Bluebird lands guide to child mental health in six-way auction

Bluebird has acquired Happy Families: How to Protect and Support Your Child’s Mental Health by Dr Beth Mosley, MBE, to publish on 31st August 2023.

Mireille Harper, editorial director at Bluebird, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Laura Macdougall at United Agents in a “hotly-contested” six-way auction.

The synopsis reads: “Dr Beth Mosley is a clinical psychologist whose services to children’s mental health during the pandemic earned her an MBE on The New Year Honours List 2022. She has worked in medical settings such as hospitals and mental health services, as well as more recently working exclusively in schools. This unique perspective means she understand both parents’ concerns as well as the struggles young people are facing on a daily basis.

“Evidence-based, realistic and practical, Happy Families is her answer to the questions she has heard time and time again during her years of working with young people and their families: what causes anxiety, and how can I control it? How should you broach difficult conversations with your child around subjects such as low mood or even self-harm? How can we support each other and communicate better?

“With tools and techniques based on up-to-date science, evidence developed over 20 years of working in the NHS, as well as Dr Beth’s own experience as a mother of three, Happy Families will help parents make sense of what their child is going through – and it will also show them how they can help their children not just to survive, but to thrive.”

Mosley said: “This book is inspired by the hundreds of families I have worked with who have asked me to put what I have shared with them into a book. By doing this I can give every parent the chance to support and understand their child, not just the ones I meet. For me it is vital that the book is easy to read, practical and realistic; while not belittling the complexity of family life. I want to give parents the hope and courage to try to do simple things that can make a big difference.”

Harper added: “It is an honour to work with an author as impassioned, intelligent and inspirational as Dr Beth Mosley. Happy Families takes a wise, honest and accessible approach to children’s mental health – arming parents with the tools they need to tackle anxiety, low mood and difficult behaviours, as well as the hope and reassurance to actively make a change. The perspective Beth brings as a professional with over 20 years of experience working in medical settings and schools, and as a mother of three, is unique and she has worked tirelessly to write a book that is a judgement-free, empowering and positive resource for all parents. This guide will transform the lives of families everywhere.”