Publication Date: 4 August 2022

The Blurb

Bella couldn’t be feeling worse about it being Feeling Good Week at school. With her best friend Rosh having moved away she’s sad and lonely, and to top it all she has a Big Worry on her mind – the class talk. Then Bella’s partnered with Shazmin and Archie and is surprised to see the shoots of a new friendship growing. They even form The Feeling Good Club to share their problems and express their feelings. But when Shazmin and Archie try to help Bella with her Big Worry things go badly wrong. How can Bella show her new friends how she feels?

The Review

A fresh, fun exploration of feelings all wrapped up in a highly relatable story, perfect for Lower Key Stage 2 and beyond.

Bella is understandably sad when her best friend Rosh moves away and seems to be so wrapped up in her new life that she has no time for her old friend any more. Bella is worried that she’ll be left on her own at school now, while everyday activities remind her of the friendship she no longer has. And, having to face a huge fear on her own sends her running from the classroom.

Through the diary-style narration we get to walk in Bella’s shoes as she navigates the huge change in her day to day life and explores the emotions she goes through. I loved the feeling emojis that accompanied each diary entry showing the range of emotions a day can bring. We see her worrying about new friendships, fearful of talking in front of the class, and hopeful as she works through her worries, both in her diary and with her new friends, to become more confident asking for help and accepting it.

The three activities Bella, Shazim and Archie explore during Felling Good Week are all detailed at the end of the book so that you can try them for yourself. The ability to step into someone else’s shoes is particularly good for building empathy and understanding of others’ perspectives of the same situation.

Huge thanks to Little Tiger for sending me a copy for review and inviting me to take part in the blog tour. Do make sure you check out all of the other stops.