What was your favourite childhood book and why?
I have two!
The first is Matilda by Roald Dahl. I wasn’t always a keen reader, but Matilda changed that. Not only did Roald Dahl create a character who made reading cool, but I also discovered that books could be funny, that villains could be thrilling and that it was ok to make up completely new words! It opened my eyes to the fun side of reading (and writing).
The second is “When we were very young” by A.A. Milne – I used to absolutely love the poems being read to me as a child. My favourite was Daffodowndilly, which I still read every spring – it never fails to put a smile on my face.
Which of your own books is your favourite and why?
Oh this is a very tricky question – I love them all!
‘An Alien in the Jam Factory’ will always be very special to me because it was the first book that took me into the wonderful world of McLay’s Jam Factory and I’m really proud of its message that we should not underestimate those who are different.
Why do you choose to read?
Books are magical portals that can take you anywhere! You could be sitting on your sofa, drinking a cup of tea and eating a bar of chocolate while also fighting a dragon or landing on the moon! You get to outwit dastardly villains, meet unusual people and learn about life circumstances that are different from your own. I love the quote, A reader lives a thousand lives – it’s so true!
