Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down. In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned - from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson,...

When police are called to a local supermarket late one evening, they find an angry shopkeeper and a silent young woman. It's the third time 24-year-old Zoe has been caught stealing in the past few days. Eyes filled with panic, Zoe has been hiding bread, milk, Calpol and nappies under her coat. As police officers break down the door of Zoe's flat they find seven-year-old Coco and two-year-old Lola, home alone, huddled on the floor in a freezing cold...

It's February 2019 and experienced foster carer Rosie Lewis has joined Mockingbird, a new fostering scheme designed to help families stay together.

After taking a few weeks off work, Casey is presented with a new foster child: 14-year-old Elise, whose Mum left her at just five years old. At first, she's no trouble at all, that is until she falsely accuses another carer, Jan, of acting inappropriately towards her. It turns out this isn't the first lie Elise has told - her previous carer was constantly following up allegations Elise had made of people bullying her, trying to have sex with her,...

Six-year-old Amelie arrives during lockdown after her mother who suffers from bipolar disorder tries to burn down the family home. Amelie has some very unusual behaviour traits such as acting like a much younger child. In this touching memoir, Casey spends time getting to the root of Amelie's behaviour - uncovering the impact of her mother's mental health issues. This is a heartwrenching exploration of mental health and the difficult path carers tread...

Craig Bromfield was just 13 years old when Brian Clough, on a whim, took him and his older brother Aaron in. They came from Southwick, a depressed area of Sunderland, where they lived with their abusive stepfather, and from where they longed to escape. After initially meeting Clough while out begging for money, Clough later invited the brothers to stay at his house. From there a relationship formed which would see Craig living with the Cloughs for...

Six-year-old Ralph has only been in the care system for three days and has already been rejected by three different foster carers. After hitting a teacher at his school and causing mayhem since he arrived four months ago, staff are unable to get a hold of his mum and her partner. Social Services are called and when Ralph turns up at Maggie's house, she knows immediately it's going to be a challenge. Within a couple of hours, Ralph has trashed Maggie's...

After a horrific car crash, two parents are left dead, and a young girl is fighting for her life in hospital. When 13-year-old Louisa wakes to find that her loving, happy family has been shattered overnight, she is forced to seek comfort in the arms of a stranger. But can Maggie find a way to bond with this teenager overwhelmed with anger and grief? And will she regret making a decision that will affect her and Louisa for the rest of their lives?

Eloise is a vibrant and charming young teen with a deeply caring nature, but she also struggles with a troubling obsession. She's been moved from home to home, and her social workers have difficulty dealing with her habit of running away. After experiencing violence, neglect and sexual abuse from people she should have been able to trust, Eloise has developed complex behavioural needs. She struggles to separate fact from fiction, leading to confusion...

The power of BBC journalist and presenter Ashley John-Baptiste's book lies not only in sharing the harshness of his experience, but also in showcasing his extraordinary resilience in the darkest of times. 'Looked After' tells the story of the UK's care provision from the inside in a visceral way - and acknowledges the importance of the key people who helped him turn his life around. This is a memoir written from the heart that pulls no punches. It...