Reading list

Interested in exploring child development, trauma, the impact of words and language on health and brain development?

Here are some of our top reads that we hope you will find insightful and offer interesting perspectives.

Let us know what you think, and reach out with your own recommendations – we’d love to hear from you!

Lost at School: Why Kids with Behavioural Challenges are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them by Ross W. Greene

Greene’s book argues that the children who need help most are often seen as disrespectful, out of control, or beyond help, and are subjected to our most ineffective, punitive interventions. He offers a different framework – the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach – which focuses on understanding the root causes of challenging behaviour and empowering behaviour adults to work with students to solve problems.

The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children by Alison Gopnik

Pioneering development psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnnik challenges the modern idea of ‘parenting’ as a goal-driven project of shaping children into specific kinds of adults. Drawing on evolutionary science and research into learning, she shows that caring for children is vital – not as carpenters moulding them, rather as gardeners nurturing them.

Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder by Gabor Maté

Renowned trauma expert and physician Gabor Maté challenges the view that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a fixed, genetic disorder, instead that it stems from early environmental and emotional influences. Drawing on his medical expertise and personal experience, he explains how attention and self-regulation develop and how they can be nurtured at any age.

The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, and Capable Children by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandahl

This book explores how Danish parents consistently raise happy, confident, and resilient children. Drawing on six core principles – play, authenticity, reframing, empathy, avoiding ultimatums, and togetherness – it shows how these practices nurture emotional well-being, strong relationships, and coping skills.

The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Study on Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Mark Schulz

For over 80 years, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has tracked the lives of hundreds of people to uncover the foundations of happiness and fulfilment. The results are clear: good relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness, health, and longevity.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

Acclaimed psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores how the decline of free play and rise of smartphone use among adolescents are reshaping our world. He investigates how smartphones loaded with social media and unsupervised time have changed childhood and rewired human relationships, and what we can do to help children reconnect, focus, and flourish.

Raising Resilience by Tovah P. Klein with Billie Fitzpatrick

Grounded in research and filled with common sense advice, this is a practical and insightful guide drawing on years of clinical work with families, by child development expert Tovah P. Klein. Designed to help nurture a child’s inner resources, it offers parents/carers a roadmap for cultivating supportive relationships even in times of crisis, it presents five core pillars essential for building resilience: Create emotional safety; Teach emotional regulation; Offer limits alongside freedom; Connect with your child; Accept them as they are.

The Gift of Teenagers: Connect More, Worry Less by Rachel Kelly

Mental health writer and mother of five, Rachel Kelly discusses how raising resilient teenagers begins with becoming a more resilient, and better-informed parent. Learning to manage their own emotions, becoming aware of their parenting style, and understanding the world teenagers are growing up in. The book also offers psychologically helpful and evidence-based approaches for supporting teenagers, how to feel more connected, learn to worry less and enjoy them more.

The Art of Talking with Children: The Simple Keys to Nurturing Kindness, Creativity, and Confidence in Kids by Rebecca Rolland

Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and oral and written language specialist in the neurology department of Boston’s Children’s Hospital and a speech-language pathologist. The book shows how quality communication – or rich talk – can help build the skills and capacities children need to thrive. Evidence-based, it features tools and techniques to communicate more effectively with children, helping adults and children connect better in the moment and boosting children’s learning and wellbeing for years to come.

It’s Not Fair: Why it’s Time for a Grown-up Conversation About How Adults Treat Children by Eloise Rickman

This is a powerful book about how we treat children. Author and parent educator Eloise Rickman argues that while children have a right to be kept safe, that doesn’t give adults license to impose what she terms ‘adultism’. Described as the structural discrimination and marginalisation of children by adults where adult needs are prioritised over children’s needs. Extensively researched, including the voices of children and adults, it features practical solutions calling for children’s liberation to be embraced for a better, fairer world.

Emotion Coaching with Children and Young People in Schools: Promoting Positive Behaviour, Wellbeing and Resilience by Louise Gilbert, Lisette Gus and Janet Rose

Emotion Coaching is a communication approach which supports children and adults to manage stressful events and their behaviour. First identified as an effective technique used by parents it has been successful within educational environments. Through pioneering research, the authors created a training programme and introduced Emotion Coaching into UK primary and secondary schools, as well as wider community contexts. Using real-life case studies, it equips adults with tools to respond with empathy, enabling young people to better understand and manage their emotions and behaviour.

