Celebrating World Book Day 2025!

Courteney Donaldson, Managing Director - Childcare & Education
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
"As a very young child, I loved this book, and indeed the series of Magic Faraway books. The story centres on a magical tree which has incredibly tall branches reaching up to special clouds that lead to magical lands way up in the sky. One of the characters was Moonface, and just thinking of the illustrations makes me smile all these years later. This was one of the first books read to me as a child by my mother. Having opened the door to the Enid Blyton books, I became an avid reader during my childhood and, as I got older, I especially enjoyed the Famous Five adventure novels – it’s probably those stories that shaped my love of summer holidays and travelling!"
 

Callum Lancaster, Business Agent - Childcare & Education

Cherub by Robert Muchamore
"Similar to the Young James Bond books, the characters aged up throughout the series so stayed relevant as the reader gets older (unless they read a book a month!). Young spy books that featured all sorts of characters and locations never got boring. For the younger readers, though, it would be the Harry Potter series, of course."

Francine Knight, Nationwide Support - Childcare & Education

The Three Little Pigs by Joseph Jacobs
"I think I loved it so much because it was fun to read - I used to get involved by doing the huffing, puffing, and blowing the house down!"

Grace Day, Business Agent - Childcare & Education

Skellig by David Almond
"The main character is a mysterious hybrid, leaving it up to you to imagine who or what he is. Even though it's labelled as a children's book, I feel like I could still enjoy it now - the sign of a great book!"
 

Jassi Sunner, Associate Director - Childcare & Education

The BFG by Roald Dahl
"I've never been a big reader. I probably read more to my kids than I ever did when I was younger, but I loved watching the 1989 film over and over, and then a family member gifted the book to me. I remember trying to imagine different ways of illustrating the character from the movie but always reverted back to type!"
 

Katy Raines, Personal Assistant - Childcare & Education

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
"I adored this story as a little girl and always admired the main character, Sara's, resilience and ability to stay true to her kind nature when her fortune took a turn for the worse. A copy still sits on my bookshelf today!"
 

Kelly Frangleton, Senior Data Engineer - Childcare & Education

Sherlock Holmes Investigates by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
"As a child I just loved history and the mystery around Sherlock Holmes and Watson."
 

Nick Brown, Director & Head of Brokerage - Childcare & Education

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
"It’s a classic – a great book that always reminds me of my childhood."
 

Sofia Beck, Director - Childcare & Education

(Nancy Drew) Hit & Run Holiday by Carolyn Keene
"I loved that it was set in Fort Lauderdale, so whenever I read this book I felt great escapism, and I also fancied myself as a bit of a detective at the time. I loved a teen crime thriller!"
 

Sophie Willcox, Director - Childcare & Education

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
"I could have listed any of Roald Dahl's books; I used to get lost in the illustrations, and I loved the creativity and magic within each of his books! After growing up with a very close relationships to my grandparents, I loved reading about Charlie's adventures with his own grandad."

Rachel Godwin, Business Agent - Childcare & Education

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
"I loved this book and read it many times. I remember being fascinated by the thought of a giant peach! I read a lot of Roald Dahl's books to my children when they were small. They are all excellent."

To get in touch with the team, you can find their contact details here.