I only started reading when I was in my teens. Prior to that I was never really interested in books or comics. The only books I have a clear memory of reading are the Usborne Puzzle Adventure series, these I loved and would read over and over again. Other than that I know I had Famous Five and Secret Seven books but I don't remember reading them. The same with Roald Dahl, I remember we had them but don't remember reading them. I never really enjoyed reading, it was always something they made you do at school and those books were always dull. They were books chosen by adults who thought they'd be fun or interesting for the kids, like The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole.
Things started to change when I was 12, almost 13. Jurassic Park was released in cinemas and I watched it with my family. It was one of those movie moments which stick with you your entire life, I remember it vividly and still get goose bumps when I watch it. It was total magic, with the CGI looking incredibly real at the time. After seeing the movie I saw the book in the shops and decided I wanted to read it. It was the first chapter book I remember finishing, the first 'grown up' book. I remember the moment I finished it because for me it was a staggering accomplishment. I was sat in the armchair at home, beside the balcony. I remember finishing it and deciding I absolutely wanted to read other books by Michael Crichton. That was the moment I became a 'reader'. From then on my reading started gathering pace. Over the next few years I read The Andromeda Strain, Congo, The Terminal Man, The Lost World and Timeline all written by Michael Crichton. I also read the entire series of Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler, a series which totally appeals to a teenage boy; loads of action, classic cars, alluring women and plenty of humour. Eventually I discovered Terry Pratchett and the Discworld, I can credit his books with vastly expanding my vocabulary, imagination and sense of humour.
So why all the preachyness about reading? It's something I want to pass on to my kids. It's something which is fundamentally important to me as a parent; never mind that I'm a teacher and it's what we tell other parents, that's not why it's important to me. I believe a love of reading is one of the single most profound and life changing interests we provide our children with, it is something they must have in their lives. Reading offers anyone the opportunity to infinitely expand their horizons; reading can change the way you see the world and offer you an escape for a time. I say this as someone who struggled mightily with reading and writing in school, but went on to study and love English Literature and Theatre.
I should add that my parents sowed the seeds of my interest in reading when I was a child, they read to me every night until I was quite old. I remember being read The Wind In The Willows, The Hobbit, Where The Wild Things Are, and a whole lot of other books. This is how I'm trying to encourage my kids to read. Every night we read three picture books before bed. There are days when neither Sher nor I can be arsed to do it, it would be much easier to use Cbeebies Bedtime Stories (which are brilliant) but 3 stories only ever takes about 20 minutes and it's time well spent. I'll ask some basic questions as I read and the kids respond really well. The kids love the stories, they join in with silly voices, point out everything in the books, talk about how the characters think and feel, and they are totally enthralled every time. Both kids now 'read' their own books, Benny will sit with his book on his lap and go through it page by page (usually back to front but it's still a basic skill), Carys will read from memory, and sometimes sound out the odd word. I'm monumentally proud of both of them. I can't tell you for certain that it's made huge changes to my kids, but I can say that they are both able to express themselves very clearly, both have large vocabularies for their age, and both are able to pick up on some quite subtle meanings within a story. Reading is also an excuse for me to be extremely silly which is something I don't get to do often enough. So, here are some of our favourite books. Christmas is coming up, maybe your kids will like them too?
