Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Book Nook: Daniel's Dream - Monster Mountain

 As a teacher, Leanne Brown has seen first-hand not only how childhood mental health has reached epidemic levels, but how the conversation with youngsters about their mental wellbeing often never takes place.

 

Also boundlessly creative, Brown has recently released the first volume in her new ‘Monster Mountain’ children’s book series. The series was written to not only share fun and adventurous stories, but to help children recognize mental health issues, understand them, and go out into the world with gusto.

 

Synopsis for ‘Daniel’s Dream: Monster Mountain’:

 

Daniel is a young boy from a ‘normal’ family. He is shy, quiet and worries about things in life. Unlike his sister Darcie, who is outgoing, loud, and confident. Daniel loves bedtime because his imagination, through his dreams, takes him on adventures, where he meets new people and visits new places. His journeys are always something he enjoys. One night, a monster appears in his bedroom, who takes him on an adventure to Monster Mountain. Daniel has always thought monsters were scary, but tonight he learns that they are just like humans; they have feelings and they too worry about things in their lives. When Daniel arrives in Monster Mountain, he is over awed by how beautiful and unique it is.  Dex introduces Daniel to his monster friends. Daniel quickly notices that each monster is individual and unique. Whilst at Monster Mountain, Daniel helps one of the monsters, Shelley, who is really struggling with anxiety. This is something Daniel relates to as he too is worrying about something at school. Daniel teaches Shelley different ways to cope with her anxiety. He, too, must use these skills to get over his own worries about school. Can he overcome his worries and apply the strategies to cope?

 

“Each book is going to see Daniel return to Monster Mountain, where he’ll encounter and learn about a different mental health issue such as depression, grief, PTSD, anxiety, bullying, OCD and ADHD,” explains the author. “Mental health is a tough issue to discuss with children, chiefly because nobody can “see” you suffering. I want children to understand that suffering from a mental health condition doesn’t make them weak or unworthy. Quite the opposite – I want them to embrace their strength, drive and tenacity. These stories will help immensely.”

 

Continuing, “My goal is to help youngsters see that mental and physical health are equal, and there’s of course no blame with either. Fiction is a wonderful playground through which to share these vital messages, and the stories of the monsters will make the subject matter funny, assessable and endlessly fun. I’m so proud to be fighting for such an important cause, and can’t wait to see how far I can take these books.”

 

Reviews have been extremely impressive. Helen Neale writes, “Daniel’s Dreams: Monster Mountain Wellbeing Resource Pack is just WONDERFUL. Such a fabulous resource for parents and schools, and such a wonderful thing to do too - kids wellbeing is just so so important, and never more so now, and for a while yet as they adjust to everything that has been thrown at them over the last year or so.”

 

Children’s author SJ Hudson adds, “This story is beautifully written and provides a platform for older primary school children to discuss any worries or fears that they may have. It promotes confiding in a trusted figure, or a group of friends with a worry and being able to overcome it together. A perfect example of ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’. Daniel’s story is inspiring and encouraging, it allows children to explore their own mental well-being in an appropriate manner, a story which most definitely deserves a spot on your child’s bookshelf!"

 

‘Daniel’s Dream: Monster Mountain’ is released on 11th January.

 

Daniel’s Dream in paperback and audio book are available to order on Amazon and from the author's personal website www.dreambelieveread.co.uk

 

The Resource pack is available in print and digitally from the author's website www.dreambelieveread.co.uk

 

Follow the author on social media:

Facebook – Dream, Believe, Read

Instagram - @dreambelieveread.

 

 

About the author, in her own words:

I’m 35 and live in Ashton under Lyne with my 8-year-old daughter, Erin and my partner Steve. I also have three stepchildren. Family life is so important to me and we are a remarkably close family. I love to read, colour, swim and spend quality time with my family.

 

I am a teacher. I started my career in teaching secondary school English at a school in Rochdale but moved to special educational needs teaching in 2016. I am currently on a career break. During the lockdown, I have taken some time to write. I have always wanted to write; write anything if it made a difference in some way. Whether that was to make someone smile or make someone think. Strangely most of my ideas come to me when I am going to sleep, so I often write them down in my phone or in a notebook so I can expand them in the morning.

 

I had always love to read books to my daughter and it was always something she really enjoyed, and still does. When she was younger, we would read together each night, often children’s picture books, and it was just such a special thing that we did each evening. We still love to read together, but these days, we share the reading.  Sometimes we even rap the books; It’s just a pleasure for us. The books I would read to her would often make me think, I’d love to write a book. So, one day, during lockdown, I just thought why not. I just wanted to write something down. It was my work in special educational needs and my own personal experience that made me want to write about mental health.

 

As an avid reader, I felt there was a slight lack in children’s books that focused on the range of mental health illnesses that are on the rise in children. I really wanted something that I could develop as a story but could also stand alone as its own book. I wanted each book to focus on a different mental health illness, but with the continuation of characters. So, I wrote ‘Daniel’s Dream’. When Daniel goes to sleep at night, he goes on different adventures. It is in his dreams that he comes across a monster village. He meets Dex, one of the monsters, and realises that all is not as it seems. It is left to Daniel to help the monsters. It is a beautiful story about friendship, acceptance, and kindness. The first book is an introduction to the characters and sees Daniel helping one of the monsters. The future books in the series, will still see Daniel as the main character, but each book will deal with a different mental health illness. Daniel’s Dream is the first book I have written, and I am busy writing the other books in the series.

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