The Reading Room

• Name: Sam McBratney
• Born: Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Pets: A tortoise
• Previous job: Teacher
• Wrote his first book: In his thirties
• Featured Title: You're All My Favourites
• See all titles from Sam

If in some parallel or future life I am ten years old again, and someone asks me "What do you want to be when you grow up?", I shall say "A Grandfather." My grandchildren range from 10 years to 14 months, and I have enjoyed being with all of them. You learn so much. For example: it takes about sixteen months before they master the art of snapping shut your glasses case without trapping their fat little fingers.

Reading to them is great fun. Only this morning a toddler crossed the carpet trailing a badly-mauled board book and muttering "whack-whack". She was telling me that her book has a duck in it and that I have to read it to her. Now. And when I call to mind the books I've read with grandchildren, there have been many instances of delight ? and enlightenment ? which I could share with you: but for now I shall single out the time when my four-year-old looked up just before we turned a particular page, and sang out, "Get ready to laugh, Granda!" (You can imagine the shine in the eyes.)

Get ready to laugh. What an imperative! So much of the child's experience goes into a moment like that: the mastery of vocabulary, the memory of the story, the comparison with other books that has made this one a favourite, the early appreciation of humour, the foresight to anticipate, and so on. But equally important is the child's inclination to share this experience with someone else - the warm wish that I too should enjoy the fun. Such moments are rare and have no price.

You'll have heard how reading with children is supposed to be good for them. That may be so, but my main point is that it's good for you. Even if you're not a Granda.

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