It’s that time of year where every senior is freaking out about college deadlines. Should I apply early decision? Is my essay good enough? Will my teacher really write me a good letter of recommendation? Stress is normal to every student, but it affects some more than others. It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini is a great novel about this. The book is a fictional story about a high school freshman named Craig Gilner. After months of studying, he gets accepted to a prestigious professional prep school in Manhattan, only to fall into severe depression upon realizing that he can’t keep up with the rigorous curriculum. After nearly committing suicide, Craig checks himself into the psychiatric facility of a local hospital and learns to get his life under control. The book is funny, informative, and almost therapeutic to read. Although this work is fictional, the author had a similar experience himself and spent five days in adult psychiatric at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY in late 2004.

If reading a fictional novel isn't enough to help you relax, the library has several books in our collection about how to deal with stress. Just ask a librarian to suggest some titles!