3 fun ways to find a brilliant new book to read

I’m Tom Fletcher – and I’m here to talk to you about finding your next story.  But what do I know?  WHO AM I TO TELL YOU?

I LOVE reading – I also love music, I write songs, I’m in a band, I make YouTube videos with my friends and family, I love Christmas and watching scary movies and ice cream and…

But what’s all this got to do with anything?

Well it’s important because thinking about who you are and what you love can help you find a book that you might enjoy reading. I’m going to give you three ideas to help you find that magical book.  Ready? Let’s go!

Number 1. What movies do you like?

You could think about a movie or something on TV or YouTube you’ve watched recently or a game you like playing.

Are you thinking?

Loads of films begin as books – like Harry Potter, Wonder, or The BFG.  You could borrow those books from your school library and see if anything’s changed.  When I was growing up I loved spooky films like Ghostbusters, The Gremlins, and Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video. My book The Creakers is a bit scary; it’s about the creatures who live in the icky-sticky world under your bed.

If you like creepy and spooky things you could ask your librarian for scary book suggestions. BUT, if you don’t like being scared, then maybe you love FUNNY films or even romantic TV shows. Knowing what you love will help you find your next book.

Number 2. What’s your favourite type of music?

You might listen to music to relax or when you want to dance. So think of a song – that’s it, pull a thinking face if that helps!

One of the things I LOVE most in the world is CHRISTMAS (I love it so much I’ve had TWO Christmas-themed birthday parties – in JULY) and there's loads and loads of Christmas music out there – and there’s also lots of Christmas songs!

My book The Christmasaurus started as a song which became a book – which became a stage show and which one day soon will be filmed. Why not look up the lyrics to your favourite pop song and see if you can work out what story the artist is telling?

Number 3. What are your hobbies?

Maybe you love playing football or baking cakes, or finding out about space, or watching Blue Planet! Whatever your interest is, I bet there’s someone else out there who loves it too and you can find a story in your library, classroom, or bookshop that’s for you.

So there you have it!  Think about one movie, piece of music, or hobby that you love – then challenge a librarian, or your mum or a mate to find you something to read.

That’s it.

EASY!