The ‘book date’ or 'reading date' has become a feature of our family life and really just gives a name to the simplest of things – sitting and reading together. This is not reading aloud, although book daters sometimes like to ask a question, or share a passage, or check a word. It’s the act of sitting together in companionable silence, each person reading their own book.

About a year ago, I decided the younger child was just old enough, and the older child still young enough, that I would read some classic children’s books to them both. It’s settled into a reasonably relaxing pre-bedtime ritual. Once the younger is ready in pyjamas, the three of us gather in her room. The kids often sketch or doodle as I read, and I don’t mind as long as they’re quietly engaged and have most of their attention available for the story.

Caffè Nero announces the Category shortlists for the 2025 Nero [...]

Over the summer we were fortunate enough to attend some events at the Edinburgh International Book Festival held at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. There are always good reasons to visit Edinburgh…

I last posted on this blog nearly 3 years ago, which is a long time by most considerations. Many things combined to make me stop, or prevent me from restarting in the last 3 years, but I’ve kept this blog at the back of my mind and wanted to come back to it. It was never intended to be a place to go for the latest releases in children’s literature.

a parent's-eye view of children's literature