Reading Well helps people to understand and manage their health and wellbeing using recommended reading.

Reading Well for children helps children and families to boost their wellbeing and manage their mental health using recommended reading collections. The scheme is part of the Reading Well programme, which supports health and wellbeing through reading for all ages.

Reading Well books are recommended by health experts and people living with the conditions covered. People can be recommended a title by a health professional, or they can visit their local library and take a book out for free.

Many of the Reading Well titles are also available to borrow as e-books and audiobooks. Visit your local library website to find out how to join the library and access books electronically.

There are currently five Reading Well booklists available, including Reading Well for teens which supports the mental health and wellbeing of teens (13-18 years old). For more information about Reading Well or see our current list of Reading Well book lists here.

Reading Well is delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with "Libraries Connected":https://www.librariesconnected.org.uk/ as part of the Libraries Connected Universal Health Offer. It is funded by Arts Council England and "Welsh Government":https://www.gov.wales/?lang=en. Reading Well is supported by a range of professional health bodies including NHS England, the Royal College of GPs, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Psychological Society.

About the books

The Reading Well for children book collection is aimed at primary school children and includes titles suitable for a wide range of reading levels to support less confident readers, and to encourage children to read together with others.

The 33 books on the list have been selected to help children understand and talk about their mental health and wellbeing. The books have been selected to open up conversations about feelings between children and their parents or carers or to support families whilst waiting for further support.

Reading Well for children is available in Wales as part of an integrated programme. A selection of the books are available in Welsh and can be borrowed for free from public libraries.

How Reading Well for children works:

The books are chosen and recommended by health experts, as well as people affected by the conditions covered. Children and families can be recommended a title by a teacher or health professional, or they can borrow a book from their local library.

The Reading Well for children booklist covers topics including grief, anxiety, bullying and staying safe online. In recognition of the potential impact of living with diagnosed conditions and physical disabilities, the booklist explores living well with conditions including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and physical disabilities.

Impact and reach:

Reading Well is evaluated each year to ensure that it delivers positive outcomes. Over 3 million Reading Well books have been borrowed from libraries and 91% of people surveyed found their book helpful.

Find out more about the impact here.

Get involved:

Explore the book collection and download digital resources to support Reading Well for children.

If you would like to find out how your organisation or library could deliver Reading Well, email readingwell@readingagency.org.uk.