This thesis comprises critical reflection and novel. Claims for originality in the novel lie in the combination of the specific geographical location of Leeds, the 1970s setting, the narrative time frame of twenty‐four hours, and the use of the mundane not as a setting from which to escape but as one in which epiphanous moments can be found. These key decisions were made early in the evolution of the novel and are discussed, along with other issues such teenage sexuality, in the first section of the critical reflection. The novel’s main character, fourteen‐year‐old Daniel, is grieving over the loss of his mother, and bereavement becomes the focus of the second section, which comprises the main thrust of the reflection. In response to similar research undertaken in 1985, I take forty‐nine novels for ten to fourteen‐year‐olds written between 1997 and 2010 and analyse the presentation of bereavement therein, providing original data and opening up the novels to a scrutiny to which many have never been subjected. The previous research concludes that children’s novels offered little of value for bereaved children. I question whether writers for children have a duty to do anything but entertain by engaging with critical opinion past and present, and argue that it is impossible for a writer to avoid awareness of the age of the reader, that novels can affect children, and that consequently the writer must show moral and artistic responsibility in the presentation of important themes. My research suggests that gender differences are still present but are less emphatic, and that some novels present bereavement in a sanitised, irresponsible way or fail to present it at all. I also find the resolution of grief through the use of ghosts or visions neither realistic nor helpful. In the final chapter I explore ways in which the reading impacted positively upon the writing of Day and conclude that not only do the best of the novels treat bereavement with wit, insight and sensitivity, but that the eclectic mix of theme, character, voice and style across the books will provide inspiration for future projects for years to come.

This thesis offers an in-depth analysis of conceptual, methodological, and policy issues in the implementation of children's participation rights. The way in which children's participation is understood and operationalised within and across services affecting children is a related area for study. The thesis explores the varied emphases given to children's participation rights (and multi-agency working) within and across play, educational, health, welfare and out-ofschool services; and it examines and discusses conceptual, policy and practice issues in the implementation of children's participation rights within and across these services. The example of the development of an out-of-school centre known as "A Space" is then used to provide a detailed analysis of the progress and process of participative and multi-agency working. Both the A Space exemplar and the wider public policy context within which it is located are viewed as forms of 'data' -and it is these two forms of data which are considered together. The thesis suggests that whilst it seems possible to make some progress towards implementing some elements of children's participation considerable barriers exist. These barriers include the tensions which exist between the interests of children and of adults; the constraints of public policy agendas, socio-economic considerations, and the kinds of welfarist and developmentalist understandings of children and childhood which underpin the approaches of children's service agencies and the perspectives of the staff therein. It concludes that if the implementation of children's participation is to be anything more than a 'token' exercise then ways will need to be found to overcome these barriers.

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