Crazy

Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling to understand a parent's erratic behavior or is beginning to fear that their family's history of mental illness might be their own destiny. Set in the 1960s, this verse novel follows fifteen-year-old Laura as she navigates her mother's spiraling bipolar disorder while trying to maintain her own identity as an artist and a normal teenager. The story explores deep emotional themes of inherited trauma, the stigma of psychological struggles, and the therapeutic power of creativity. It is highly appropriate for middle and high school students who need a realistic yet hopeful look at family dynamics. Parents will appreciate how it validates the confusion and guilt often felt by children of struggling parents, ultimately offering a path toward resilience and self-definition.