Dr Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos

Sixteen-year-old James Whitman struggles with anxiety and with life in an unhappy household after his older sister has been kicked out. His coping strategies include hugging trees, reading Walt Whitman's poetry, and speaking to an imaginary therapist who happens to be a pigeon.

"I do not tell Dr. Bird I want to kill myself sometimes, but she knows. She's up in my head. She perches on the power lines of my thoughts."

Dr Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos tackles tough subjects with sensitivity and humour. This ultimately uplifting novel is a finalist for the 2014 YALSA Morris Award.

Readalikes: The 10 p.m. Question (Kate De Goldi); Boy Toy (Barry Lyga); Please Ignore Vera Dietz (A.S. King); and Paper Towns (John Green).