What Can We Do When School’s Not Working: An Illustrated Handbook for Professionals by Abigail Fisher and Naomi Fisher and illustrated by Eliza Fricker

This illustrated guide offers an honest look at the experiences of children and families struggling within the school system and explores how we can work with young people to maximise their chances of a positive and fulfilled life. Placing real-life experiences at the core, the book offers valuable insights and will leave you with new ideas as to how to turn things around and support children at risk of disengaging from education.

Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle

Sherry Turkle investigates a troubling consequence of the digital age – we are becoming addicted to connection over conversation. She says this is stopping us from sharing our real opinions and reacting to our family, friends, partners and colleagues in a way that encourages necessary discussion. We must reclaim the conversation.

Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Dr Daniel G Amen and Dr Charles Fay

Neuropsychiatrist Dr Daniel G Amen and child psychologist Dr Charles Fay shares advice to help parents bring up mentally healthy children who are resilient, in a time when many may be struggling. It is a book where neuroscience meets love and logic and includes practical tools for parents.

No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma & Restoring Wholeness by Richard C. Schwartz

Richard C. Schwartz reveals that we are each born with an ‘internal family’ of distinct parts within us. Some of our parts can become trapped in destructive patterns but learning to relate to each of them with curiosity, respect and empathy can vastly expand our capacity to heal and return to a more whole and harmonious ‘self’.

The Child in You: The Breakthrough Method for Bringing Out Your Authentic Self by Stefanie Stahl

Stefanie Stahl describes how to befriend our inner child that may not have been able to build self-confidence and trust growing up. With practical exercises, she explains how we can over-write old memories, learn to resolve conflicts and form better relationships going forward.

Trauma Proof: Healing, Attachment and the Science of Prevention by Benjamin Perks

Benjamin Perks has spent 25 years working for the UN and UNICEF eradicating global barriers to child wellbeing and been on a personal journey of healing from his own childhood. The book argues that making simple changes can break damaging intergenerational cycles and shows how building secure attachments can radically transform your life.

Possible: How to Survive (and Thrive) In an Age of Conflict by William Ury

International negotiator William Ury, takes his almost 50 years of experience grappling with the world’s toughest conflicts to offer a way out of the seemingly impossible problems of our time. As he highlights, while we may not be able to end conflict, we can transform it and unleash new and unexpected possibilities.

The Secret of Happy Children: A Guide for Parents by Stephen Biddulph

A classic which aims to let parents be themselves and children grow up happy, full of self-esteem and feeling loved. Steve Biddulph lets you into the mind of a child to show how the positive ways in which you relate to them will have a strong effect on growing self -esteem, responsibility, and stable emotions. He highlights how negative language will affect children and explains why children may rebel and how you should deal with any issues that could occur.

Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

A fascinating book which explains how the adolescent brain transforms as it develops and shapes the adults we become. Leading scientist Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore draws on her extensive body of research, and explores what makes the adolescent brain different, why a child’s behaviour can change as a teenager, and why mental health issues can begin during these formative years.

The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Frances E. Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt

Another insightful book exploring the teenage brain. It highlights new discoveries that show us exactly what happens to the brain in this crucial period. It offers both exciting science and practical suggestions for how parents, teens and schools can help teenagers get the most out of their incredible brains.

Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties & How to Heal the Conflict by Joshua Coleman

This book explores the many facets of estrangement of parents by their adult children. Labelled as a silent epidemic by a growing number of therapists and researchers, one of the many reasons cited has been the experience of emotional abuse. Psychologist Dr Coleman helps parents better understand the mindset of their adult children and teaches parents how to implement strategies for reconciliation and healing. His approach is based on empathy and understanding for both parent and child.

How we Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living by Vincent Deary

Health psychologist Vincent Deary has spent years helping his patients cope with whatever life has thrown at them. Using clinical case studies, cutting-edge scientific research, personal stories and references from philosophy, literature and film, he offers a reassuring new vision of everyday human struggle. He suggests that big traumas in life are relatively rare, yet more common is that too many things go wrong at once, or we are exposed to prolonged periods of difficulty or uncertainty, and this is why we ‘break’.

