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5 fantastic farmyard books 14/03/25
The Tiger Who Sleeps Under My Chair
Publisher: Head of Zeus
This intriguing, powerful story for older readers follows two timelines - in Victorian England, young Emma Linden, who dreams of following in the footsteps of her hero, fossil-hunter Mary Anning; and animal-lover Rosie Linden, her great, great granddaughter, who has a restless mind and an inexplicable need to protect those around her.
In 1884, Emma's brother James begins to suffer from poor mental health following an obsession with a taxidermy tiger in a museum. The children move to their grand family home in the countryside to rest - but at night, James roams the land alone and appears the following morning curled up and covered in dirt and leaves under Emma's chair.
Meanwhile, in 2023, Jude's dream of being a football star are dashed when he's dropped from the school team - but on the very same day he encounters Rosie, who has been missing for several days, and makes a decision which will affect the rest of their lives.
Can Rosie and Jude uncover the secrets of Emma and James all those years ago - and does tiger blood run in Rosie's veins, too?
Each of the two storylines sensitively explores mental health and the changing attitudes of the time - from the Victorian theories and limited treatment which saw many people treated badly, to our understanding and knowledge about conditions such as psychosis and epilepsy today. Two of the key characters in the book are in a position where they need to care for a friend with poor mental health, and a fascinating Q&A on mental health with author Hannah Foley in the back of the book looks at how we can support people experiencing mental health difficulties, which is sure to generate lots of discussion.
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Books about family illness
This is a selection of stories where a member of the protagonist's family is ill. It includes mental illness, as well as physical.
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Books set in the Victorian times
These fiction books are all set in the nineteenth century, and are suitable for ages 7-11. They provide an insight into Victorian lives, shining a light on different aspects of society, with settings as varied as Cardiff, London and a travelling circus. They are all realistic stories.
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Book to support mental health awareness for ages 8 and over
Books that acknowledge or explore mental health issues can help to increase awareness, encourage dialogue, reduce stigma and develop real understanding. The following suggestions offer a spectrum of different perspectives and are well worth seeking out.
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Books we love in February 2023
A selection of books we love this month
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Books about epilepsy and seizures
This booklist includes books with characters who have epilepsy and books with characters that have seizures. The cause is not always explained or known, nor is it the same in every case. It’s important to note that those books set in historical times do show some ignorance and subsequent ill-treatment, which can be hard to read about. However, these are exce…