What is your favourite childhood book?

I grew up obsessed with the Clarice Bean series. I loved reading about her daily life, the sayings her dad would say, the smelly socks her mum would pick up, and how she would get away from her bullying teacher. The way the words swirled on the page and the way Clarice Bean thought just really appealed to me. It was like having a friend within a book.  

The way she was written felt so real. It almost seemed like my inner thoughts were right there on the page. Clarice Bean was me. She had a family like me, friends like me, insecurities like me. 

Her storylines and reactions were authentic and I loved it. Every moment of her quirky character. I loved how she used to hide in her cupboard to read books. I loved how she didn’t really understand her parents and her Grandma was her mentor. I loved how her teacher seemed so giant and scary. It just felt like I could relate and if she were real, I would want to be her best friend.