The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety and Depression

 

The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety Written by Katherine Speller and Illustrated by Harshad Marathe

Reviewed by V. Covarrubias, K. Delacruz, A. Estrada, D. Gonzales, G. Gonzalez

Review:

The Beasts in Your Brain is a non-fiction novel by Katherine Speller, illustrated by Harshad Marathe. Simply put, this novel is a valuable guide for teens struggling with mental health and those who care about them. This novel examines the human experience of mental health challenges through adolescence. The book explores the "beasts" that reside in our minds, representing issues such as anxiety, depression, and other emotional or psychological struggles, and dives into how these internal forces mold our perceptions, behaviors, and relationships. Within the book, there are various chapters with different tools and explanations about how one may be feeling mentally, along with some struggles that are being faced. Speller gives tips and reassurances about how young readers may be feeling. The themes in the novel revolve around teens and adolescents struggling with mental health, the duality of strength and vulnerability, and what we believe to be most crucial, which all adolescents may struggle with, is self-awareness and acceptance. All of these themes Speller focuses on in her novel resonate in some way with adolescents trying to figure out life and learn about mental health in general. Speller gives tips and reassurances about how young readers may be feeling. She helps reassure the reader they are not alone throughout the book. The book explains exercises to help young readers with their mental struggles and provides detailed information about everything a young reader might need or ask.

A novel such as this has the potential to be highly influential and should be incorporated into classrooms, given the current state of YA literature. We are not attempting to discredit classic novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Giver, The Great Gatsby, and Lord of the Flies. All of these non-fiction novels provide different life lessons and help young readers interpret what is right and what is wrong in the stories. The issue with solely relying on these outdated literary works is that they fail to address the mental health issues that adolescents may encounter during their growing-up years. Our education system aims to prepare our students to function in a complex society, but that system falls short of teaching the importance of mental health and how to cope with it. Explaining what mental health is, different types of mental struggles, and how we can overcome the "beasts" that are in our brain trying to take control of how we are feeling is essential; this book does just that. It is an outlet for hope and triumph over the feeling of mental struggles. Old literature does not discuss mental health and how young readers can deal with it. Yet, this book delivers comfort and excellent knowledge to young readers about mental health, and especially tips on how to handle mental health struggles.

Many of us sadly struggle with maintaining our mental health. As adolescents, we often feel that we lack the resources to address our mental health issues, or we simply don't feel comfortable discussing them. As we read this non-fiction guide to battle the "beasts" in our brain, we found the author, Katherine Speller, to write in a tone that is so positive, encouraging, and reassuring that young readers are not alone when dealing with mental health. Throughout the story, there is so much information and tools on how to deal with problems young adults may be facing. There are plenty of exercises, suggestions, and resources on how to make your day a little bit easier to conquer when maybe your mind isn't feeling so great. Speller makes sure to focus and be clear when explaining ideas and solutions to how young readers may be feeling. She includes taking care of yourself, making sure the readers know we are essential, talking to support systems, and how we can overcome habits in our life that are very unhealthy for us mentally. We, as university students, felt heard and supported while reading this novel and agreed that we could have 100% used and appreciated a book like this in middle/high school. So, why shouldn't we offer a book that our young readers feel supported by and promote a healthy way to handle mental health compared to alternatives like being on your phone, sometimes drugs, and worst of all, nothing? Why let the struggles of mental health build-up when simply providing a comforting guide to handle it could make the difference in a smoother, more confident way through school? This novel is an excellent guide in helping readers figure out mental health and the ways to help them more than others that are given in the book. There is always help when dealing with mental health, and this book will give young readers guidance through possible dark times.

Biography:

    Katherine Speller is an author and editor from Hudson Valley, New York. Her first book, “The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety and Depression” was recently published in 2023.  She is currently based in Brewster, New York, and is the Editorial Director of Evergreen and Growth at Parents, a parenting magazine that focuses on pregnancy, birth, babies, and parenting. Parents is an award-winning online blog-type resource that reaches about 9 million readers a month. She studied journalism and philosophy at the State University of New York as New Paltz, where she also co-managed the award-winning student-run newspaper. As stated on her website, she is passionate about telling stories and making a difference in people's lives both online and offline. Her work covering topics such as health, wellness, social and political issues, sex and relationships, and pop culture have appeared on multiple famous news outlets including MTV News, Women’s Health, Bitch, and The Daily Dot. Speller credits her inspiration to her teens and realized that one of the most accessible ways to understand others and for others to understand her came through means of reading and writing. As her writing career started to begin, she felt that her work should be about creating inclusivity amongst her readers and that her work should be thoroughly researched, reported, and told to diverse families. She is also the Health and Sex Editor at SheKnows, where she helps edit multiple articles concerning all things sexual and health-related. In her free time, Speller enjoys being outdoors, reading tarot, and spending time with her cat and two dogs.

