According to the CDC, anxiety affects approximately one in 11 children aged 3-17. A panel of experts recently recommended that all children 8 and older be screened for anxiety. Thus, Hena Khan, author of Drawing Deena, hopes to help address America’s mental-health crisis among children through her work. Deena is a lovable and relatable character, a young artist who struggles with anxiety, who wants her parents to stop fighting and having money woes, and dreams of being a painter like her idol, Vincent van Gogh. She learns to stand up against bullies of all ages and that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.

Khan is a Pakistani American writer and winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature. She will be in conversation with Sabaa Tahir, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series, which has been translated into over 35 languages.

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