My Love Of Books #Childhood Memories I think you can recognise what formed the person you became, when you think back to your childhood. I grew up in a single parent family, with three older siblings, one brother and two sisters. I am seven years younger than the youngest of the three. All of them were avid readers and all of their books were stored in a cupboard in the kitchen. Heaven for me was to be allowed to sit on the floor, back against the wall and to read for hours. Enid Blyton was a great favourite, there were lots of stories about girls at boarding schools, having midnight feasts and jolly japes, ( I had no idea what japes meant). For a lonely child, living in the top flat in a council block, it seemed heavenly. I read about living on a farm, the idea of green fields and animals to care for, fired my imagination. I recall a story where a young couple was going to be married and the list of gifts was repeated many times. I was fascinated by the old farmers wife saying that she would give elbow grease! It took me years to realise what that meant. Because of that book cupboard I realised there was a #life that I wanted to live, miles from Hackney and the #life I knew. I still feel thrilled by the countryside around me, the animals and fresh air. I still find history gripping, the idea of the kings and queens, their struggles and deaths. The importance and influence of authors shouldn't be underestimated, as long as children are given the chance to read of course!