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Characters To Travel The World With
7th March 2019: UK World Book Day
Today is World Book Day!
As someone who has always loved books I couldn’t let this day pass without writing a special piece of content to celebrate.
And then I realised that Friday is also International Women’s Day. I really wanted to write a piece for each day, but time is short and my ambition great.
The solution? A combo blog post!!
But how best to mix my travel and wellbeing blog with World Book Day and International Women’s Day?
Easy!! I’ll reveal my top travel adventure stories, and share my favourite characters who inspire me in my life and my travels.
So keep reading to check out my top classic travel adventure books, and see which women impact my philosophy of life.
World Book Day and Me
World Book Day has been running for as long as I can remember.
It first launched in 1995 and has been an annual even ever since. Which means my first memory of World Book Day, actually was the first World Book Day!
I dressed up at Alice from Wonderland and went to school excited and happy to see what other characters would appear. I remember Robin Hood, The Little Mermaid, Dennis the Menace… everyone had made an effort and looked wonderful.
Getting kids excited about reading by engaging with literary characters and playing dress up is simple genius.
What is World Book Day?
Although technically World Book Day is the 23rd April, the UK go for it a little early to better fit with the academic year. So on the first Thursday of every March children are encouraged to embrace the land of literature and share their favourite stories.
“World Book Day is the world’s biggest campaign to provide every child and young person in the country with a book of their own. A registered charity, World Book Day is generously supported by sponsor National Book Tokens and brings together the UK and Ireland’s bookselling and publishing industries in an extraordinary collaboration. World Book Day returns in 2019 after one of its biggest years to date with a range of new initiatives that will help to get even more books directly into the hands of children and young people, especially those who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them. Catering for all age groups, from toddler to teen, the expanded list of 13 new £1 titles for World Book Day 2019 has been created to appeal to the widest possible range of children and young people, tastes and abilities.” (https://www.worldbookday.com)
World Book Day is a Charity, and is part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). When I was a kid we received a book token that could go towards any book of our choice. Now, not only do kids get book tokens, but a range of books are released for just £1 that can be bought outright with the voucher.
I can still remember what books I got with my tokens, and how excited I was to go to the bookstore after school to pick out my choice.
(Want to know what it was? Okay then, I got the classic although slightly less popular Enid Blyton book “The Island of Adventure“).
But whilst World Book Day is about encouraging children to read, I think it’s just a great day to celebrate the world of literature. And especially to remember the books that we loved as children and continue to love as adults.
So without further ado, here are my top pics for classic adventure stories this World Book Day!
Adventure Stories
Alice in Wonderland
This title had to be first on the list. As I mentioned, Alice was my dress up character of choice on the first World Book Day back in 1995.
Is there any greater tale of misadventure than Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?
If you’ve never read the book (and especially if you’re only point of reference is the Disney movie) change that now!
There is a reason Wonderland had endured and been adapted over and over again. The quirky world appeals to every soul who seeks to know what exists beyond the horizon. It is a place for misfits, oddities, and questions, and isn’t that what draws us to want to travel?
“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked. ‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response. ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered. ‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Peter Pan
I actually didn’t read Peter Pan until I was way into my teens. The reason being that as a kid I had an audio tape of the story and just listened to it over and over again!
Want to get back into books? Why not try an audiobook?! Check out my top ten listens here!
Once again I have to ask that if you’ve only ever seen the Disney movie, you need to change that.
The book is so much richer and more emotional than you’ll believe. As a kid my heart would break every time Peter tied Wendy to the kite to save her, and he stayed behind alone on the rock in Mermaid’s Lagoon prepared to die. THAT isn’t in the Disney movie!!
Peter Pan is the embodiment of adventure. The child who would never grow up.
Perhaps I relate a bit too much with Peter, but I think on some level we all do. And for those who did grow up, a part of them will always live on in Neverland.
