What did you read as a child?

As a child I remember reading the Ladybird series and I remember particularly liking "The Green Umbrella". This was a story about a rabbit family who went to the beach for the day. One of the "children" ate all the picnic and floated away to sea in the green umbrella. I still have the book now.

Do you have any stand out reading memories?

I remember being about 9 or 10 and reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis. My teacher told me it was too difficult for me and said I should choose something else to read. That only made me more determined to read it and started my passion for classic fiction. The Chronicles of Narnia remain a favourite now.

I remember vividly reading the Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt book "You Choose" with my nephews when they were really young. It became our "Family book" and wherever we were we would have it with us. Each nephew would have to go through the pages and choose their own fantasy. It became the tradition after lunch on the beach before we went back in the sea.

When my own children came along the Julia Donaldson and Scheffler books were really popular. The Snail and the Whale was the favourite and we would read it every day. My daughter, who was very young at the time, named it "A tum and a waya". 

What do you enjoy reading now?

At the moment I have got hooked on the books that are on my daughter's Year 7 book list and the books recommended by Miss Carr and Otter class. Reading so much good current children's fiction has made me realise that children's fiction should be read by all! My favourite ones I have read recently are The Cogheart Series (Peter Bunzl) and Welcome to Nowhere (Elizabeth Laird).

What are your 'desert island' books?

I rarely read books for a second time so I would have to take a Carrier Pigeon with me onto my desert island so that I could send it back and forth to the library...is that allowed!???