Bibliotherapy #3: Speak even if your voice shakes

Great middle grade books about about standing up for yourself and setting boundaries.

Welcome back to bibliotherapy! Thank you, as always, for sending through your reader profiles for me to work on. But, I am on the hunt for more! Please get in touch and let me know about some kids in your life that could use a literary prescription or two.

Just a reminder of what exactly bibliotherapy is:

Bibliotherapy is a very broad term for the ancient practice of encouraging reading for therapeutic effect.

Today, bibliotherapy takes many different forms, from literature courses run for prison inmates to reading circles for elderly people suffering from dementia. Sometimes it can simply mean one-on-one or group sessions for “lapsed” readers who want to find their way back to an enjoyment of books.

This week I’m focusing on some middle graders who need a gentle push to stand up for themselves. This is something that a great novel could really help with, maybe even more so than blatant lessons in a respectful relationships class. Seeing someone create boundaries in a fictional setting would be great modelling for a young person trying to work out the best way they can do it independently in their own lives.

Let’s take a look!

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I’m looking for some books about standing up for yourself or holding your boundaries. I’m not necessarily after 'teachable' or message type reads. The Year 5-6 students I have in mind would grasp the modelling without explicitly drawing attention to this theme.

The (potentially) right book:

Run by Sarah Armstrong

I recently reviewed this for Books + Publishing, and it comes out at the end of July. It’s a beauty! One of the best middle grade books I’ve read this year. And strong themes of autonomy, trust, boundaries, courage and emotional resilience, and standing up for what you believe in.

With its blend of suspense, emotional depth, and thought-provoking themes, Run will resonate with readers aged 10+. The high-stakes plot and social justice angle are age appropriate and avoid unnecessary grit or violence, making the story suitable for the target audience.

From the author of Big Magic, this original and fast-paced novel follows Cas, who is on the run from his complicated family situation. He ends up deep in the Australian bush, fighting for survival, until he is picked up by a strange family hiding out in the wilderness. They have their own secrets, which Cas soon gets tangled up in.