Self-harm is one of those subjects that many people find difficult to cope with – and not only the sufferers themselves. It is also unusual to find a book for children and young people about the condition. This book, therefore, is an essential one for the self-harmers, parents, siblings, friends and all professionals who work with children. Asher is a 14 year old boy who has been self-harming for a long time. We don’t hear about the particular stresses and problems that make him want to self-harm, but we do learn about his feelings of guilt, anger, and shame that build up to the necessity for this behaviour. It is a cycle that can only be broken with great difficulty. We learn about CBT and other therapies used by professionals and also that the support of non-judgemental family and friends is of immense importance. Unhealthy coping mechanisms must be changed for good one – like listening to calm music, doing mindfulness, or ‘writing the bad thoughts on my skin instead of hurting myself’. Getting past the first minutes of crisis is very important, and the longer you can keep going the better because after time, the need for self-harming diminishes. Distractions can help, like physical activity or making a play list of favourite songs to listen too. There are no promises that this is going to be easy, but the tone of the book is positive and loving and knowledgeable as the author is a sufferer herself. Black and white illustrations add to the whole, and the book is available from Amazon, from book shops, and from the publisher: www.jkp.com.