One thing I think we all remember is our favourite childhood author.
When we are first stepping out into the weird and wonderful world of magical
text and discovering the potential of our own imaginations, we remember what
books first grabbed our attentions enough to teach us to read. For me, it was
Roald Dahl. His books have captured Children’s imaginations for decades, indeed
even my niece and nephew have begun enjoying his works.
Something about his caricature characters appeals to almost all ages,
from the nasty ‘Twits’ to the kind hearted ‘James’ with his giant peach.
Somehow he keeps the stories light hearted and wholesome while indulging in the
slightly darker side of most children’s imaginations. As I write this, I can
think of two examples immediately:
‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Revolting Rhymes’
Who else could get away with writing a children’s story about a boy
trying to poison his grandmother; or a book of poetry where the heroine skins
the big bad wolf to wear as a coat, turns the three little pigs into luggage
and keeps a handgun in her undies? This is the work of a very talented mind and
it is such that grabbed my attention. Whoever our childhood favourite, we
always remember them for whatever reason, and it’s that which we must cherish.
I still curl up some nights with a cup of hot chocolate and ‘Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory’. We should make an effort to engage our children in a
similar way, get them interested in reading the same way we were, with a good
author, one who understood the mind of a child. I admit, if I were a few years
younger, (quite a few) my favourite author may well have been J.K.Rowling, and
that would have been fine, but I’m glad I got to spend so much time reading Mr
Dahl’s books, and enjoyed the worlds he created.
What was your favourite author as a child? Do you think children engage
in reading as often as they used to? Tell me what you think. Read, follow,
comment and enjoy. M x
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