From Scholastic.com

“This week at Scholastic headquarters in New York, Trade publishing editor Samantha Schutz told co–workers about some of her greatest personal struggles. No, this wasn’t an impromptu group therapy session, but a "Library Lunchtime Talk" during which Schutz gave one of the first public readings of I Don’t Want to Be Crazy, a poetry memoir about her struggle with anxiety disorder. Released this month under the Scholastic PUSH imprint, the book is already on The Poetry Foundation’s top ten Children’s Best Sellers list.

Introducing the Scholastic employee and first–time author, Scholastic editorial director and executive editor David Levithan said, “Some people use words to hide themselves, others to find themselves. Samantha has used words to find herself, and is brave enough to share them with others.” And share she did, reading poems that describe—sometimes breath to breath—the panic attacks that intensified during her freshman year in college. Based on journals she kept throughout her college years, the poems vividly convey what the experience of an anxiety attack is like—and describe how Schutz learned to cope, with help from campus health services, a therapist, and a psychiatrist.

Schutz recommends this very personal memoir to readers age 14 and up. She is currently talking with representatives of psychiatric associations, clinics, and other interested groups about how her book can be used as a tool to help the thousands of children and adolescents who have anxiety disorder.

You can read more about I Don’t Want To Be Crazy on scholastic.com, and check out her biography while you’re there. Samantha’s personal website has excerpts from her book, links to info resources on anxiety disorder and other mental health concerns, and news about her upcoming readings and events. You can also find out about the Scholastic PUSH imprint, which is dedicated to new authors and new voices, at thisispush.com.”