Arts & CulturePress Release

Rekindling the Inner Child through pages and prose

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Psychologists say that the “inner child” isn’t just a metaphor it’s the emotional blueprint we carry into adulthood. Left unchecked, this inner child can quietly influence how we react, relate, and retreat. But when we nurture it? We reclaim our joy, rewrite narratives, and inch closer to emotional clarity.

Fully Booked recommends reads this Mental Health Awareness Month to help with healing your inner child, allowing yourself to feel like you’re giving yourself a warm, overdue embrace.

SELF-HELP: Page-Turners for the Soul

The Art of You by James McCrae
As children, we were brimming with imagination. Our minds were free to explore and create without limits. But over time, as we grew older, some of us fell out of touch, as creativity and play were replaced with practicality and a more “adult-appropriate” mindset. This book by conscious creativity leader James McCrae offers a fun and immersive guide to reclaim your creativity, awaken your inner child, and reclaim your artist within. Presented in an engagingly visual style with word art, poems, memes, illustrations, and rituals, The Art of You is designed to help you find creative alignment, purpose, and flow.  

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Wabi Sabi: The Wisdom in Imperfection by Nobuo Suzuki
This one’s for those raised to be the “best,” the “first”, and to be nothing short of perfect. It might be time for you to unlearn perfectionism through this book about the ancient Japanese art of Wabi Sabi, to see the beauty in the imperfect, unfinished, and impermanent, filled with tips and haiku exercises to teach you how to apply this in every aspect of your life.  

Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did by Geloy Concepcion
This photographic self-help journal might unlock buried memories from your childhood that can help you deal with emotional issues, heal on a deeper level, and move forward with your life. Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did is a stunning reminder of the role of art in a time of personal and global unrest, showing how when we speak of our own pain, we can find and offer healing.  

It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn
Thought you got just your nose from your grandma? It turns out, we inherit more than the shape of our noses from our parents and ancestors– they also pass down their traumas. Get this groundbreaking book if you want to know more about traumatic legacies that are passed down in families over generations, and how to break that cycle. 

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FICTION: Storybooks That Still Speak

Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales (Canterbury Classics Edition)
There’s nothing like fairy tales to take us back to our childhood—whether your parents read them to you at bedtime or your preschool teacher regaled you with stories from places far, far away. Now that you’re an adult, it’s high time to revisit these stories and see how they shaped your beliefs and worldview. As an added bonus, read the original, darker versions of these fairy tales—the versions that weren’t “toned down” for children’s consumption. Featuring treasured favorites like Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, and Cinderella, this book will transport you back to your childhood and the stories that either astounded you or kept you up at night. 

CHILDREN’S (for Adults Who Forgot How to Be One)

Bluey
Bluey is the animated TV series we didn’t know we needed until we saw it. Cute and loveable characters, vibrant colors, an enthralling and danceable soundtrack, clever writing, and an honest and genuine portrayal of family that resonates both with kids and adults, what’s not to love? 

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
If you’ve ever felt like you had to grow up too fast when you were a kid, this whimsical and fun fairytale by Dianne Wynn Jones, filled with magic, wonder, and fantasy, will bring joy to your heart. Sophie, the eldest of three sisters, who works as a hatter in a hat shop, is destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she is cursed by the Witch of the Waste and turned into an old lady, Sophie knows her only chance at breaking the spell lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills beyond, ruled by the evil Wizard Howl. An enchanting story, Howl’s Moving Castle teaches the most overworked and disillusioned adults that it takes courage to rediscover the magic within ourselves.  

MEMOIR: Truth, Trauma, and Tenderness

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
For those who have a complicated or fractured relationship with their parents, this book offers a fresh perspective on understanding and reflecting on those experiences. This emotional memoir by Jeanne McCurdy is about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how, with courage and kindness, she finally retook control of her life. 

FILM & THEATRICAL ADAPTATIONS: From Dollhouse to Discourse

Barbie: The Screenplay by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach
As children, we adored Barbie dolls for their beauty, fun, and universal appeal. However, as we grew older and more critical, we came to understand that Barbie also represented societal ideas of gender stereotypes and unrealistic beauty standards. Enter Greta Gerwig, who brilliantly reimagined Barbie, turning the narrative on its head. If you’re looking to reconnect with your inner child—the part of you that once idolized and aspired to be like Barbie—this is your chance. Empower yourself with a feminist retelling of who and what Barbie represents through the iconic screenplay, now available in print. Hi Barbie! 

This May, connect with your inner child and prioritize your mental health through the power and magic of books. Check out the books in Fully Booked’s Mental Health Collection. 

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