Recommended self-help books for young people and families – the ‘Books on prescription' scheme

These books and audiobooks have been recommended by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in East Sussex, to support young people and families facing a range of mental health issues.

The books on this page are for young people and families. We also recommend self-help books for adults.

How the 'Books on prescription' scheme works

Choosing books yourself

Check our booklist below or browse through the books at your local library. It's free and easy to join the library and borrow books.

When books are recommended by your counsellor or adviser

You may have been given a ‘Books on prescription' recommendation slip your child's counsellor or mental health adviser. Take this slip to the library to reserve the book free of charge:

• hand the recommendation slip to staff when you reserve a book in the library
• if you reserve a book on the E-library, a reservation charge will be placed on your account. Just hand the recommendation slip to library staff on your next visit to a library, and they will take the charge off your account. Please note, there are no reservation charges for children under 16.

To find out more, please read our leaflet:

• Books on prescription: guide for patients and families (Adobe PDF, 1.6MB)
• Książki na receptę: Przewodnik dla pacjentów i rodzin (Adobe PDF, 633KB)

Using self-help books

Try to set aside some time each day to work with your book. Having someone to work through it with you can help. Your local mental health service may be able to offer support.

If the book includes exercises or questionnaires, please make your own copy of the material and use this for your work. You can make photocopies at the library for a small charge.

Where can I get more help and advice?

We realise that these books might not be able to completely resolve your problems. If you still feel you need more help, don't hesitate to contact your GP or mental health worker. For contact details, please visit our pages:

• Mental health – help for young people

Recommended books and CDs

Click the book titles below to find out which libraries have them. Some books are only available on CD.

You can also print a copy of Books on prescription – booklist for young people and families (Adobe PDF, 63KB).

Anger

• 'Taming the dragon in your child' by Meg Eastman and Sydney Rozen
• 'The explosive child' by Ross W Greene

Austism

• 'Everybody is different: a book for young people who have brothers or sisters with autism' by Fiona Bleach
• 'Freaks, geeks and Asperger Syndrome: a user guide to adolescence' by Luke Jackson
• 'It can get better: dealing with common behaviour problems in young autistic children' by Paul Dickinson and Liz Hannah
• 'George and Sam' by Charlotte Moore
• 'From anxiety to meltdown' by Deborah Lipsky

Behaviour

• 'The house of tiny tearaways' by Tanya Byron (easy to read)
• 'New toddler taming' by Christopher Green (easy to read)
• 'Raising happy children' by Jan Parker and Jan Stimpson
• 'The parenting puzzle' by Candida Hunt (easy to read)
• 'The incredible years' by C Webster-Stratton
• 'No: why kids – of all ages – need to hear it and ways parents can say it' by David Allen Walsh
• 'Parenting with positive behavior support' by Meme Hieneman

Bereavement

• 'Helping children cope with the loss of a loved one' by William C Kroen (easy to read)
• 'Finding a way through when someone close has died' by Pat Mood and Lesley Whittaker (easy to read)

Bullying

• 'Bullying: a parent's guide' by Jennifer Thomson (easy to read)
• 'How to handle bullies, teasers and other meanies' by Kate Cohen Posey

Confidence and self-esteem

• 'Self-esteem for girls' by Elizabeth Hartley Brewer (easy to read)
• 'Self-esteem for boys' by Elizabeth Hartley Brewer (easy to read)

Development

• 'Confident children' by Gael Lindenfield
• 'Ages and stages' by Charles Schaefer
• 'Understanding 12-14 year olds' by Margot Waddell (easy to read)
• 'Why do they act that way?' by David Walsh
• 'Helping children with complex needs bounce back' by Kim Aumann and Angie Hart
• 'Breaking free from OCD' by Jo Derisley

Divorce

• 'Children, feelings and divorce' by Heather Smith

Looked after children

• 'First steps in parenting the child who hurts: tiddlers and toddlers' by Caroline Archer
• 'Next steps in parenting the child who hurts: tykes and teens' by Caroline Archer
• 'Badger's parting gifts' by Susan Varley
• 'Why love matters: how affection shapes a baby's brain' by Sue Gerhardt
• 'How to talk so your kids will listen & listen so kids will talk' by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Mental illness in parents

• 'The wise mouse' by Virginia Ironside

Sadness

• 'So young. so sad, so listen' by Philip Graham and Carol Hughes (easy to read)

Sensory processing

• 'The out-of-sync child' by Carol Stock Kranowitz

Sibling rivalry

• 'Siblings without rivalry' by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
• 'Raising happy brothers and sisters' by Jan Parker and Jan Stimpson

Sleep

• 'The sleep book for tired parents' by Rebecca Huntley (easy to read)
• 'Solving children's sleep problems' by Lyn Quine
• 'Sleep better! A guide to improving sleep for children with special needs' by V Mark Durand
• 'Rest and sleep' by Lynda Hudson (CD only)

Worries and fears

• 'Helping your anxious child' by David Lewis
• 'Huge bag of worries' by Virginia Ironside (easy to read)
• 'Overcoming your child's fears and worries' by Cathy Creswell and Lucy Willetts
• 'What to do when you worry too much: a kid's guide to overcoming anxiety' by Dawn Huebner
• 'Let your worries fly away' by Lynda Hudson (CD only)
• 'Let go of anxiety' by Lynda Hudson (CD only)

Understanding services

• 'A straight talking introduction to children's mental health' by Sami Timimi