Life skills by Keilly Swift

Young people today are fortunate to be growing up in a time where they have the ability to read, share and discuss issues around life skills and consequently their own mental health. One new non-fiction read, Life Skills by Keilly Swift, is a thoughtful and engaging guide book that will enable middle grade to teenage readers to source life skills' information and advice when they may require it. This book covers many topics under the headings of Finding Solutions, Ways of Thinking, Communicating, Understanding Feelings and Coping Skills and begins with a well written introduction to the actual meaning of life skills. Throughout the book the reader has the opportunity to try activities such as mind-mapping, looking at different facial expressions in a mirror, standing in someone else's shoes and learning about body language. On each page the information is broken up into very readable segments and contains attractive and detailed coloured illustrations. Every page is designed differently and this will add extra appeal for the intended audience. There is a glossary and a detailed index as well as help, advice and information pages although these provide UK-based details. Learning life skills from a young age, both at home and school, is so important and needs to be discussed openly. This would be an excellent resource book to have in every home, class, school and public library.

Themes: Mental Health, Life Skills, Problem Solving, Choices, Decisions, Emotions, Well-being.

Kathryn Beilby