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During lockdown the Blakesley family wrote blogs for us about being stranded in the UK, unable to return to Kuwait. In their final blogs, Nathaniel, Paul, and Karen share what it was like to get back to Kuwait, what they read while in quarantine, and the impending move to Turkey… Nathaniel It took us over four months to get back to Kuwait.  But we are back now, and there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed surrounded by your own belongings – especially as that means access to all of my books. I’ve been selected [...]

In this blog Reading Force founder Professor Alison Baverstock talks about why reading and sharing ANY book is what matters… Which book should we choose to share? We are often asked by families to recommend a title for sharing. We are happy to pass on what others have enjoyed (David Walliams’ and ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ titles are always popular) and also offer suggestions on our website. But really, it’s up to you. We think choosing what to read is part of the process of taking part, and this often works best through a family chat rather [...]

Alison and Corporal Andrew Miller, The London Regiment – G Company Last week journalist Marina Hyde highlighted the increasing use of a military vocabulary for the COVID-19 crisis. She was right. Journalists and politicians talk about fighting, winning – and battles still to come. However, what struck me is that the people not using these words are the military themselves. Talking on Radio Four’s Today programme, General Sir Nick Carter, Head of the UK’s Armed Forces, answered Martha Kearney’s questions about the role of the military in this crisis directly. There was no playing to the crowd. No waffle. [...]