I’d love to hear some thoughtful and honest opinions from parents and grandparents — both those with Christian values and those without. How do you feel about children or teenagers reading stories that include Gothic themes, witches, wizards, magic, spells or darker fantasy worlds, such as Harry Potter? For those with Christian values, do these themes conflict with your beliefs enough that you would avoid buying or recommending such books for your children or grandchildren? And for those without Christian beliefs, I’d be equally interested in your perspective. Would witches, magic or Gothic imagery bother you at all, or would your decision be based more on things such as the child’s age, how frightening the story is, the overall message, or simply whether it is a good story? I’m also curious about where people draw the line. Would you feel differently if the story contained witches and magic but ultimately focused on values such as: - friendship and loyalty - courage - standing up against corruption or injustice - making difficult moral choices - good versus evil - finding your own identity and purpose Do you see fantasy magic simply as imagination and storytelling, or does the presence of witches and spells immediately make a children’s or YA book less appealing to you? I’m genuinely interested in hearing both sides, rather than looking for one particular answer. So, parents and grandparents: would a Gothic or magical theme make you less likely to let your child or grandchild read a novel — and does your personal faith or belief system influence that decision? 🤔

We often hear that the early years of childhood play an important role in shaping a child’s confidence, beliefs and attitude towards life. If you could intentionally teach children one positive mindset from an early age, what would it be — and at what age would you begin? For example: - A growth mindset: mistakes help us learn - Self-belief and confidence - Kindness and empathy - Resilience when things go wrong - Gratitude and appreciation - Curiosity and independent thinking - Healthy attitudes towards money - The courage to be different - Understanding and expressing emotions Do you think these ideas should be introduced through everyday conversations, stories, games and real-life experiences rather than taught as formal lessons? I’d especially love to hear from parents, grandparents, teachers and children’s authors. Which mindset do you believe would make the greatest difference to a child’s future — and how early is too early? 📚✨

I’d love to hear from the parents, grandparents and teachers in this community: what types of stories can the children in your lives simply not get enough of? Are they obsessed with magical adventures, funny animals, mysteries, superheroes, friendship stories, fairy tales, spooky-but-cute characters — or something completely different? Please share their ages too, as I’d love to understand how children’s interests vary across different age groups. Your insights would be incredibly valuable to me as a children’s author! 😊 👉 I'm listening. 😉

I’d love to hear from the parents, grandparents and carers in this community: do you generally spend more money on children’s books or toys? 🤔 When deciding what to buy, what influences you most? - Educational value - Entertainment and enjoyment - How long the child will use it - The child’s age and interests - Price and value for money - Whether it encourages creativity, imagination or family time Do you see books as an essential investment in a child’s development, or do interactive toys tend to offer better value because children may play with them repeatedly? Are you more likely to buy books regularly but spend larger amounts on toys for birthdays and Christmas? If you’re happy to share, please include the child’s age and whether you usually buy physical books, activity books, colouring books, audiobooks or digital books. I’m curious to understand not only which category receives more of your budget, but also why. 😊

I’d love to hear from the parents, grandparents, teachers and children’s authors in this community: what types of activity books do the children in your life enjoy most? 🤔 Do they prefer colouring, puzzles, mazes, word searches, spot-the-difference challenges, drawing prompts, stickers, quizzes, educational games or story-based activities? I’m especially interested in understanding why certain activities hold their attention. Is it the sense of achievement, the opportunity to be creative, the challenge, the characters or simply that the activities are fun? Please share the child’s age as well, as preferences can vary considerably between age groups. Your real-life experiences would be incredibly helpful to me as I develop future children’s activity books. 😊