My daughter is 10 and a conversation that always comes up is how to navigate teenage life when it comes. It’s so different to when I was a teenager back in the 1990s.

Thankfully, there are so many great books available now, including The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager by Dr Andy Cope & Amy Bradley. I recently received the 2nd edition of this popular bestseller and I honestly couldn’t put it down.

Firstly, as you know, I’m a big fan of Andy Cope and the engaging way that he speaks to young people through his books. He is known for using conversational and non-patronising language. His books are full of humour while covering important topics with the respect they deserve.

Amy Bradley’s illustrations are bright and inviting and always keep Amber’s attention focused. We were both big fans of their Brill Kid books, and we were excited to read this one.

The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager shows you how:

• To tap into your resilience, positivity and confidence
• Learn how to get out of your own way
• Create great habits that will last a lifetime
• Un-learn bad habits
• Calm your mind, reduce your anxiety, STEP UP
• Create a positive ripple effect.

My daughter starts high school next year and with that comes lots of worries and questions. The book has lots of positive quotes throughout, which put you in the perfect mindset. We loved the one which read, “wake up, be amazing, be kind, be brave, be you- repeat.” My daughter enjoyed the Who’s Who activity. This is an activity where you are asked to write down the stand-out people in your life (not celebs). You are then asked to write about yourself. We love journaling and doing self-reflection together, so this activity went down well. To be honest, all the activities are great, and it’s a great way of engaging with a young reader.

Another section that stood out was one called Thought 18 #DearAnxiety Priorities. This was a good way for her to evaluate things in her life and prioritise which ones were most important. Life can be overwhelming for young people and this gave her an oppourtunity to look at what actually required her focus and time.

The topics covered in this book, from relationships to behaviour to feeling suffocated, could easily be overwhelming for young readers. However Andy and Amy have found a way to make it age-appropriate, fun and light-hearted. Every page is engaging, positive and makes you want to read more. A lot of the questions in the book could be used as journal prompts or conversation starters with friends or family, so it’s a lovely way to connect with your child.

My daughter’s favourite page was the “Getting to know me” one. She loves these, and it’s always interesting to see how her answers age the older she gets.

Overall, we loved reading this. It can be hard to get your young child to listen or take advice, especially when they are around the pre-teen and teenager age. With that in mind, this would be the perfect manual to help them into their tough teenage years.