Resolutions

This is the book which inspired me to become a writer.

It's called The Book Of 1,000 Poems

and it was given to me by my father when I was just five years old.

Now that I'm the Children's Laureate, it's my job to inspire children.

I want them to act, to write, to sing,

but, of course, above all, I want them to read,

and to become lifelong readers.

A book is like a magic carpet -

it can take you anywhere and to any time.

Books take us into different worlds and, even more amazingly, into different minds,

into the minds of the authors and the characters they create,

and you find yourself identifying with people completely different from yourself,

people with different beliefs, different backgrounds, races, ages,

even people who support different football teams,

but perhaps the most marvellous thing is when you discover YOURSELF in a book.

-"They feel just the way

-I

-do," you say to yourself,

and it makes you feel less alone.

I want everyone, children and adults, to be readers,

but, sadly, one person in six in the UK struggles with reading and writing.

Poor literacy is linked with poverty and inequality,

with perhaps the most telling statistic being

that almost half the prison population is illiterate.

So, maybe 2012 would be a good year to help someone become a reader.

You could start by reading to a child - that's great fun.

And children, just like adults, need to discover their own tastes in books,

and the best place to do that is the local library -

there you can ransack the shelves and rummage in the boxes,

borrow the books for free

and even very little children can go to the great Bookbug Rhymetime sessions they have in most libraries,

where they can enjoy doing the actions

and listening to the rhythms and the sounds of the words,

even before they can talk.

You can maybe help adults with their reading.

Perhaps you could enrol to become a literacy tutor

or you could read a book or a newspaper to someone who's blind,

or someone in a care home.

Where do you find out about opportunities like that?

Well, the best place is to go back to your local library

and, while you're there, don't forget to take out a couple of books for yourself.

I started off talking about the book which inspired me,

The Book Of 1,000 Poems,

and I'm going to finish off with a poem which I wrote,

which, I hope, sums up my enthusiasm for reading.

I opened a book and in I strode

Now nobody can find me

I've left my chair, my house, my road

My town and my world behind me

I'm wearing the cloak

I've slipped on the ring

I've swallowed the magic potion

I fought with a dragon

Dined with a king

And dived in a bottomless ocean

I opened a book and made some friends

I shared their tears and laughter

And followed their road with its bumps and bends

To the happily ever after

I finished my book and out I came

The cloak can no longer hide me

My chair and my house are just the same

But I have a book inside me.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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