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist Robert M. Sapolsky takes an in-depth look at our stress response and how it is making us ill. He explains that when we worry or experience stress, our body turns on the same physiological responses that an animal does, but we do not resolve conflict in the same way – through fighting or fleeing. Combining cutting-edge research with humour and practical advice, he explains how prolonged stress causes or intensifies a range of physical and mental afflictions, including depression, ulcers, colitis, heart disease, and more.

The Orchid and the Dandelion by Dr W Thomas

An inspiring read which explores why some people succeed and others struggle. Dr Thomas discusses how some children are like dandelions and can thrive anywhere, while others are like orchids and are much more sensitive to their surroundings but, with the right environment, will flourish.

The Angel and the Assassin by Donna Jackson Nakazawa

A fascinating exploration of a tiny brain cell called microglia, which is vitally important to our lives. This book is an eye-opening page turner which examines how understanding the power of this cell could transform solutions for brain disorders, health and disease.

The Bullied Brain by Dr Jennifer Fraser

The Bullied Brain shares extensive evidence from doctors, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists and neuroscientists on the significant harm done to the brain by verbal abuse. Packed with research, it discusses how you can become empowered to protect yourself and those you care about.

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van Der Kolk

A brilliant insight and guide on both the effects of trauma and routes to recovery. Filled with case studies and research, it is an enlightening perspective on trauma and how to treat it. This is such an extraordinary book that will change how people think about the mind and body.

Hold onto your Kids by Gabor Maté and Dr Gordon Neufeld

Emphasising the power of parent-child attachment in children’s development, this book helps empower parents with practical advice on how to be a source of contact, security and warmth for their children so they can feel safe and understood and help prevent children replacing them with peers.

What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry

This honest and powerful book challenges us to shift from focusing on what’s wrong with you, or why you behave that way, to asking instead what happened to you? Filled with case studies and personal stories from Winfrey and Perry, it explores how early childhood experiences influence the people we become and teaches us how we can heal.

Home Truths by Dr Lucy Blake

A fascinating book about family life and relationships. Extensively researched and supported by numerous interviews, it will help you understand more about your own family and other people’s. As she concludes, there is no such thing as a normal family.

The Drama of Being a Child by Alice Miller

This book examines the consequences of repression at personal and social levels and the causes of the physical and psychological harm done to children and how this can be prevented. When first published in the late 1970s it was a word-of-mouth sensation and sold over a million copies. New York Magazine described it as ‘rare and compelling in its compassion and its unassuming eloquence…her examples are so vivid and so ordinary they touch the hurt child in us all.’

The Book you Wish your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry

Perry explores how we can build better relationships with our children, the fundamental need for connection and starts with the importance of reflecting on our own upbringing to better understand how we interact with ourselves and others. It contains lots of case studies and exercises and practical ways to rethink situations and reframe the narrative.

Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt

Explains why love is essential to brain development in the early years, and how early interactions between babies and their parents have lasting consequences. Incorporating neuroscience, psychology, psychoanalysis, and biochemistry, she highlights how the development of the brain determines how we react to different situations in our future.

The Whole-Brain Child by Dr Daniel J. Siegel and Dr Tina Payne Bryson

A practical book with 12 proven strategies to nurture a child’s developing mind. It is filled with advice for any adult in a child’s life and while they use the term ‘parent’ throughout, they state that they are talking about ‘anyone doing the critical work of raising, supporting and nurturing kids.’ The entire focus is about parenting with the brain in mind.

The Empathy Effect by Helen Reiss MD with Liz Neporent

An in-depth look at the vital human capability – empathy. Packed with research and stories, it explores how the brain works to make the experience of empathy possible and covers all aspects of empathy from its role in family education, art, literature, leadership and beyond.

Raising the Nation by Paul Lindley

The award-winning entrepreneur, social campaigner, and bestselling author, sets out a series of fresh policy ideas to make the future better for our children. With numerous contributions from academics, campaigners, and those with lived experience it offers an exciting agenda for real change.