“You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll always love you, Peter Pan. That’s where I’ll be waiting”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
The Wizard of Oz
Now you really don’t need to commit a lot of time to this one! The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a very short book (but you’ll end up wanting to read the rest of the series!).
Just like Alice and Peter, I’ve chosen my third otherworld adventure. Completely unplanned, and I’ve only just realised as I type this! But on reflection, how could I not pick Wonderland, Neverland, and Oz, when the top was travel adventure stories?!
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy finds herself swept up in a world of witches, winkies, and a wizard. But don’t expect any ruby slippers in this book, that was all for the magic of motion picture. There are worlds within worlds in Oz, and the further down the Yellow Brick Road you travel, the weirder things become.
What I really love about this book though, is that Dorothy makes friends on her travels whom she would never have met otherwise. And that is something that I think all travellers love the most. Making friends along the way, sharing adventures, and being forever linked by the places you see.
“If we walk far enough,” says Dorothy, “we shall sometime come to someplace.”
― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Women of Words
International Women’s Day is on Friday 8th March, and I couldn’t post without recognising that. So completely unprepared I have decided to share with you my favourite female characters.
These are the women from the land of literature who inspire me.
Mary Poppins
Now I must be completely honest here, I’ve not read any of PL Travers’ Mary Poppins books. That is something I plan to rectify this year!
My adoration of the character stems from Julie Andrews in the iconic 1960’s Mary Poppins movie, and from Emma Thompson’s explanation of the character in Saving Mr Banks.
Why does she inspire me? I think because she is a force for pure good. She exists to rekindle childhood in those who have forgotten how to believe in the impossible.
She is mysterious, selfless, and of course, practically perfect.
I think if we all tried to be even just a little like Mary, the world would be a much better place.
Hermione Granger
I don’t care how many times it’s been said, Hermione Granger is the real hero of the Harry Potter stories.
Without Hermione, Harry would never get as far as he does in his quest. Yes, it is a team effort, but really Hermione is the one picking up the slack for a long time.
I love that she is unapologetically smart, yet somehow not arrogant. She knows that knowledge is the most important tool in any arsenal, but that kindness is the most important quality to possess.
Whilst she is sorted into Gryffindor, Hermione somehow embodies the best of all the houses. She is of course brave, but also smart, kind, and ambitious. Really, Hermione could have been sorted into any house and she would still be the same Hermione we know and love.
If there is any character we should encourage kids to emulate, it’s her.
Maya Angelou
My final contribution to this list is a real woman.
Maya Angelou is without a doubt my favourite writer, character, and inspirational woman of all time.
Her life was so unbelievable that it took her six autobiographies to get it all down on paper.
If you only take one thing away from this post, I hope it is the curiosity to find out more about her, or better yet to read her first book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
Which is why I am going to end my post here, leaving you with Maya’s own words. If you can’t find inspiration in her, then I don’t know who can light that fire.
You may write me down in history
Maya Angelou
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope I didn’t ramble too much!
What I want to know now though, is who is it that inspires you?
Which books ignite the need to travel in your soul? Who are the women that make you want to go out and take on the world?
Join me in celebrating World Book Day and International Women’s Day by sharing your stories in the comments below.
Much Love XxxX
We’re reading Harry Potter for the first time. We’re excited to finish them!
I have never heard of this incredible day! What a great informative post!
I didn’t even know world book day was a thing!! I recently finished What I Know For Sure by Oprah & it was amazing! It made me want to go out & conquer the world!
-Madi xo | http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
I love Blyton’s books – I read The Mountain of Adventure and The Circus of Adventure and they were among my favorite reads. I do hope to get hold of the rest and read them now 🙂 And Maya Angelou definitely is inspirational.
The first I head of World Book Day was 3 years ago. I was working at a Google vendor (AdWords) and my team volunteered to show a group of kids around the office. I am a big Star Wars Expanded Universe guy (the pre-Disney books were so much better) and dressed as a rebel pilot! Fun Times.
I love that you combined books and women empowerment, 2 of my favorite topics! Great suggestions