A TEACHER has published her first book to help children deal with grief.

Amy Watson, from Rainford, was a primary school teacher who later set up her own tutoring business.

Amy's dream had always been to write her own book, as she enjoyed reading her stories to her pupils, however, her dream has now become a reality as she publishes her very first book. 

The Hooters, described by the teacher as "an adventure story and all the rest", is aimed at helping older children understand and deal with the loss of a parent. 

The story follows the journey of a young boy dealing with the loss of his mum, who meets a magical owl, and believes his mum's soul is inside the nocturnal animal. 

St Helens Star: The Hooters is Amy's debut book The Hooters is Amy's debut book (Image: The Hooters)

Amy said: "I’ve always done stories within primary schools, and it mainly was a hobby at first and an escapism - a therapeutic hobby that I really enjoyed - and I used to use them in my lesson plans.

"I started writing Hooters quite a while back now; I’ve played around with it, and then I’ve been trying to get a publishing deal for a while, then I got a deal last September.

"So far, it’s just this book now but I have written a few more but they’re still in the pipeline."

The 31-year-old detailed on the importance of discussing a child's grief with fellow pupils to ensure a level of understanding and support. 

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"I’ve taught children who have had this problem and I always find that the books that are hard hitting mean more to children and make more of a difference because some people don’t know how to talk to children about certain issues and it’s heart-breaking to try and help a child who’s grieving.

"It’s hard for the class to know what to say to that child. In the classroom where I’ve dealt with children who’ve lost parents, it has to be an open conversation and all the children have to know about it so that they are aware that this person might be dealing with stuff.

"So having books that tackle issues like this I think will be a so much more important way to bring up grief within a classroom and make it easier to talk about."

The new author also announced an upcoming book-signing tour around primary schools across the borough, aimed at year five and six pupils, in hopes of helping children understand grief and loss.

The book will be out on Thursday November 24 and will be available to purchase in nearby stores.