For my last blog of the year, some of my favourite quotes about books and reading, illustrated with one of my favourite family photos.
There are many ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play. Philip Pullman
Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger. Ben Okri
A book is a place where children can try on all the lives they haven’t got. Margaret Meek
Children’s books can be bridges connecting people. S F Said
Books allow you to see the world through the eyes of others. Reading is an exercise in empathy. Malorie Blackman
Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood. John Green
Reading is the most powerful gift we can give a child: it puts stardust in their imaginations. Emma Cox
I guess that’s the beauty of books. When they finish they don’t really finish. Markus Zusak
Reading is a first class ticket to the outer limits of your imagination. Juno Dawson
Books are, let’s face it, better than everything else. Nick Hornby
You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book. Dr Seuss
Literacy is the bridge from misery to hope. Kofi Annan
Reading gives you knowledge, it gives you power. Andy McNabb
Our books and out pens are the most powerful weapons. Malala Yousafzai
Books are for life, not just for homework. Keith Gray
Read. Read anything… Just read. Neil Gaiman