Michael Morpurgo says he refuses to give advice to kids at book signings

Dear children’s author sir Michael Morpurgo He has said that when young people ask him for help at book signings he refuses to give them advice.

The 82-year-old is known for many titles including war Horse, butterfly lion And Kensuke’s EmpireSaid that children “often” ask him for guidance but that he has realized it is better to decline the request.

“One of the things I’ve learned in my old age is not to give advice,” he said. “Kids often ask me when they sign, but I repeatedly tell them they have to find their own way to do it.”

talking to WireThe author, who worked as a primary school teacher early in his career, said the “sadness” in the UK is that children are constantly judged on results.

“We don’t treat our children right,” he said. “We constantly judge them based on outcomes. A child growing up needs to know that they have a voice that is valued and that what they say matters.”

Morpurgo said becoming grandparents and great-grandparents has been a life-changing experience for her. “It’s good to feel like someone is learning,” he said. “Of course, you are also teaching, but my great-grandchildren are also teaching me new things.”

Morpurgo theorized that young people are teaching older generations to be more open with their feelings and say “I love you” in their “almost every conversation.”

“Not necessarily in words,” he explained, “but in the way they behave toward their parents and each other. They’re much more open-hearted than us. They show what they feel.

The author concluded, “I think young people nowadays are much more honest and independent than us and we can learn from that.”

Morpurgo was made the third Children’s Laureate in 2003 and held the position until 2005. He is also Chairman of BookTrust, the UK’s largest reading charity.

Statistics show that half of Britain’s adults don’t read regularlyIn the meantime, just One in three children enjoy reading In his spare time, the lowest level on record.

The author said, “Books give you time to discover yourself and the world around you.” “Take away the habit of reading and we’re in trouble because what are we replacing it with? There’s a risk that we get instant gratification without thinking about the screen.”