Did you know, today is Roald Dahl Day? Roald Dahl Day is celebrated every year on 13 September on the great man's birthday, and people from all over the world hold events in his honour. This year sees the 50th anniversary of the release of "James and the Giant Peach"...still such a classic.
Roald Dahl is probably my favourite children's writer of all time. I remember pouring over his books as a child, particularly "The Twits". It was that popular with all of the students, that there was a waiting list in my school library to borrow it. I made the most of my precious time with that book and read it as many times as I could.
Years ago when Seth was a baby, I saw a boxed set of Roald Dahl books for sale at a book fair, and I bought them hoping that one day, my own children would fall in love with his stories and characters as much as I had. Seth is eight years old, and is now able to choose his own home readers. We have plenty of books at home, like the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", "Big Nate", and the "Captain Underpants" series, but its the Roald Dahl books that have grabbed his attention most. The first book he chose to read was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"...again, a classic. Seth absorbed every word and after watching the two movie versions, decided that the book was better! That's my boy.
Next, he chose "The Twits"...which he read twice in quick succession. I was so happy that he loved it as much as I did. He started reading it for a third time, when I suggested perhaps he read a different one and then he could go back to it. So, now we're onto "The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me", which he also loves.
Every afternoon, you will find Seth in this exact position...laying back on the lounge enjoying a good book. It makes me so happy that he loves reading, and I hope his love of books continues well into the future. There's nothing quite like escaping into a novel.
"The prime function of the children's book writer is to write a book that is so absorbing, exciting, funny, fast and beautiful that the child will fall in love with it. And that first love affair between the young child and the young book will lead hopefully to other loves for other books and when that happens the battle is probably won. The child will have found a crock of gold. He will also have gained something that will help to carry him most marvelously through the tangles of his later years." - Roald DahlWhat books do your children like to read?
