confident and clearly empowered girl is not in denial, only in SHOCK! The reality of what she has done appalls her, and her self-worth is in question. She lays things out as facts, even if they are mind-boggling facts, to her. 
When that sparkly green stone on the classroom display table caught her eye, it stole her heart, her attention, and then stole its way into her little bag. 
"Having" it made her heart sing, until she reflected (wonderfully demonstrated in a bathroom mirror). She realized that her impulsive act had made her someone she never imagined she could be- a THIEF! As she seeks to understand her own actions and also define herself as good or bad by questioning loved ones about their own thieving pasts, she is in for a surprise. 
Not only are the stories she hears unexpected, but they also offer various approaches to integrating obvious mistakes and even intentional poor choices into a full identity. Possible consequences and resolutions are modeled within their stories. A funny and not-so-subtle visual subplot involves her thieving cat, which tempers the satisfying conclusion and avoids an overly sweet resolution. Involving insights into dad and teacher in the ending lends some perspective, too, without extending a free pass to take whatever you want in life. 

Graphix (Scholastic) 2019

As I mentioned above, this kind of self-betrayal and hidden struggle is not limited to the very young. Picture books are not the only explorations of hiding the truth and subsequently stewing internally. Young people often view that approach as a sign of independence, but that isolation only increases anxiety and pain. I AM A THIEF depicts a young elementary girl, but a parallel issue involves a middle grade girl working through hidden fears and suffering in a new semi-autobiographical graphic novel, GUTS. Raina Telgemeier presents aa lightly fictionalized version of her middle grade life that shares many of the same stages and steps toward growth. It also opens the character's eyes to fuller truths about her friends, her nemesis, parents, and teacher. 
And, ultimately, about herself.
Books, particularly books with visual depictions of emotions, settings, and relationships, are uniquely positioned to develop awareness of a reader's internal explorations. More importantly, they can develop empathy for others, as is discussed in a wonderful post by author Bobbi Martin recently on one of my favorite blogs, Teaching Authors.
I AM A THIEF confronts the very common experience of impulsively helping ourselves to something that is not rightly ours. GUTS explores unexpected and escalating feelings of anxiety and desperation, arriving at a highly realistic but encouraging non-resolution. 
In both cases the books remind us, at any age, that we are not alone in our struggles. 
Not alone in such experiences.
Not alone in seeking understanding and resolution.
Let's use books like these to actively help young people develop patterns of turning to others to strengthen themselves, in empathy and independence.