8 September is International Literacy Day and the 2023 theme is Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies. The day presents an opportunity for us to raise awareness of Sustainable Development Goal 4, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is “a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity”. It’s made up of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and SDG4 is the education goal, which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
To celebrate the role literacy has played in our lives, EducationDaily team is sharing the childhood reads that changed our lives, and why.
James and the Giant Peach
written by Roald Dahl & illustrated by Quentin Blake
The book: James and the Giant Peach is one of renowned British author Roald Dahl’s signature whimsical children’s stories. In it, young orphan James Henry Trotter is forced to up sticks and go to live with his rotund Aunt Sponge and his bony Aunt Spiker – after his parents are killed by a rhinoceros. James is lonely and unhappy, until he stumbles across a magical giant peach and the seven giant insects that live within it. He’s then whisked away from his cruel aunts on an incredible adventure in search of a better life with his new friends.
The impact: My reader personality is escape artist, as I love disappearing deep into other worlds. The addiction started when core memories were formed as I snuggled into peachy flesh with James and ‘our’ insect friends (or shrugged on an oversized fur coat and trudged along in the snow behind my four best friends in Narnia). Google says James and the Giant Peach is a two-and-a-half-hour read, but that can’t be right because I spent half my childhood buried in that book (and I’m pretty sure a part of me still lives there).
Charlie, Staff Writer
The Nancy Drew series and Famous Five and Secret Seven mystery books
written by ‘Carolyn Keene’ and Enid Blyton
The books: Nancy Drew was imagined by Edward Stratemeyer and written by ‘Carolyn Keene’, a pseudonym used by several ghost writers, including his daughter Harriet. The series is a popular collection of mystery novels aimed primarily at young readers. The series features Nancy Drew, a teenage sleuth who solves various mysteries in her hometown of River Heights and beyond. The books are known for their suspenseful plots, clever puzzles, and strong, independent female protagonist.
Mildred Wirt Benson was the primary ghostwriter for the early Nancy Drew books and is often credited with shaping her character. Nancy’s enduring popularity has made her an iconic figure in detective fiction and a beloved character for generations of readers.
The Famous Five and The Secret Seven are popular series of children’s books written by prolific British author Enid Blyton. The Famous Five series revolves around young detectives, Julian, Dick, Anne, George (Georgina), and their dog Timmy. They embark on various adventures, solving mysteries and uncovering secrets.
The Secret Seven’s group members include child detectives Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, Pam, Colin, and George. They meet regularly to help people in need and go on adventures as they solve local mysteries using smarts and teamwork.
Their impact: Growing up with a father that read voraciously, it was a given that my spare time, and conversations, would generally revolve around reading – and the extraordinary places I could journey to in my imagination. Looking back, my appetite for all things mysterious – the Nancy Drew, Famous Five and Secret Seven books have ultimately led me to an adult appreciation of crime, forensics and thrillers. And as an aside, perhaps my all-time favourite book, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, led to the aspiration that I would someday be a vet.
I’m not, of course, but being the editor of AnimalCare assuages the need.
In hindsight (read, now that I am grown up) I cannot overlook the obvious flaws of my childhood reads – the classism – Nancy was of course, rich, popular, and attractive. She had her own car and enough of her dad’s money to go on as many vacations and trips as she could ever wish; the unspoken discrimination – stereotyping other cultures, and depicting others as superstitious, backwards, or just plain “strange” because they were different; and what about the fat-shaming! As young as I was, I was aware that Bess was the “plump” one, George was the boyish athletic one, and Nancy – well, popular and smart.
I dare say, the content and language of similar books written today would be markedly different.
In saying all this, they provided many, many hours of happy escapism and a fascinating glimpse into a period of history when questions of femininity were being debated and discussed – just as they still are today. Nancy walks the line between domestic and independent, showing that a woman can be smart, assertive, and bold, even as she can be charming and polite. Nancy Drew inspired me when I was growing up, telling me that I could do anything if I had enough daring. And that is something I cannot forget.
Trish, Editor
Eragon
written by Christopher Paolini
The books: The Eragon series is a fantasy novel series written by then teenager Christopher Paolini. The series consists of four books that weave an intricate magic system and follow the adventures of young farm boy, Eragon, as he discovers a mysterious dragon egg in the Spine, a range of untamed mountains. When the egg hatches, Eragon becomes the Dragon Rider and embarks on a journey of epic battles to defeat evil ruler, Galbatorix, who seeks to dominate the land of Alagaësia.
The impact: With my head often in the clouds and my nose firmly wedged between the pages of whatever fantasy series I could find at my local library, Eragon’s winding tale of magic dragons, large scale battles and scheming sorcerors immediately drew me in as a young reader.
From the first chapter to the last, Eragon’s ‘chosen one’ journey from lowly farm boy to elf-romancing-dragon-riding-hero had me hanging on every word and inspired countless afternoons storming the battlements of my own dastardly villain (my unsuspecting dad half asleep on the couch).
Even now, despite moving on to more adult fiction, I look back on Eragon as a somewhat underappreciated gem of the genre. While lacking the poetic flair and complex drama of fantasy greats J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin, it’s the nuanced characters, fantastical scenarios and surprising amount of heart that have stuck with me long after closing the cover many years ago.
With four books now in the series (and an admittedly terrible 2006 movie adaptation), Christopher Paolini’s mystical world of Alagaësia is one I can’t recommend enough for budding fantasy fans.
