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The Reading Agency has launched a new booklist, Reading Well, to support children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Produced with Libraries Connected, the themed list contains 33 books covering topics including grief, anxiety, bullying and staying safe online. It also looks at living well with conditions including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and physical disabilities.
Books on the list, which features eight Jessica Kingsley Publishers titles, include Michael Rosen’s Sad Book by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake (Walker Books), Ruby’s Worry written and illustrated by Tom Percival (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) and Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik (Hodder Children’s Books).
The booklist is targeted at children in Key Stage 2 and includes titles suitable for a wide range of reading levels to support less confident readers and encourage children to read together with siblings and carers.
It was developed by The Reading Agency, health professionals, and children with experience of the topics covered and their families and carers. The book selection panel included experts from public libraries, NHS England, Mind, the Royal College of GPs and the School Library Association. The booklist is completely free to access from public libraries.
Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell said: "The mental health of our children is vitally important, and books are a way into discussing lots of different issues kids and parents face every day. More widely, we know that reading anything for the joy of it gives huge mental health benefits: that’s why it’s so crucial children have access to new books in public and school libraries."
Karen Napier, c.e.o. of the Reading Agency added: "At The Reading Agency, we believe in the proven power of reading to tackle life’s big challenges, including the challenge we all face of managing our mental health and wellbeing. This new and important area of our work will support all children, including the one in eight who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, with using quality-assured information, advice and stories all approved by experts."
The project follows research from BookTrust in 2019 showing over a third of parents of children aged four to 11 worried about their child’s mental health at least once a week.
A full list of the titles is available on the Reading Agency website.