Can I tell you about...? – serie

Meet Hannah - a young girl with selective mutism (SM). Hannah invites readers to learn about selective mutism from her perspective, helping them to understand what it is, what it feels like to have SM, and how they can help. This illustrated book is packed with accessible information and will be an ideal introduction to selective mutism. It shows family, friends and teachers how they can support a child with the condition and is also a good place to start when encouraging children with SM to talk about how it affects them.

Meet Jack - an older man with dementia. Jack invites readers to learn about dementia from his perspective, helping them to understand the challenges faced by someone with dementia and the changes it causes to memory, communication and behaviour. He also gives advice on how to help someone with dementia stay as mentally and physically active as possible, keep safe and continue to feel cared for and valued.With illustrations throughout, this useful book will be an ideal introduction to dementia for anyone from child to adult. It will also guide family, friends and carers in understanding and explaining the condition and could serve as an excellent starting point for family discussions.

Meet Ellie – a young girl with epilepsy. Ellie invites readers to learn about epilepsy from her perspective. She introduces us to some friends who help present the varying forms of epilepsy. Ellie and her friends help children to understand the obstacles that they face by telling them what it feels like to have epilepsy, how it affects them physically and emotionally, how epilepsy can be treated and how the condition is often misunderstood by people who do not know the facts.This illustrated book is full of useful information and will be an ideal introduction for children from the age of 7. It will also help parents, friends, and professionals to make sense of the condition in its varying forms and will be an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet Ben - a young boy with ADHD. Ben invites readers to learn about ADHD from his perspective. He helps children understand what it means to have ADHD and describes what it is and how it feels. Ben explains how he was diagnosed and what he has learnt about ways to relieve his ADHD symptoms, and how friends and adults can help at home and school. This illustrated book is full of useful information and will be an ideal introduction for young people, aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and professionals working with children with ADHD. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet Katie - a teenager with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Katie invites readers to learn about OCD from her perspective, helping them to understand what it is, how her obsessions and compulsions affect her daily life, and how people around her can help. With illustrations throughout, this will be an ideal introduction to OCD for both young people and older readers. It shows family, friends and teachers how they can support someone with the condition and will be an excellent way to start a conversation about OCD, in the classroom or at home.

Meet Alfie - a young boy with asthma. Alfie invites readers to learn about asthma from his perspective, describing how it feels to have an asthma attack and what the common triggers are. He talks about the challenges of having asthma and how important it is that his friends and the people around him can recognise the signs when he starts feeling short of breath and know how to help. Alfie also gives simple instructions on using asthma inhalers and other medical treatments.This illustrated book is full of useful information and will be an ideal introduction for young people, aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and nurses. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet Chelsea - a young girl who was adopted. Chelsea invites you to learn about adoption from her perspective and introduces us to two friends of hers who were also transracially adopted. Chelsea and her friends help children understand what it means to be adopted, the experiences and challenges that follow the adoption process, and how they can help. Accessible and informative, this illustrated book is an ideal introduction to adoption for children aged 7-11 and is a great tool for encouraging discussions for families, teachers and professionals working with adopted children.

Meet Nikolai - a man with Parkinson's disease. Nikolai invites readers to learn about Parkinson's from his perspective, helping them to understand how Parkinson's affects his daily life and why some tasks can be especially challenging for him. He also gives advice on how to help someone with Parkinson's when they have difficulties with physical movements and memory.This illustrated book is full of useful information and will be an ideal introduction for children from the age of 7, as well as older readers. It will help family, friends and carers better understand and explain the condition, and will be an excellent starting point for group discussions.

Meet Max - a boy with Tourette syndrome (TS). Max invites readers to learn about Tourette's from his perspective, helping them to understand what tics and triggers are and what it feels like to have TS. He explains how living with TS can sometimes be difficult, and how people around him can help him to feel happy and accepted. This illustrated book is ideal for young people aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and other professionals working with children with TS. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet Zoe - a young girl with dyslexia. Zoe invites readers to learn about dyslexia from her perspective. She helps readers to understand the challenges faced by a child with dyslexia, explaining what dyslexia is and how it affects her at home and at school. Zoe describes exactly why she finds reading, writing and words so difficult, and how other people can help her in these areas. This illustrated book is ideally suited for readers aged 7 and upwards, and will be an excellent way to start a discussion about dyslexia, in the classroom or at home.

