I learned to read before going to school, as I'm sure many of us did. I'd read Lord of the Rings & Hitchhikers Guide by twelve. But however early one learns to read, there is very early childhood for all of us where one can't read. Before I could read there were picture books, and they were magical!

My favourite stories were classics by folk like E. Nesbit, Rudyard Kipling, C. S. Lewis & Lewis Caroll. The language of early children's literature feels quite distinctive compared to modern writing. I can still read and enjoy children's literature now, I'm currently reading the last Harry Potter. But J.K. Rowling's prose doesn't touch me in quite the same way that the style of earlier children's literature does.