There are almost a quarter of million children caring for a ­relative in England and Wales, and around 23,000 of them are under the age of nine. Anne Booth, left, a Catholic mother of four who was a carer for her own elderly mother, has written a book to draw attention to the difficulties of children performing this role, which often seems to pass under society’s radar.Dog Ears, published last month, is aimed at readers aged nine and above, with the story about a schoolgirl Anna, who