Staff share the books they’re excited to share with their children in the future (real, or imagined).

Chris Gordon, Events Manager:

When we hosted an event with Germaine Greer I was starstruck, but I did manage to make the author laugh a little with my stories of being a mother to a whirlwind of a daughter. Later, as Greer was signing a copy of The Female Eunuch for said daughter, I asked when I should give it to her. Greer replied, “When she stops calling you mum and starts calling you Chris.” It hasn’t happened yet, but we are getting close to the right time and I can’t wait for her to delve into this book. I know it will help her understand her grandma and her mother, and hopefully more about herself too.

Alan Vaarwerk, Editorial Assistant for Readings Monthly:

I first read my dad’s copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when I was maybe 14. And then I read it again, and again, and again. I’m sure there were other books in the transition from reading kids’ books to grown-ups’ books, but Hitchhiker’s was the game-changer, the book that opened my eyes to the world of satire, British humour, and a way of thinking that encouraged scepticism without cynicism. It even helped me cope with high school by showing me that being funny was a valid alternative to being cool. I’d probably encourage my hypothetical child not to go quite as far as I did – I remember a brief phase of adopting a British accent under the impression it automatically made me funnier – but understanding the joyful absurdity of the universe around us is a lesson worth passing down.

Fiona Hardy, Bookseller:

This question is so big that I worry it’s going to grow into a seventeen-page essay. For starters, I asked my partner what he’d like our daughter to read – she’s currently three-years-old – and he said To Kill a Mockingbird, for its discussion of racism and family and the law. My first thought was actually a kids’ book I could just get for her now, Dogger by Shirley Hughes, which I advise customers on all the time; it’s a gorgeous little story about a boy who loses his favourite toy dog, only to find it at a shop table at the local fair. He grabs his sister Bella to come help buy it, but it’s just been bought by another little girl. They ask for it back, but the girl refuses, until she spies Bella holding a big and precious toy she’s just won at another stall. And the boy’s big sister does a very good thing, trading her giant toy for her brother’s favourite tiny beat-up Dogger. It’s a beautiful story of giving and I love to give it myself.

When she’s older, I think I’d like her to read some of the books that have opened my eyes in the past, such as Peter Singer’s The Ethics of What we Eat, to help her understand how food gets to our plate and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, so we can discuss the space women have in the world together. I’d love for her to read and adore Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff (and maybe Chris Hadfield’s excellent An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth) so we can obsess about space.

Kathy Kozlowski, Children’s Specialist:

Rebecca Stead’s Goodbye Stranger is a book I’d love my children or grandchildren to read. It’s about three ordinary girls growing up and facing their own problems with the world: things like coming up against people putting pictures of you on the internet, and how friendships survive the changes that happen to us all at that age. It’s a story of nice kids coping with the unexpected things the world throws at us, and it’s a lovely example of how important friendships are in life.

Bronte Coates, Digital Content Coordinator:

I know it’s boring but… Harry Potter. My nine-year-old niece just read this series for the first time and it was so thrilling for me to see her excitement over the books.

Stella Charls, Marketing and Events Coordinator

The book that’s moved me the most this year is The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade, a gorgeous picture book written by Davina Bell with illustrations by Allison Colpoys. Alfie is a thoughtful little boy who gets nervous about social situations, especially attending public events, and would prefer to avoid them. Without spoiling the book, Alifie’s story offers such a gentle, positive perspective on dealing with anxiety. The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade encourages children (and their parents) to keep an open mind and approach challenges in our own time, without putting so much pressure on ourselves to do what scares us simply because we think we should.

The two classics I treasured most growing up were the Anne of Green Gables series (my bible for coping as a red-headed only child) and From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler. These books were responsible for many hours spent naming and talking to trees, and frequent attempts to run away from home and camp out in art galleries. I hope that any child of mine ends up enjoying the same odd pastimes and having similar adventures!

Angela Crocombe, Children’s Specialist:

Ugly by Robert Hoge is a great book for younger readers because of the strong family themes that run throughout. It’s an autobiography of the struggles the author has faced since day one – his severe disabilities and distorted facial features meant that his mother refused to take him home when he was born. But despite his rocky start, Robert’s family came to accept him, and then went on to become his fiercest protectors against the bullying that dogged him throughout his school years, and the dangerous operations he underwent to correct his condition. This is a wonderful story of family love and support.