Glenda Millard
Which character from a book would you most like to be?
It changes, depending on which book I'm reading at the time.
When I was little, I thought it would be exciting to be one of Enid Blyton's Secret Seven or Famous Five, because they had such fantastic adventures and lashings of ginger beer as well!
At the moment I'd love to meet Stargirl from Jerry Spinelli's book of the same name. The blurb on the cover says she's as magical as the desert sky, as strange as her pet rat and as mysterious as her name, and that's exactly what she is like in the book.
Where is the best place to read a book?
I love reading in the bath because no one can interrupt you there. But it's a bit risky because if your arms get tired or if you get to a really absorbing part of the story you can forget where you are and accidentally dunk the pages. Also the water gets cold before you finish the book.
Sometimes on Sunday mornings I read The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame in bed. I read out loud to my husband and my dog. They both love it, I think.
The most practical place to read is on the saggy couch by the window in the family room.
But if I had a tree house that is definitely where I would read.
What were you like at school?
Shy. I enjoyed running, reading, writing, drawing and riding my bike. Notice they're all things you can do by yourself? But I also loved being in the school play. That might seem odd, but I think I've figured out that the reason I wasn't shy then was because I was being someone else.
What are your hobbies?
I used to garden, but then we ran out of water. And I used to sew and knit for my kids, but they grew up. Now I read a lot and my husband and I make sourdough bread and cook it in a wood-fired oven in the back yard, and pizza too, when all the kids come home. Does that count? I'd add hot air ballooning, but I've only been up twice. I'd like to go more often, but it's expensive. Maybe I should learn to fly one myself.
Do you have any pets or kids?
Some of each; four gorgeous, grown-up kids; three boys and a girl. When they were younger we kept puppies, ferrets and rabbits, ducks and doves, and lovebirds, lambs and lizards. But now I have only have one extremely spoilt Jack Russell terrier called Monty, a very handsome Light Sussex rooster and an assortment of pretty hens. As of last Sunday, we also have four beautiful fluffy chickens that Monty watches for hours through the wire fence. I can almost see a speech bubble floating above his head with the words, 'finger lickin' good', inside.
What is your most treasured possession?
A shoebox full of greeting cards for birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions. They were all hand-made by my kids when they were little. These, along with the journals and stories they wrote in Primary School, are priceless.
What book would you take to a deserted island?
This is not a fair question. There are so many books I'd like to take. But if I must choose, I'll say Heaven Eyes by David Almond because this beautiful book makes my heart sing and makes me believe in miracles.
Your words of wisdom to students completing the Premier's Reading Challenge?
It's okay not to like a book, to put it down unfinished and choose another instead. You don't have to like what other people like. Read what appeals to you and then reading becomes pure pleasure, not a chore.
Have you read this?
Layla, Queen of Hearts