It was a delight to be invited to Sky News to talk about the great work World Book Day does to promote reading for pleasure, along with fellow author Will Mabbet.
Right now, growing numbers of children don’t own even one book, and literacy levels are sinking among those struggling in a cost of living crisis. Schools have had budgets slashed to the bone and cannot afford a library, let alone a librarian, and councils are closing public libraries. Is it any wonder that fewer than three in ten children are reading daily?
Reading is the single most beneficial and life-altering skill a person can learn. It certainly changed my life and I’m grateful for it.
A special thanks goes out to Sketchley Hill school who gave me permission to use photographs from my visit on World Book Day this year. I had a great time plotting crimes with their pupils, reading to them, and sharing the joy of reading.
