World Book Day

Today, Thursday 3rd March 2016, it is World Book Day. Around the country, there are plenty of schools that are either participating or planning a range of fun activities that are centered around books.
Before I get into the impact that books have on myself I thought I would give you some background information on the day so that we are all a little bit more informed about life...
World Book Day was created on 23rd April 1995 by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. There is a freaky connection that date and the fact that the day is centered around books as that day is actually the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare- probably one of the most influential people that shaped writing. Of course he wrote plays but his work inspired the production of so many great bestsellers and poignant love stories!

Books to me is a way to find pleasure, comfort and acceptance. Sometimes in life, we don't find time for ourselves when we really should- reading for me is that time that I can take to indulge in something I truly enjoy. From turning the page, to reading new sentence constructions to delving into a new character's mind and life, I just love the entire reading process. I must say that my love of reading definitely came from reading when I was younger.

I am one of 6 children and it's safe to say that time with my mum was very limited. It was always with another sibling or 10 seconds caught when she was in between jobs. The one thing that my super mum did make sure we did was read, and that meant that my mum carved out time in her busy schedule to read with each and every one of us. Now, the last few of us that read with mum always had a sleeping mum who would wake up and ask us questions every now and then but the real thought and actions touched my heart and made me love reading.
I wanted to list some of the books that truly shaped my love of reading as a child:
1. Biff, Chip and Kipper.

These characters were legends when I was a child because almost every book that I read early on had Biff, Chip and Kipper in them and even now when I find a book in my classroom with these characters on, it makes me feel so happy! I love them. Now there are books with better pictures, story lines and looks but these books will always be special to me.

This book was literally my favourite- I can still remember the story and what some of the pages looked like!

2. Any Roald Dahl book.

When I got old enough to read these books, they were a staple in my reading material. The worlds that this author created is incredible- I can't believe that one man could be such an inspiration and have that big of an effect on so many children. It is safe to say that I am not the only one to have loved these stories as a child. I am currently reading Fantastic Mr Fox to my class because I loved the story as a child and I adore seeing them become immersed into the story with me!
3. Jacqueline Wilson.

This too was a staple in my reading- it was the in thing when I was a child and anybody who was cool, was reading Jacqueline Wilson. I remember owning so many of these stories and having the books so tatty and ruined because I had thumbed through them so often!
What are your favourite book memories? What are your favourite childhood books?
Let me know!!! xxx