The Reading Agency has launched Reading Well for families – a new booklist that recommends titles to support the mental health and wellbeing of families during pregnancy and the early years. 

Monthly referrals for perinatal mental-health services have soared by 443% in England over the last eights years, from 1,400 in 2016 to more than 7,600 in 2024.

At least one in five women experience mental health problems during pregnancy and after birth. In partnership with Libraries Connected and the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) Cymru, the new booklist is available across public libraries in England and Wales. 

What is Reading Well for families?

Reading Well for families recommends reading to support parents and carers to look after their wellbeing in pregnancy and the early years (from conception to aged two). The scheme is aimed at adults and includes a range of recommended books and supporting digital resources. Some of the recommended books provide information and advice; there are also personal stories, illustrated books and poetry.  

The booklist is targeted at parents, carers and anyone supporting people from pregnancy onwards. 

Look for the Reading Well for families books in your local library – they’re free to borrow. Or you can scroll and buy the titles below, knowing you are purchasing with purpose. Buying from LoveReading means you can donate 25% of your spend to a school that really need it. At no cost to you.

The list includes information and personal stories on topics such as parental well-being and perinatal health problems (such as anxiety, depression, OCD and birth trauma), as well as coping with loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death). The list was developed by The Reading Agency with input from leading health professionals and co-produced with parents who have lived experience.

Which titles are on the Reading Well for families list?

Books for Becoming a Family - Wellbeing

The Little Book of New Mum Feelings by Anna Mathur 

Mindful New Mum by Dr Caroline Boyd 

Nobody Told Me: Poetry and Parenthood by Hollie McNish 

You the Daddy: The Hands-On Dad’s Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and the Early Years of Fatherhood by Giles Alexander 

OMG It’s Twins! by Alison Perry 

The Queer Parent: Everything You Need to Know from Gay to Ze by Lotte Jeffs and Stu Oakley

Surviving Solo Motherhood by Emma Cotterill and Amy Rose

Having a Baby by Kathryn Hollins, Anna Cox, Milli Miller, Tessa van der Vord and Scott Watkin 

Autistic and Expecting: Practical support for parents-to-be and health and social care practitioners by Alexis Quinn

Books to Support Mental Health in Parenthood

Break Free from Maternal Anxiety: A Self-Help Guide for Pregnancy, Birth and the First Postnatal Year by Fiona Challacombe, Catherine Green and Victoria Bream 

How to Help Someone with Postnatal Depression by Dr Jenn Cooper 

Hello Baby, Goodbye Intrusive Thoughts by Jenny Yip 

Why Birth Trauma Matters by Emma Svanberg 

Bonkers: A Real Mum’s Hilariously Honest Tales of Motherhood, Mayhem and Mental Health by Olivia Siegl 

What Have I Done?: Motherhood, Mental Illness & Me by Laura Dockrill 

Coping with Birth Trauma and Postnatal Depression by Lucy Jolin 

My Black Motherhood: Mental Health, Stigma, Racism and the System by Sandra Igwe

Books to support coping with loss in parenthood

No One Talks About This Stuff: Twenty-Two Stories of Almost Parenthood by Kat Brown (Editor) 

How to Help Someone after a Miscarriage by Clare Foster 

The Worst Girl Gang Ever by Bex Gunn and Laura Buckingham 

Loving You From Here: Stories of Grief, Hope and Growth When a Baby Dies by the charity Sands with Susan Clark. 

The booklist is available in print, e-book and audiobook form and also in Welsh. Other Reading Well list themes include mental health, children, teens and dementia. Previous collections showed that 91% of users find the books helpful while 92% of health professionals report that the programme increased the range of support they could offer. 

Why is the Reading Well for families booklist so important?

Chief Executive Officer of The Reading Agency Karen Napier said: “The first 1,001 days of a child’s life represent a critical period of development and we know that many families face significant challenges during this time. Reading Well for families empowers parents and caregivers by connecting them to trusted, relatable resources through our public libraries, ensuring that quality support is freely available to all families when they need it most.”

Igwe, author and Chief Executive of The Motherhood Group, said: “Too often, Black mothers are made to feel invisible when they speak up about their mental health. Reading Well for families is an important and timely intervention that puts real, lived experience at the heart of support. I’m proud to be part of a resource that not only acknowledges the unique struggles Black women face in the perinatal period but also gives voice to our stories." 

Specialist NHS health visitor Sylvia Woolley said: “Perinatal mental health affects every aspect of family life, from bonding with a baby to navigating new identities as parents. As a health visitor, I see every day how vital accessible, high-quality information is. This booklist gives families a lifeline, especially during those long waiting times for formal support. Reading Well for families is a powerful tool for professionals too – it helps us offer something practical, personal and trusted.”