Demand rises for children's books addressing violence, mental health in Wisconsin

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- As gun violence cases continue to soar across the nation and in the state of Wisconsin, demand has also steadily grown for children's books that address traumatic events such as school shootings.

The United States is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned firearms than citizens.

As anxiety and depression rates have also increased among the youth, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and advocates say children’s books can play a role in helping them cope.

Dr. Emily Mazzulla, a clinical associate professor at Marquette University, and mother of three little kids, wrote a children's book in 2020 called "School in the Time of the Coronavirus."

"What I noticed was that there wasn't a lot of conversation about mental health, and yet there was so much angst, all of the adults were worried, and so I think this is a very similar situation in the sense that adults, who are in charge of keeping kids safe, are worried about the safety of our kids and kids pick up on that," she said.

A librarian in West Allis told CBS 58 that there's been an increase, particularly in mental health books for children being checked out. Many libraries even have a designated "death/grieving" section, catering to all age groups.

AP reported that "book sales for young readers on violence, grief, and emotions have increased for nine straight years, with nearly 6,000,000 copies sold in 2021, according to NPD Bookscan, which tracks U.S. retail sales of print books."

"You want to validate for kids that this is a worry and that their worries are founded," added Dr. Mazzulla. "We have a problem in the United States with gun violence and that violence is in the schools."

She said coping mechanisms like breathing exercises and grounding skills help build resilience. Although there is no one right way to deal with painful and uncomfortable situations, Dr. Mazzulla said the best thing parents can do is not sugarcoat it.

"I don't think saying things like 'oh that's not going to happen to you or to your school is helpful, because there's no data to suggest that that's the case," she said.