Sarah Ockwell-Smith is expanding her parenting brand into children’s publishing with a new series aimed at 8- to 13-year-olds, starting with a frank guide on puberty, body changes and emotional development designed to promote honest conversations and emotional connection.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith is expanding her parenting brand into children’s publishing with a new series aimed at 8- to 13-year-olds, beginning with a book on puberty, body changes and emotional development. The first title, “Your Body, Your Mind, and You”, is due out next month and is already available for pre-order, with several booksellers listing a September 10, 2026 publication date.
In introducing the series, Ockwell-Smith said she wanted to offer something older children could actually use, rather than another oversimplified guide to growing up. She argued that puberty books are often divided too neatly by gender and that tweens are capable of handling more detailed, honest information than adults sometimes assume. Her aim, she said, is to create a resource that treats children with respect while also opening up conversation between young readers and the adults caring for them.
According to the author’s own description, the book covers the physical and emotional changes of puberty, including periods, bodily functions, sex, masturbation and pornography, alongside topics such as brain development, neurodivergence, screen time, sleep, skincare, vaping, body image and anxiety. Ockwell-Smith said the book is designed to help children understand their own development and to feel less isolated by it. She also built in prompts at the end of each chapter for children to write down questions for parents or carers, making the book as much a communication tool as a guide.
The series reflects themes that have long defined Ockwell-Smith’s work, including empathy, respect and non-punitive parenting. Her earlier books, including “Gentle Discipline”, helped establish her reputation for advocating emotional connection over punishment, and the new title appears to extend that philosophy into the tween years. Ockwell-Smith says the book is intended to help children feel that they are part of the solution, not the problem, while giving adults a way to discuss some of the most awkward questions of adolescence more openly.
The book will be released in paperback, ebook and audiobook, with Ockwell-Smith narrating the audio edition herself. She says it includes inclusive illustrations and hopes it will resonate with both children and parents. She has also hinted that another parenting book is on the way, this time for parents and carers of girls.
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