What was your favourite childhood book and why?
It’s impossible to choose just one favourite childhood book but right up there would definitely Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery – Anne Shirley is probably my all time favourite fictional character. Momo by Michael Ende and Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones would also be contenders – those are both books that had a huge impact on me as a reader and then as a writer. All three of these books really celebrate the power of imagination and standing up for what’s right, which are things I try to put into all my writing.
Which of your own books is your favourite and why?
My favourite of my own books is always the most recent one because it’s the one I’m spending the most time thinking about, but also because I hope that I get a little bit better at writing with every book. So my favourite is currently The Treehouse Library, book five in the Pages & Co series. It has some of my favourite bookwandering scenes in, including a trip to a nonsense poem which I loved writing. The treehouse library itself is also one of my favourite settings, and the whole book is really inspired by Northumberland, which is where I grew up, so it’s special to me because of that too.
Why do you choose to read?
I read because it enriches my life more than I can say! Through books I have experienced more than I could ever hope to in one lifetime – I’ve visited all sorts of places and met all sorts of people all through the pages of a book – what else gives you that! The amazing thing about reading is that it can provide whatever you need – escape, comfort, inspiration, hope – there’s a book to suit every mood and need.
