I am a stop and start reader! I read several books at the same time – fiction on the Kindle, another in a book, magazine articles, Audible, the Archers Omnibus, the newspaper, definitely a junior fiction and lots of research on teaching! Sometimes I read a book from beginning to end without putting it down, then I don’t read for a while or fall asleep in the middle of reading! However books have always been like friends to me, ever since I was a child; it doesn’t matter what is happening in the real world, if I need to escape there is always a story to lose myself in for as long as I need. You should try it!

Louis Untermeyer’s Golden Treasury of Poetry

This is the earliest book I remember from my childhood and is so ancient that it would be very hard to find but any poetry book should be part of your collection. My mum used to read it to me and it has a real mixture of poems – some nursery rhymes, some funny epitaphs, and some classics including Tyger Tyger by William Blake and The Daffodils by William Wordsworth which was my mum’s favourite. I have taught lots of children that poem in her memory and love the imagery of the ‘host of golden daffodils…fluttering and dancing in the breeze’.

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian (9-11)

This is a novel all about growing up and starting to explore the world of children and adults and the relationships between them. It is quite a challenging read dealing with some upsetting themes but like all good reads, ends well. Set in the Second World War, it tells the story of a young evacuee and his experiences with kindly Mister Tom, the country gentleman who at first was reluctant to take in a young scallywag but ends up coming up trumps!  I would hate anyone to miss out on this super story, so for reluctant readers I can recommend catching up with either the audible book or the TV adaptation on BBC Iplayer.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

This was the first book that I was properly taught to look for deeper meanings in, and what a brilliant book to choose. Mrs Thomas was my teacher – a real inspiration and she shared my birthday too! I don’t suppose she remembers me but her teaching encouraged me to read nearly every Dicken’s book. Set in the time of the French Revolution, the story begins with some old ladies knitting and I loved the way it was revealed to me that this represented the story being woven together; I was hooked. Like all Dicken’s books, strong characters and a brilliant plot make this a great read to recommend. I went on to be fascinated with that period of history and love Les Miserables too but that is a heavy read!