SuitabookWhen I See Blue
Lily Bailey
- Reading
- Read alongside the child rather than treating the story as an explanation of every person’s OCD. Pause after moments involving compulsions or family strain, check how they feel, and allow the ending to prompt an open conversation.
- Themes
- Living with OCD: Ben’s thoughts tell him to count, tap, blink and avoid colours to prevent feared consequences, making ordinary activities feel difficult. The story appears to make OCD’s effects understandable while showing Ben as more than his symptoms.
- Friendship and mutual support: The book addresses friendship and mutual support; the detail of how it is developed remains unclear. The book presents this favourably.
- Family difficulty and adult support: The book addresses family difficulty and adult support; the detail of how it is developed remains unclear. The book places strain and support together, showing that friendship is not the only response available to Ben.
- Worth knowing
- Some material may feel emotionally weighty: Ben’s distress, difficult school experiences, an absent father and a mother described as battling her own demons. Consider whether the reader would welcome discussing these alongside the friendship and art-club setting.