                

    Harshad Marathe is an illustrator and book cover designer, both forms of these works are featured in "The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety and Depression". In 2014, he graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and completed the MFA Illustration in Visual Essay Program. He has won several awards, such as the Publishing Next Shortlist for Printed Children's Book of the Year in 2019, the Crossword Award for Best Illustrated Children's Book in 2018, and the Publishing Next Award for Children's Book of the Year, as well as Publishing Next runner up for book of the year in 2017. He has also participated in art shows such as the "Boundaries" group show which was curated by Richard Brooks in the Visual Arts Gallery in New York in 2014, and the "In Time Out of Space" group show which was curated by Katya Grokhovsky at The Asian Society of Arts in New York City, as well as "The Art of Muezza and Baby Jaan" solo show, which was put together by Bedlam and Puffn Books, at A Little Anarky Studios, Hauz Khas, New Delhi in 2017. He is well known for his digital illustrations which he also showcases online, exhibiting commissioned works along with personal projects. He manages to blend together a traditional style with modern aesthetics as he draws inspiration from his culture and contemporary life. As mentioned on his website, he seeks to push the boundaries with his works in order to convey intricate stories such as the ones explored within "The Beasts in Your Brain".

Instructional Resources:

1. Glenn Close: My Mission to Change the Narrative on Mental Health:  The Ted Talk discusses how there has to be a change in the narrative that surrounds mental health. It relates to the book because it touches on mental health within young adults because a lot of the time, many are afraid to reach out for help or talk about their mental health struggles and this gives it a narrative on what a toll it can take on people.

2. Hailey Hardcastle: Why students should have mental health days | TED Talk:

This video on why it is important that even young adults get the chance to take mental health days off throughout the school year because students, when not getting breaks, can take an emotional or physical toll on them. The latter part of the video discusses how students can care for themselves or even start a conversation with their parents on mental health. Furthermore, it discusses how schools should have resources to teach students how they should take care of themselves. 

3. Handling Sensitive Topics - Teaching and Learning Hub:

The article provides tips and guidelines on discussing sensitive topics with students and in the classroom through frameworks, other teachers' experiences, and how to acknowledge them. The article provides great tips on how to make sure you can bring up sensitive topics towards students and how it can affect them, which creates a connection with the mental health topics discussed by Katherine Speller. 

4. Teens are talking about mental health | NIH MedlinePlus Magazine:

The article provides stories about other teenagers' mental health experiences. It helps provide insight into some experiences or topics that teens may go through while struggling with their mental health, both in their community and at school. Students may be able to relate to what other young adults are discussing about their experience and find a connection between the article and what Speller is discussing in the book.

5. Best Ever Literacy Tips for Teaching Informational Text Structures:

The blog includes a variety of tips on how to teach informational text to students. Teachers can use this to look at different ways to engage students on what it is and how to analyze and write it. 

6. Unlocking the Power of Informational Text With Five Creative Ideas:

The Blog provides a more creative way to teach informational text. It includes a more creative variety of teaching in the classroom than the traditional way. It can help students find different ways to understand informational texts better since not everyone learns the same way.

7. Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Explanation and Class Activity:

The video gives more information about ethos, pathos, and logos and how they are used. It also provides different scenarios on where they can apply ethos, pathos, and logos how to convince others about certain topics. Since Katherine Speller uses ethos in the book, it is important that students at least know what ethos, logos, and pathos are and how they work to convince the audience.

8. How YOU Can Fact-Check the Internet (VIDEO):

The video provides how to fact-check information from the Internet. It provides different tips on how to tell if what you are reading is credible or not credible. Since Katherine Speller includes sources in the book, it is important to distinguish whether the sources are credible.

9. Teaching Writing with Sources:

This blog includes tips on how to teach students how to incorporate credible sources into their writing and how they can help with the arguments or information that they are presenting. Since Speller includes credible sources in their writing, it can help show how it can help convince the audience that what they are writing about is important and how there are credible sources to prove their points.

   

Instructional Activity:

Preview: 

Students will be able to synthesize text and form a brief but compelling argument while discussing the credibility of authors with a group. Students will also be able to explicate the assigned chapter in a group setting in order to plan for a quick and brief presentation the following day. The second day of this activity will allow students to develop claims and counterclaims while evaluating others' perspectives and providing evidence that further supports their argument.

California Common Core Standards:

1. Key Ideas and Details: CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

2. Text Types and Purposes: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.1.B: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. 

3. Comprehension and Collaboration: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3: Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

4. Comprehension and Collaboration: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1C: Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.

