Welcome to the first of our exciting new series of interactive guides, designed to help you keep up to date with the latest developments in the world of children's books.

Feelings looks at books that provide a safe environment for exploring issues which affect children deeply and which recur time and again in their personal accounts.

Read Angela Redfern's stirring account - Why books? And why feelings? - of how books can help children grow emotionally. Use Cliff Moon's thoughtful selection of the best paperback books published since 2003, arranged thematically (animals, babies, behaviour, death and bereavement, family life, friendship, health, older people, school life and war), to identify titles which fit in with what is happening in your classroom, or to match the needs of individual children.

The teacher has a crucial role to play. For best effect, children should be encouraged to respond orally, in their own spontaneous way, before being guided along specific lines of exploration by an adult. Angela Redfern makes suggestions for both guided discussion and follow-up activities around selected books.

When children have read a book from the Feelings selection, encourage them to use the writing frames developed by David Wray and Maureen Lewis to write a review to be published on our website - an exciting chance to write for a real audience.

The books in Cliff Moon's selection have been categorized by key stage. This grouping, however, is intended as a guide and not a straitjacket. Angela Redferns' account of The Large Family Collection by Jill Murphy shows how, with a little thought and imagination, the same material can be used in different ways to meet the needs of children of widely differing ages.

Last but by no means least, enjoy Angela Redfern's profile of Children's Laureate, Jacqueline Wilson, whose reputation has been built on her ability to confront with honesty and humour the real world of children.