Iveliz Explains It All

Iveliz is starting middle school and struggling to navigate her mental health issues due to the death of her father and her belief that she was the cause of it. Iveliz explores her grief and pain through a diary-entry-style narrative. She learns to use strategies to help improve her mental health and well-being with the help of medication, therapy, and support from family and friends. This emotional personal narrative broaches complex themes related to family, loss, and growing up. Readers can witness Iveliz’s reflections and how she can begin to reconcile with her father’s tragic death. In a middle-school classroom, powerful messages of resilience, forgiveness, and the importance of others’ help could be explored through class discussions or personal written responses to Iveliz’s diary entries.