Reader Joanne explains what CC books meant to her as a teen - and what they mean now she is at uni!
Joanne says:
As a pre-teen and young teen, I adored CC books, and it'd be a lie not to admit I still flick-read them sometimes even now. I once owned every book, read them all several times and went to see Cathy to get my books signed a few times at the Edinburgh Book Festival.
The books left a lasting impression and helped me cope with issues I had faced in life. My dad rather than my mum was the wild, free-living traveller that Storm in DIZZY was, and my Nana, like Molly in SUNDAE GIRL, has severe Alzheimer's Disease. With my family around me I leaned to cope with these issues, but another important coping mechanism for me was reading. Literature is a wonderful escape for children, but it can also help young people to put their worries in context and see that there is always hope. To know you are going through hell and seeing that someone, despite the character being fictional, has gone though something similar and survived... that can really help. Even if we don't have that particular problem, we learn to understand how it feels to be in that situation.
I am nineteen years old now and in my second year of a primary teaching degree. I'm working on an essay about how children's books can help young people to handle the difficult experiences life may deal out to them, and this started me thinking once more of the CC books I loved so much. Reading is amazing, and a big part of why I want to teach now. Most of my CC books have now been passed on to my thirteen year old sister in the hopes she would love them as much as I do (she does, what a cool girl!) From a huge fan both past and future, I can only hope CC goes on writing fantastic books that will help the children of the future know that they are not dealing with their problems alone.
Cathy says:
Naaawww... I am blushing now! I am so very proud of my grown-up readers, many of whom, like Joanne, have gone on to do amazing things! Have CC books ever helped YOU to deal with a difficult issue? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
As a pre-teen and young teen, I adored CC books, and it'd be a lie not to admit I still flick-read them sometimes even now. I once owned every book, read them all several times and went to see Cathy to get my books signed a few times at the Edinburgh Book Festival.
The books left a lasting impression and helped me cope with issues I had faced in life. My dad rather than my mum was the wild, free-living traveller that Storm in DIZZY was, and my Nana, like Molly in SUNDAE GIRL, has severe Alzheimer's Disease. With my family around me I leaned to cope with these issues, but another important coping mechanism for me was reading. Literature is a wonderful escape for children, but it can also help young people to put their worries in context and see that there is always hope. To know you are going through hell and seeing that someone, despite the character being fictional, has gone though something similar and survived... that can really help. Even if we don't have that particular problem, we learn to understand how it feels to be in that situation.
I am nineteen years old now and in my second year of a primary teaching degree. I'm working on an essay about how children's books can help young people to handle the difficult experiences life may deal out to them, and this started me thinking once more of the CC books I loved so much. Reading is amazing, and a big part of why I want to teach now. Most of my CC books have now been passed on to my thirteen year old sister in the hopes she would love them as much as I do (she does, what a cool girl!) From a huge fan both past and future, I can only hope CC goes on writing fantastic books that will help the children of the future know that they are not dealing with their problems alone.
Cathy says:
Naaawww... I am blushing now! I am so very proud of my grown-up readers, many of whom, like Joanne, have gone on to do amazing things! Have CC books ever helped YOU to deal with a difficult issue? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
I think I might be an older reader now!!! and I'll always go back to CC books, they have helped me through a lot with problems in friendships and thinking about being myself in front of friends (Gingersnaps) and they have helped me through difficult times just for feeling like I am with the characters when I read and giving me something comforting to read when I'm having a bad time!
ReplyDeleteI'm only 16 so I'm not sure if I count as an older reader haha but I too found that CC books really helped me through tough issues when I was younger. It's amazing what books can make us feel!
ReplyDelete