Meet Marco - a boy with dyspraxia, which is sometimes called Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD). Marco invites readers to learn about dyspraxia from his perspective, helping them to understand what it is and what it feels like when he sometimes struggles to control his movement and co-ordination. He talks about the challenges of having dyspraxia and lets readers know how he can be helped and supported.This illustrated book will be an ideal introduction for young people, aged 7+, as well as parents, friends, teachers and professionals working with children with dyspraxia. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet Mollie – a woman with an illness called ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) or CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), and her family, Mike, Ellie and Eric. Mollie and her family help readers to understand what ME/CFS is, what it is like to have it and how it can affect their family life. Mollie can't always do things that other mums do because of her illness, which can sometimes be frustrating, but they share strategies that help them all to cope. The family also explain how ME/CFS can affect different people in different ways.This illustrated book is an ideal introduction to this often misunderstood condition. It shows family, friends and anyone who knows someone with the condition how they can support someone with ME/CFS, and their family.

Meet Harry – a young boy who stutters. Harry invites readers to learn about what it is like to stutter from his perspective and how it affects his daily life and makes him feel. He talks about techniques that can help reduce stuttering and describes how friends, family and others can help him to feel at ease and reduce his stutter further.This illustrated book is full of useful information and will be an ideal introduction for young people, aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and speech therapists working with children who stutter. It is also an excellent starting point for group discussions at home or school.

Meet Tom - a young boy with autism. Tom invites readers to learn about autism from his perspective, helping them to understand what it is and explaining the challenges he faces with issues such as social communication, sensory overload and changes in his routine. Tom tells readers about all the ways he can be helped and supported by those around him.This illustrated book is ideally suited for readers aged 7 and upwards, and will be an excellent way to increase understanding about autism, in the classroom or at home. It also includes clear, useful information for parents and professionals.

Meet Debbie - a young girl with diabetes type 1. Debbie invites readers to learn about this type of diabetes from her perspective, describing how it feels to have high and low blood sugar levels. She explains how she can monitor her blood sugar and controls it with medication. Debbie also talks about the challenges of having diabetes and lets readers know how she can be helped and supported.This illustrated book is ideal for young people aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and nurses. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet Sophie - a girl with cerebral palsy (CP). Sophie invites readers to learn about CP from her perspective, helping them to understand what it is like to use a wheelchair to move around and assistive technology to communicate. She also introduces readers to some of her friends who have different forms of CP and explains that living with CP can sometimes be difficult, but there are many ways she is supported so that she can lead a full and happy life. This illustrated book is ideal for young people aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and professionals working with children with CP. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet David - a boy with Down syndrome. David invites readers to learn about Down syndrome from his perspective, helping them to understand what Down syndrome is and how it affects his daily life. He explains that he sometimes needs extra help at home and school and suggests ways that those around him can help him to feel supported.This illustrated book is ideal for young people aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers, social workers and other professionals working with children with Down syndrome. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Meet Fred - a man who has had a stroke. Fred invites readers to learn about what it is like to have a stroke from his perspective, helping them to understand the challenges faced by someone who has had a stroke and the ways in which they might have to adapt their lifestyle. He also gives advice on how to offer support to someone who has had a stroke, from diagnosis through to rehabilitation.With illustrations throughout, this useful book will be ideal for anyone who knows someone who has had a stroke, from child to adult. It will help readers to understand and explain what a stroke is and encourage open discussion among family members, carers and friends.

Meet Megan - a young girl who has an anxiety disorder. Megan invites readers to learn about anxiety from her perspective, helping them to understand why she sometimes feels anxious and how this affects her thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Megan talks about techniques she has learnt to help manage her anxiety, and how people around her can help.With illustrations throughout, this will be an ideal way to explore anxiety difficulties. It shows family, friends and teachers how they can support someone who experiences anxiety and will be an excellent way to start a conversation about anxiety, in the classroom or at home. Suitable for readers aged 7-12.

Part of the Reading Well scheme. 35 books selected by young people and health professionals to provide 13 to 18 year olds with high-quality support, information and advice about common mental health issues and related conditions.Meet Julie - a women who suffers from periods of depression. Julie and her family help readers to understand what depression is, what it is like to feel depressed and how it can affect their family life. She explains how coping with depression can sometimes be very difficult but there is support and help available that can relieve the feelings of depression.This illustrated book is an ideal introduction to depression - a condition that can be particularly difficult for children to understand. It is suitable for readers aged 7 upwards and shows family, friends and anyone who knows someone affected by depression how they can offer support.

