Exciting news - Read for Empathy Collection 2020

I am thrilled to say that the wonderful judges from the EmpathyLabUK have selected Flight for their Read for Empathy Collection 2020. In the collection, they look for books that have been well researched and written that will develop children's emotional vocabulary. They have picked some truly outstanding books and I feel honoured that Flight is among them.

Empathy is a core life skill and reading books is one way of helping us to become more empathetic. It helps us understand the world more because we get a chance to walk in someone else's shoes. To see how they might feel and to ask questions of the text and of ourselves. Thinking how we might respond in the same situation.

Here the judges talk about making the selection for the Read for Empathy Collection 2020



Highlighting this year's collection's themes:



Books provide us with an opportunity to escape our reality. To ask questions of ourselves and to provide hope. This is particularly important in a world that is increasingly full of hatred and a lack of compassion. Children need to know that the world doesn't have to be like that, that they don't have to be like that. That it is ok to be kind, to be different and to care.

When I wrote Flight, I was conscious that we are losing those that remembered what actually happened during the Second World War. These are memories that should not be forgotten. Flight has multiple layers of empathy throughout it. Kizzy and Jakob both needed to remember what it was like to be part of a family again. They also showed what it was like to care so much for something that you are willing to put their safety before your own.

Thank you, judges, for picking Flight and I hope everyone enjoys reading it.