Raff loved to read... he always did. He was often found with his head in a book or comic when I'd asked him to do something complete different like getting ready for school. It has always been the perfect distraction for him to escape into.

'Reading Raff is my name' he wrote in a recent journal. He loved Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates, Timmy Failure, Roald Dahl (especially The Witches!), The Beano, daft fact books and so much more. His recent favourite was Pippi Longstocking, he couldn't put it down though he wanted to... he said, 'I feel like I want to stop reading because I don't want this book to ever end'. He kept pausing to tell me what Pippi was up to and wishing she lived next door to him!

A trip to the library or to shop thanks to a book token was always welcomed and his favourite charity to visit in hospital was Read for Good. They would arrive at his bedside with a smile and bookshelf on wheels full of brand new books for him to choose from! Their visits always perked him up and followed with him devouring his new book.

From Read for Good... Reading has the power to transform a life. As well as entertaining, it also provides distraction in a challenging world, reading provides comfort, reduces anxiety and allows your senses and body to relax. That's why we want all children in the UK to be given the chance to enjoy great books and stories.