Meet Sam. Like most kids his age, Sam loves sport. His class have arranged a special football match to raise money for a charity which helps children who are suffering. Sam finds out more about how the money is spent and asks his mum for this week's pocket money early, so he can donate to the charity. His mum says he does this because he's such a kind boy. But when he asks his teachers about it at school the next day, they say it's because he's compassionate.Sam now has lots of questions about what this means. What is compassion? How can we become more compassionate? And what effects - both good and bad - does being compassionate have? Join Sam as he learns answers to these, and many more, questions about this important part of character education.

What does it mean to be Jewish? Are there different ways of being Jewish? Can you be Jewish but not religious? In this friendly guide, 12-year-old Ruth explains the different ways a person can experience being Jewish, by introducing us to her family and friends.Documenting the lived experience of being Jewish, the book contains diary entries covering festivals, rituals, ethics, and what a relationship with God entails, as well as more challenging topics such as Israel, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Providing an excellent starting point for discussion with children, it also includes a helpful list of recommended sources for further information.

In this friendly guide, a girl called Amy tells all about her Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). Together with her friend Tom and sister Lucy, Amy explains how every child with APD is affected in unique ways, and how to get help if you have APD.This illustrated guide is ideal for helping children aged 7+ with APD to understand the condition, while increasing their self-esteem and confidence. Explaining about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and comorbidity in child-friendly terms, it dispels myths and encourages children to self-advocate and seek help at home and at school. It is also an excellent starting point for parents, teachers and other professionals wishing to tailor support to the type and severity of a child's APD, and includes a helpful list of recommended sources for additional support.

Meet Kit - a 12 year old undergoing medical transition - as he talks about gender and the different ways it can be explored. He explains what it is like to transition and how his friends, family and teachers can help through talking, listening and being proactive.With illustrations throughout, this is an ideal way to start conversations about gender diversity in the classroom or at home and suitable for those working in professional services and settings. The book also includes a useful list of recommended reading, organisations and websites for further information and support.

Meet Maria - a woman with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Maria tells the story of her holiday with her husband Ben, her children Cara and Dino, and Teddy the dog, which was interrupted when she began to feel dizzy, exhausted and weak. She explains how this led to her diagnosis and describes what MS is, how it affects her daily life and what others can do to help.This illustrated book will be an ideal introduction to MS for children from the age of 7, as well as older readers. It will help family, friends and carers to better understand and explain MS, and will be an excellent starting point for group discussions.

Meet Jan. Jan is sometimes lonely. In this illustrated guide, he describes what loneliness feels like and how it affects him at home and school. He explains what he can do to feel less lonely, and how his teachers, family and friends can help him too. Child loneliness is an area of growing concern. This book is an ideal way to start a conversation about loneliness with anyone aged 7-18 and to help children understand the importance of healthy solitude, as well as socialising. It also includes a useful list of recommended reading, organisations and websites for further information and support.

Meet Asher - a teenager who self-harms to manage their feelings when it all feels like too much.The latest in the best-selling Can I Tell You About... series describes what self-harm is, along with the wide range of behaviours that qualify, why teens do it, and how to get help if you feel the need to self-harm. Reflecting on the different aspects of self-harming behaviour, including treatment of injuries and scars, this concise introduction dispels common myths and offers helpful resources to break the cycle of self-harm. By initiating the conversation around self-harm, this guide will offer alternative avenues for children and young adults to pursue when dealing with big feelings, such as professional counselling, distraction, and friends and family.This easy-to-read guide is suitable for readers 7+, along with their parents, teachers, and friends. All author royalties from the book will go towards the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.

Meet Maya. Maya always tries to be polite, and to remember to say 'thank you' but she wants to learn what it means to be truly grateful. Should she be grateful to her teachers for their hard work, even though they're only doing their job? Does she need to say thank you for the gifts she doesn't really like - like the pink scarf Nani gave her last birthday? And when Laura gives her some earrings but later asks to copy her history project in return, should Maya be grateful and give her the thank you letter she has written?This illustrated book is an ideal conversation starter for children aged 7+, helping them to understand what gratitude means, recognise when it is appropriate, and develop their own ability to be genuinely grateful.

Meet Sam. Like most kids his age, Sam loves sport. His class have arranged a special football match to raise money for a charity which helps children who are suffering. Sam finds out more about how the money is spent and asks his mum for this week's pocket money early, so he can donate to the charity. His mum says he does this because he's such a kind boy. But when he asks his teachers about it at school the next day, they say it's because he's compassionate.Sam now has lots of questions about what this means. What is compassion? How can we become more compassionate? And what effects - both good and bad - does being compassionate have? Join Sam as he learns answers to these, and many more, questions about this important part of character education.