Teach-Reading-and-Writing-Issue-21

I absolutely love reading, and I seize every opportunity to immerse myself in a book. My shelves are bursting with everything from dog-eared paperbacks to fancy collectable editions, and I have a towering to-be-read pile that seems to grow taller every day. You might think that as a full-time author who spent fifteen years as a children’s bookseller, my passion for reading must always have been there. But believe it or not, I didn’t enjoy reading at all as a child. When I share this with young people, they often find it hard to believe. “I can prove it!” I say, showing them some of my childhood books scrawled with handwritten comments including, ‘Warning: this book can be boring’, and ‘Only read if you are an adult’. I’m embarrassed to say that my copy of Little Women contains a moustachioed illustration of Louisa May Alcott, and I even wrote ‘Poo’ in Prince Caspian. Heavy going The trouble was, as a child, reading felt like a chore. This was partly because, in both primary and secondary school, I was encouraged to read books that challenged me. I distinctly remember how, when I was ten years old, my teacher assigned me Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen to tackle over the summer. It turned out to be a miserable task. Just getting through the first few pages felt incredibly laborious. The book held little appeal for me: the language was unfamiliar, and I couldn’t connect to the experiences of a corseted seventeen-year- old girl attending balls and reading Gothic novels. I was a Spice Girls-obsessed ten-year-old, who loved video games and Pokémon. I continued to dislike reading throughout school and university; I only picked up the books required for my classes and never sought out anything to read in my free time. However, that changed in my early twenties when I received a copy of Eragon , a young adult fantasy novel by Christopher Paolini. Stuck on a long coach journey with nothing else to occupy my time, I decided to give it a try. A life-changing read Eragon was refreshingly easy to read and incredibly entertaining. I had never read fantasy before, but the story completely captivated me. It made me realise that a compelling story can pull you along without making you feel like you’re doing any work. After exploring many different genres at my local library, I discovered I 38 | www.teachwire.net BOOKS FOR SCHOO L S Jennifer Bell left bookselling in 2018 to become a full-time children’s author. Her latest novel, Magicalia: Thief of Shadows, is the second book in an exciting new fantasy series. @jenbellauthor Jennifer.Bell.Author loved books and became the reader I am today. Crucially, I learned that it isn’t always a great book that gets you into reading; it’s a great reading experience. And this is something that looks different for everyone. When I talk to reluctant readers today, I encourage them to seek out the right book for them . If they’re unsure where to start, I ask them to consider the stories from their favourite TV shows, movies and video games. With a little searching, they’re bound to find a book that contains all the same story elements they love. This is one of the many reasons it’s so important that young people have access to libraries and bookshops. These spaces not only offer a diverse array of books, but also have knowledgeable librarians and booksellers who can provide valuable recommendations. It’s essential for reluctant readers to have the freedom to choose the stories that resonate with them, whatever those may be. When I started writing for children, I thought about that ten-year-old who had been put off reading. I was determined to create books that featured accessible language and compelling narratives – stories that were relatable, thrilling and, most importantly, exemplified the joy of reading for entertainment, not as hard work. Jennifer Bell explains how finding the right book set her off on a journey from reluctant reader to bestselling author An unlikely BEGINNING DOWNLOAD RESOURCES AT Download FREE Magicalia character activities at tinyurl.com/ tp-Magicalia Illustrations © 2025 David Wyatt. All rights reserved.