A shocking revelation and the importance thereof...

I WON’T say I’m un-shockable. That somehow sounds like it’s laying down the gauntlet, a challenge to be exploded in spectacular fashion.

However, I would say that I’m broad and open-minded and it takes quite a lot to make my jaw drop. However, shocked I was recently by an admission, one that may not sound immediately shocking to fellow ‘un-shockables’ but made me cock my head, frown and say, "well I never.......".

Someone close to me said they’ve no recollection of being read to as a child.

Now, in caveat, ‘no recollection’ is not necessarily the same as it never happened. But, to contextualise, my shock was that, I know the parents; they are what I would term ‘readers’. They read widely, regularly and can afford books and can access libraries and to my knowledge, always could and so I asked the question, why? Clearly, asking the wrong person, of course.

I have memories of my parents and grandparents reading to me; seeing them reading; going to book shops and libraries and books just being part of life. I won’t attempt a cause and effect conclusion, I was brought up with books therefore I wanted to write them.

There are plenty of people that for all manner of reasons don’t have access to a well stocked book shelf that go on to write and similarly there are millions of people reading that have no desire to write.

However, what I will argue until I am blue in the face and hoarse in the throat is the power of books and where it is possible, the importance of reading to and with children. Books help us to learn, process emotions, entertain, provoke thought and above all develop empathy.

Reading helps us develop language, debating skills and our appreciation of other worlds and perspectives. Enid Blyton, Dorothy Edwards, Judy Blume, Nina Bawden amongst others, gave me a window into separated parents, the Second World War and what I might find if I climbed a tree high enough. Outside of my reality, nonetheless I imagined, wondered, mused and empathised.

Another highly important plus of reading with children is taking a few minutes out of busy lives to sit quietly, next to one another and share time and a story, precious and priceless.

Recently, Cardiff was alive with Roald Dahl’s magic and mischief as The City of the Unexpected celebrated the great storyteller’s centenary. Sunny streets swarmed with families, suggesting a healthy interest in great children’s literature. I really hope so.

I’m currently reading The Silver Sword with my daughter. Adventure, courage, sadness and hope seep from every page. How better to start teaching a child that war and devastation still sadly blight parts of our world and families really do lose one another.

Popping in to Griffin Books the other day, I bought presents for a friend’s daughters, Pollyanna and Alice in Wonderland. They’re great stories, from which we can learn much, indeed Alice’s wisdom and Pollyanna’s optimism are worth discovering at any age.