World Book Day

To mark World Book Day 2023, we’re looking at the many benefits of reading.

According to the World Book Day charity, reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success.

Their aim is to see children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, develop a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and so help improve their lives.

With that in mind, we’ve also compiled a list of our top books for children’s mental health below.

First let’s look at some of the many benefits of reading…

• Reading is pleasurable and can help reduce stress
• Reading can help you to escape from the ‘real world’
• Reading can help your memory and gives your brain a workout
• Joining a reading group, or visiting your local library can be a way to meet others & socialise
• Reading can help you develop insights about yourself and others
• Reading can help you increase your general knowledge

So why not take some time today to visit your local library or bookshop? You could simply curl up with a good book, or have a browse and see if you can find any of those we’ve put on our list below.

OUR Generation recommends….

My Feelings and Me – A Child’s Guide to Understanding Emotions, by Poppy O’Neill 

This book combines CBT and mindfulness to help children regulate their feelings and emotions. For ages 7–11, kids are guided by a character called Pop, but there are tips for parents too.

The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright

This story about a lion and a mouse aims to teach an important lesson about being brave and not allowing our insecurities to hold us back.

You Are Awesome: Find Your Confidence and Dare to be Brilliant at (Almost) Anything by Matthew Syed

You are Awesome is a guide to help children discover their potential. Achieving success is all about having the right mindset and working hard, and the book provides lots of hints and tips.

Kind by Alison Green

Kind is a picture book about how little acts of kindness can make a difference to the lives of others, through sharing and making other people feel welcome.

Happy by Nicola Edwards

Happy is all about encouraging young readers to explore their emotions and appreciate the world around them. It features illustrations and poems on the theme of mindfulness

Hey Warrior by Karen Young

This book aims to help children understand why anxiety feels the way it does and where the physical symptoms come from. This can be a huge step in helping to turn anxiety around. Other key themes the book explores are self-care and positivity.

Designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, World Book Day is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. #WorldBookDay

For more information on World Book Day, click here