Bethy’s Mum is in Prison - Emily Livsey, Lorna Brookes

Bethy’s Mum is in Prison is the third in the My Parent in Prison Series of books for children of imprisoned parents. It portrays the challenges they face and allows them to understand they are not alone. The story follows Bethy who lives with her Nan and her cat Rudy whilst Mum is in prison. Nan helps Bethy learn to deal with questions from school friends about why she doesn’t live with her Mum. It is sometimes hard for Bethy, especially when saying ‘Goodbye’ to her Mum after visiting her in prison with her Nan. She helps her friend Abbie whose best friend moved away and knows her Mum will be proud of her after she is given a Gold Star by her teacher in assembly. The series is pitched at younger readers and inspired by real life stories and events. Some 312,000 children have a parent in prison in the UK alone (2022) many of whom fall within the target age range (below) of this book. The figure is one in every 100 across Europe, millions of children worldwide, giving this vividly illustrated and attractively written work considerable potential.