A British Childhood: How Our Children Live Now
ISBN: 978-1-0350-8075-5
Publisher: Picador (2026)
This is a beautifully written book by the wonderful writer and broadcaster Frank Cottrell-Boyce who has been the UK's Children's Laureate from 2024-6. His interweaving of memories and reflections from his own childhood; his experiences and learning from visits to schools, community centres, and other institutions where children are central; the wisdom he draws from others; and the wonderfully creative use of a children's book for each chapter is superb. So, it is an absolute joy to read.
And yet it is one of the most disturbing and challenging books I have read in many years. Frank's expose of what childhood is like for far too many children in the UK today is heartbreaking. As the back cover 'blurb' says, 'A British Childhood tells the story of what it means to be young in modern Britian. It is at once a searing condemnation of our failure to look after the nation's most vulnerable citizens, and a call to arms to all of us to protect the innocence, and the imagination of childhood.'
As each chapter cleverly works its way through the different eras of our children's lives, Infancy, Toddlers, Early Years, Moving Home, Starting School, The Impact of the Screen, Play, Youth disaffection and Youth offending the creativity of carefully linking to very well known, and less well known children's literature is stunning. I was particularly struck by linking Moving Home to the Wizard of Oz and the strange background of Frank Baum its author; the use of Just William in chapter seven on Kinship and of the Pied Piper of Hamelin when considering the riots in Southport following the horrendous murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar but every chapter is wonderfully linked to one piece of literature and often peppered with references to others.
Frank wears his considerable learning from wide reading, and I suspect more importantly depth of conversations with many experts, very lightly. But no one can escape the thoroughness with which he has approached producing this book. But this is part of its power for he both analyses many of our contemporary failings and consistently offers hope of a better way forward through the examples of brilliant practice happening across our land. He seeks to amplify the voice of the work of the Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, because the work she has done to allow children to speak for themselves has been outstanding. He also amplifies the voice of less well known people but many who have created truly imaginative and hopeful ways forward.
Through it all the importance of Frank's own Christian faith shines through. He is deeply formed and remains deeply rooted in a Roman Catholic community that worships, prays and serves its own community in whatever ways it can. Frank and his much-loved family are engaged in making local children's lives better by simply being with them and helping them discover their real value. It is a book that also illustrates the importance, and power, of imagination to create better ways of allowing and enabling children to be children and have a truly wonderful childhood. For those of us engaged in Child Theology where we seek to place Jesus with the child in the midst at the heart of all theology, and the practice that must flow from this this book is a very welcome friend and ally.
If I had the power to do so I would make every Government minister, MP, mayor, local councillor, clergyperson, judge, magistrate, civil servant and local government worker read this book and then ask them to re-evaluate the policies they develop, practices they exercise and use of the responsibilities they hold to really make our nation the best on earth in which to be born and grow up as a child. I would also encourage early years workers, teachers, care workers, parents and grandparents to read it as I think it would reassure them that the vast majority are seeking to do the very best for their children.
This book is deeply disturbing; it is searingly tough and challenging; it moves you to tears and holy anger. It is, though, also a delight, joyous and wonderfully hopeful.
Reviewed by: Paul Butler