5. Comprehension and Collaboration: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.D: Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

 Resources and Preparation:

Resources and Preparation - The Beasts in Your Brain Activity

Instructional Plan:

Summarize, Analyze, and Argument Practice (2-Day Activity)
7 groups of 5 -- 1 group per chapter (can be adjusted to fit smaller or larger classroom sizes; can expand to 2-3 days of presentations if  class size is large)

Day 1: This activity is meant to be done AFTER finishing the book. Students will discuss the assigned chapter, each person should discuss one section of the questions on the handout and plan for a brief 5-6 minute presentation per group the following day. Introduce the activity to students.

1. Give students a handout and explain what is expected; such as a brief presentation the following day that explicates the chapters assigned and answers the questions (see handout)

2. Assign groups (as seen fit) and allow students to discuss and work amongst themselves; provide support as needed; student-driven activity on the first day.

Day 2: Have each group present their work and defend their argument; no formal presentation slides are needed; brief argument on why or why not the group believes the author is credible; list possible reasons (rhetorical and analytical) and examples from the book (quotes) to further support their argument.

1. Each group will present their assigned chapter via a compelling argument that synthesizes the text in the chapter and further explicates the topics discussed.

2. Each group will provide evidence to support their argument/claim guided by the questions provided in the handout.

3. With each brief presentation, students will be able to follow up and thoughtfully discuss other groups' perspectives and incorporate them into their own arguments.

4. Answer any questions that students may still have after the presentations

5. If extra time allows (if not, this can be followed up in another class session): as a class, discuss the credibility of Speller and how students should question all sources, no matter if it is deemed credible at first.

Bibliography

Ciskowski, Megan. “The Beasts in Your Brain: An Interview with Illustrator Harshad Marathe.” The Lerner Blog, Lerner Publishing Group, 12 Sept. 2023, https://lernerbooks.blog/2023/09/the-beasts-in-your-brain-an-interview-with-illustrator-harshad-marathe.html.

Close, Glenn. “My Mission to Change the Narrative of Mental Health.” Glenn Close: My Mission to Change the Narrative of Mental Health | TED Talk, TED Conferences, LLC., Oct. 2023, https://www.ted.com/talks/glenn_close_my_mission_to_change_the_narrative_of_mental_health?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

“Handling Sensitive Topics.” Teaching and Learning Hub, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 26 Sept. 2024, https://tlhub.stanford.edu/docs/handling-sensitive-topics/.

Hardcastle, Hailey. “Why Students Should Have Mental Health Days.” Hailey Hardcastle: Why Students Should Have Mental Health Days | TED Talk, TED Conferences, LLC., Jan. 2020, https://www.ted.com/talks/hailey_hardcastle_why_students_should_have_mental_health_days?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

“Harshad Marathe: Illustrator, Storyteller, & Book Cover Designer.” Harshad Marathe: Illustrator, Storyteller, & Book Cover Designer, https://www.harshadmarathe.com/.

Katherine Speller, https://katherinespeller.com/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

“Katherine Speller.” Lerner Publishing Group, Lerner Publishing Group, https://lernerbooks.com/contributors/16216srsltid=AfmBOooB0Dgg7f09gLzlmpAJyeeiECv0Q1C0te_jFE3YGDtpxl-hsYbe. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

“Katherine Speller.” Parents, Dotdash Meredith, http://www.parents.com/katherine-speller-7555047. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

MediaWise. “How YOU Can Fact-Check the Internet (VIDEO).” YouTube, YouTube, 4 Jan. 2019, https://youtu.be/h1gB3dL3ivs?si=yFx1gdILRa4eT33E.

Oczkus, Lori. “Best Ever Literacy Tips for Teaching Informational Text Structures.” International Literacy Association, International Literacy Association, 5 Aug. 2014, https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2014/08/05/best-ever-literacy-tips-for-teaching-informational-text-structures-.

Oczkus, Lori. “Unlocking the Power of Informational Text With Five Creative Ideas.” International Literacy Association, International Literacy Association, 6 May 2014, https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2014/05/06/unlocking-the-power-of-informational-text-with-five-creative-ideas.

“Teaching Writing with Sources.” Teaching Writing with Sources | Writing Across the Curriculum, Regents of the University of Minnesota, https://wac.umn.edu/tww-program/teaching-resources/teaching-writing-with-sources. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

“Teens Are Talking about Mental Health | NIH MedlinePlus Magazine.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/teens-are-talking-about-mental-health. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Tolentino, Brain. “Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Explanation and Class Activity.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Nov. 2020, https://youtu.be/rkUB-ef6Oa4?si=YhVVIfph4uazZEMO.