Bookmark Reading Charity’s Rocket Pack 6: Books with a Sprinkle of Magic

The Summer term Bookmark Reading Rocket Pack is underway! Our Rocket Packs are part of our packages for schools, with the aim to support our vision: to help every child read and to build a whole school reading culture in primary schools.

Accompanied by an Inspiration Pack which contains two assemblies, a whole class activity and a whole school reading challenge, we deliver high-quality and diverse reading material to our Silver, Gold and Platinum Partner Schools, to promote an inclusive and engaging reading environment for children.

The Books with a Sprinkle of Magic Rocket Pack, curated by Abi Elphinstone, is our 6^th Rocket Pack, containing 22 action-packed books, based around the theme of magic – so far, we’ve sent over 9,909 books to over 130 schools!

In an exclusive interview, we spoke to Abi Elphinstone about her journey into the world of literacy and the inspirations behind her books, which offer a portal into the realms of magic and wonder.

But first, a message from Abi…

But I don’t just enjoy writing books brimming with magic; I love reading them, too. Indeed, the first book I properly fell in love with, as a child, was The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by CS Lewis. That snow-bound kingdom, hidden behind a wardrobe door, carried me away from my ordinary world and planted me in a land of talking lions and eternal winters. And that’s what I love about magic: it can uproot you from wherever you are and fill you with wonder.

So, from snow-angels to feathery creatures hiding in the garage, tree-dragons to merchants selling snow, mischievous monkeys to purple phoenixes, I hope these stories whisk you away to far-off lands and stir in you a boundless sense of wonder.

Abi Elphinstone’s author journey

Abi is a Scottish fantasy children’s author, who lives in the county of Angus, in the wild east coast of Scotland. Her childhood, ​“spent building dens in the woods, jumping into icy rivers, hiding in tree houses and running wild across highland glens”, inspired her journey into the magical world of adventure books. 

Her English lessons also sparked a love for reading and books from an early age, which inspired her to write three children’s books alongside teaching English in a secondary school. Despite ​“racking up 96 rejections in total”, Abi persevered with her love for writing, attending workshops at literacy festivals, reading more children’s books and perfecting her ideas and writing style.

At 30, she signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster, for a story called The Dreamsnatcher – an adventure novel about a girl and a wildcat on a quest to find The Amulets of Truth.

Since then, Abi has written many stories with mystical creatures and elements of magic in them.

Abi Elphinstone’s inspirations

Growing up in the wilds of Scotland, Abi loved adventures with her father. She said that ​“some days we’d look for eagles’ eyries on the moors, other days we’d skim stones across Loch Lee and listen to the stags bellowing, and sometimes we’d just sit beside the highest cairns watching grouse pour over the heather”. A place that was ​“teeming with magic”, Scotland’s landscape was a huge inspiration for Abi’s books, where the natural environment played a role in sparking creativity and shaping the magical worlds in her stories.

Abi said, in her Scottish surroundings, ​“ancient castles perch on cliff tops, islands rise vertically out of the sea, seals slip silently into harbours and wild ponies roam the mountains” – the perfect setting for a magical escape.

Magic in children’s literature

In crafting her magical world, Abi starts by drawing a map of the world she wants to write about. For example, in her most recent book, For Ember Spark And The Thunder Of Dragons, she ​“sketched the east coast of Scotland, marking up various points of interest: a seaside village, a harbour, an unexplored beach, a secret cave, a loch further inland”. This is a fantastic way to initially map out her story and bring in real-life elements of the mystical, natural world. 

She then adds ​“a wiggly line through [the map] to mark [her] protagonist’s journey” – a fundamental way for the plot to unfold. Creating perilous situations and throwing exciting obstacles in her protagonists’ way, Abi crafts gripping stories that keep ​“tension high and the reader hooked”.

The role of reading

Abi said she reads every day for two reasons:

1. Stories smell great (there’s even a word for the aroma of a good book: bibliosmia)

2. Stories spark hope (they remind us that we are a match for pirates with hooked hands and fleshlumpeating giants and that in the end joy and wonder and kindness will win out)

She beautifully encapsulates her philosophy on reading with a quote paraphrased from author Annie Dillard: ​‘Read books as you would breathe air, to fill up and live.’

Lessons from beloved children’s literature characters

Abi highlights several characters from children’s literature that shaped her understanding of these values:

“Lyra Belacqua from Northern Lights showed me that girls can be just as brave as boys, adults and even armoured polar bears. Mildred Hubble from The Worst Witch helped me navigate friendships. Lucy Pevensie from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe taught me to believe in worlds behind wardrobes and once in Narnia, Aslan showed me how to hope, even in the darkest times.”

These characters exemplify the transformative power of reading, demonstrating how stories can instil bravery, resilience and hope in readers of all ages.

Encouraging primary school children to read

Like Bookmark Reading, Abi advocates for the importance of reading and firmly believes that ​“every child should have access to stories so that they, too, might discover the transformative power of reading.”

Not only are books a brilliant way to relax and unwind, but they can also be a vital component of personal growth and development. Through books, children can learn to navigate complex emotions, understand different perspectives and cultivate a lifelong love for learning and imagination.

Thank you to the brilliant Abi Elphinstone for speaking with us and for curating such a wonderful collection of books for our 6^th Rocket Pack. Together, we can work to ensure all children have access to books and the opportunity to immerse themselves in the magical world of stories.