Jarrod, Editor
Goosebumps: Night in Werewolf Woods
written by R.L. Stine
The book: Goosebumps: Night in Werewolf Woods is the 29th book in the popular Goosebumps series of horror fiction novels for young readers, written by R.L. Stine. In this story, readers follow the adventures of a group of campers who find themselves in a mysterious and terrifying forest where they encounter werewolves and other supernatural creatures.
The series was first published in 1992 and has since become a literary phenomenon, captivating young readers with spooky and suspenseful stories. Each book features a standalone horror tale, often centred around preteens and teenagers facing supernatural or eerie situations. The stories are known for suspenseful plots, unexpected twists, and cliffhanger endings that have entertained and scared young readers for decades
The impact: My favourite childhood book was Goosebumps: Night in Werewolf Woods as I was a huge fan of anything within the Goosebumps gamebook series. Robert Lawrence Stine’s spooky tales would send shivers down my spine throughout the 90s and were always something best read long before bedtime.
The multi-ending element added an interactive component and readers could make decisions on behalf of the characters at various points, before skipping ahead to a set chapter to continue the story under that selected narrative.
I remember finding the books particularly engaging, thanks to the aptly named ‘Readers beware you choose the scare!’ format, which offered up to 20 different endings – and finding the most favourable demise was always fun. On reflection, I feel the storybooks provided a good lesson in paying attention to detail and decision-making – unless that decision was sleeping with the lights on and door open until I was thirteen.
Paul, Staff Writer
The Giving Tree
written by Shel Silverstein
The book: The Giving Tree is a popular children’s book written by author, poet, and illustrator Shel Silverstein. It tells the story of a selfless tree and a boy who grows up alongside it. The tree gives everything it has to make the boy happy, including its apples, branches, and even its trunk, symbolising selflessness and unconditional love.
The impact: Few books from my childhood made such a profound mark on me. The Giving Tree is a seemingly simple story, accompanied by unassuming black and white illustrations. It carries a profound message that resonated deeply with me even though I didn’t fully grasp it then.
As a child who loved climbing trees, I first identified with the boy who comes to the Giving Tree to foster his relationship with nature. The tree loves the boy’s company and revels in his happiness. However, as the boy grows, his needs change, and so does my connection with him.
The little boy keeps asking for more and more material objects from the tree, who gives him everything because she loves him. I was so distraught that by the end he had taken all her apples, her branches, and trunk, and all that was left of her was a stump for him to sit on. It made me so angry that people would continue to take from nature in that way for their own benefit. I was a little environmentalist in the making!
However, after rereading the book as a mum, I now identify with the tree – forever giving all of myself for the happiness of my children. And while this can be seen as a beautiful act of love, The Giving Tree unveils yet a deeper layer; if you give too much, there will be nothing left of you to give. So, if you’re looking to introduce environmental-awareness with a side of healthy boundary-setting to your children, reading The Giving Tree offers up the perfect opportunity.
Cassie, Staff Writer
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
written by C.S. Lewis
The book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel written by British author scholar, and Christian theologian Clive Staples Lewis. It is the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, which consists of seven novels. This story follows the adventures of siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, when they’re evacuated from London during World War II and sent to live in the countryside.
While exploring their new home, Lucy stumbles upon a wardrobe that serves as a portal to the magical land of Narnia. Here, they encounter talking animals, mythical creatures, and a powerful White Witch who has plunged the land into eternal winter. With the help of the great lion Aslan, the siblings embark on a quest to fulfill a prophecy and free Narnia from the witch’s icy grip.
The impact: I’m sure that what I found compelling about C.S. Lewis’ book was the same thing that initially drew in all kids who fell in love with it: the idea that playing and exploring in an unfamiliar, absolutely mundane, place could reveal a secret passageway to a magical land.
As a voracious book reader, it didn’t take me long as a kid to tear through all of the Narnia books. None ever quite as good as The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Years spent as a kid climbing in and out of cupboards at my Nonna and Pa’s house never resulted in whisking me off to adventure in Narnia – but surely I just needed to look behind the right jacket?
Thanks to being a child at the exact right time, just as I finished reading them through for the first time, the BBC’s 1988 TV adaptation of three of the Narnia books was released. My memories of the books are probably a bit too-heavily linked to my memories of the TV show.
My own daughter is just a few years away from discovering the books herself. I wonder if, by then, I’ll be out of the habit of dreamily looking into the back of my own wardrobe wondering “what if…”
Dan, Head of Content
February Dragon
written by Colin Thiele
The book: February Dragon is the work of Colin Milton Thiele AC, the award-winning Australian educator and author of children’s fiction such as Storm Boy and Blue Fin. In February Dragon, the lives of the Pine family’s three children are derailed when a bushfire of the same name wipes out their Australian town.
The impact: I always knew the story of the Pine family’s experiences during a devastating bushfire had left an impact on me, but as I stood on the balcony of my school’s second-floor library on 16 February 1983, and watched the thick smoke rise from the Adelaide Hills, I was taken back to those powerful pages.
As a primary school student, I lost count of how many times I read February Dragon.
It had drama, disaster, animals, a loving family and a leading female character who reminded me of parts of myself. It also had the South Australian author’s evocative descriptions of a landscape that was so close to home. Parenthood saw me read it to each of my children and it still packed a punch.
Claire, Editor
Dr Maryanne Pale, a researcher in the Department of Education at Swinburne University of Technology has said that “Early years literacy skills are fundamental for children’s learning and development, and their later success in formal education and adulthood”.
For International Literacy Day, we hope that by sharing the books that shaped our childhoods, we inspire a trip down memory lane that puts some beloved old classics in front of fresh young eyes.
