Wokingham Borough Council libraries are working in partnership with UK charity The Reading Agency to launch their ‘Read Well for Children’ booklist and support children’s mental health and wellbeing.
From today, to coincide with the start of children’s mental health week, Wokingham Borough libraries will be providing residents access to the 33 books recommended on the list for children aged 7 to 11, covering topics relevant to children of today, including grief, anxiety, bullying and staying safe online.
The booklist is targeted at children in key stage two and includes titles suitable for a wide range of reading levels to support less confident readers, and to encourage children to read together with their siblings and friends, as well as with their parents and carers.
“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 1 in 8 who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, with using quality-assured information, advice and stories all approved by experts,” said Karen Napier, CEO of The Reading Agency.
“Reading can be a very powerful tool and we hope, by providing our children these books within our libraries, they will feel more comfortable raising issues that may concern them and encourage them to talk about their feelings with their parents and carers,” said Cllr Parry Batth, exec member for environment and leisure.
“We will also be hosting a family session at Wokingham Library during children’s mental health week where families can come and learn techniques to stay calm and relax.
“There will be games, stretching, breathing exercises and lots more for you and your child to enjoy and to help improve their sleep, concentration, self-esteem and confidence.”
Wokingham Library’s Relax Kids session is taking place on Tuesday 4 February at 4:45pm for primary school aged children. There will be a £1 charge. Book your spot by calling 0118 978 1368.
A full overview of all of the titles on the Reading Well for Children booklist can be found on the Reading Well website.
