Charlie and the Time-Out Troll (Paperback)

Charlie and the Time-Out Troll is a gentle, rhyming picture book inspired by real-life experiences of navigating school with an undiagnosed neurodivergent child.

Charlie’s brain is busy, curious and full of big feelings. But when overwhelm spills out as bad behaviour, he keeps meeting the Time Out Troll, a character that represents the isolation, shame and confusion many children feel when punitive behaviour strategies are used instead of understanding and support.

Written by Emma Whitehouse after her son Charlie moved through school for years with undiagnosed ADHD, where moments of dysregulation were often misunderstood and met with constant punishment.

Ideal for families, schools, SEND professionals and anyone working to support children who struggle to “fit the system.”

This is more than a story. It’s a tool for understanding, a starting point for change, and a reminder that children don’t need to be fixed, they need to be understood.