PARS CPd

PARS Book Club

The aim of the PARS Book Club is to share a wide range of literature relevant to the theory and practice of working with children and young people. PARS Book Club is for anybody who wants to develop their knowledge of literature about children and childhood.

Our next book club is Friday 19th June, 2026, 1-2pm UK

Write your awesome label here.


About Book Club

Global sharing

Each PARS Book Club includes  international speakers talking about different pieces of literature, such as academic papers, practitioner blogs, novels, textbooks and even cartoon strips! This enables you to sample a diverse range of literature which may be helpful to follow up in your own work and to discuss the literature with the presenters and other participants.

Meet the authors

Each Book Club opens with a talk from a guest author about their own work. Two other presenters review a piece of literature which has affected their practice. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.

Get involved!

If you are an author on children and childhood, or if you have a favourite piece of literature you would love to share with an international audience, you are very welcome to present at a future PARS Book Club - please do get in touch.

Our Speakers & Books

Tam Baillie
Tam has over 45 years experience working with and on behalf of vulnerable people, including child and adult protection, youth homelessness, domestic abuse, street-work and throughcare and aftercare. He was the Children and Young People’s Commissioner (Scotland) 2009-2017.

Tam is currently the Independent Chair of Renfrewshire Child and Adult Protection Committees and Chair of Child Protection Committees Scotland. He's also a member of the Board of Upstart Scotland and the International Play Association (promoting worldwide play spaces for children). Tam is currently interested in linking his work in child protection with play advocacy.

Born to Play, (2025) CCWB Press
Editors: Tam Baillie and John McKendrick
Born to Play is published at a time when there is growing recognition
of the crucial role of play in children's physical, social, emotional,
cognitive and neurological development. Yet recognition that play is
one of the basic building blocks for children's development has been
restricted. The editors and contributors to this collection of essays
argue that play is as important as food, water and shelter for the
satisfaction of children's essential needs. Play is a necessity
(indeed a biological imperative) for children and young people to
develop into the rounded human beings we all want them to become. The
predisposition to play can be found regardless of the situations in
which children find themselves: play can blossom even in the most
adverse circumstances.

Emma Ackerman
Emma is a qualified teacher with 18 years of experience delivering Physical Education, Food and Nutrition and PSHE with a passion for improving children's understanding of the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. In the last few years she completed an MA in Education focusing on Childhood and Youth Studies and is now in her third year of Doctor of Education course at Oxford Brookes University. In the last couple of years, she moved into Primary school teaching and is currently teaching Key Stage Two. Her thesis area explores the link between play, physical activity and children's playtimes. She is especially interested in exploring initiatives which support schools with children's wellbeing. 

Critical issues in Forest schools (2019) SAGE
Mark Sackville-Ford and Helen Davenport
 The book explores the idea of Forest Schools and how the theory of Forest school is implemented in schools. Forest schools are central to children's development especially widening their understanding of the outdoors as well as increasing their problem solving and team building skills, however with increasing pressures on schools and staff are Forest schools teaching principles being followed or are children just playing outside? The book explores the idea of 'tokenability' and looks at ways to support schools in developing Forest school practice. 

Meet our Book Club Host

Dr Linda Shaw, UK 
Senior Lecturer in Child Development and Education

Linda Shaw (PhD) is a senior lecturer in early childhood and education studies. She is a qualified teacher with experience of primary, post 16 and family learning. Previous roles also include leading early years care and education projects at a local authority as well as carrying out training, development and support as an early years' teacher consultant. Her Masters and PhD focus on work relating to public and third sector policy and practice. Her research and publications focus on play, playwork and ethics with a current interest in intergenerational and multigenerational play spaces.