World Book Day is such an empowering and exciting time of year, a fantastic chance to open up a world of adventure and learning for our young readers. But it is also a time we need to think more about children who find it difficult to read due to having a vision impairment or a print impairment like dyslexia.

I really struggled with reading as a child, and I was definitely a reluctant reader. What got me into reading was reading about football in newspapers and magazines, and reading a precursor to the internet called Ceefax. I know just how vital it is for reading to be as accessible as possible.

My first job was as a milkman, but my second-ever job was with a government scheme in partnership with RNIB to try to encourage young people into work. I was based at a recording centre for blind people at Leeds University and my job was to record books onto cassette for the visually impaired students at the university. I really loved it and it gave me a lot of confidence. It was incredible to see what a massive difference having books recorded quite quickly could make to youngsters with vision impairments.

When I became a writer it made me think about just how vital it is that books are available in audio and braille. Luckily I write for Barrington Stoke, and they design and edit all their books in a way that makes them easier to read for children who have dyslexia and visual stress. I’m also really pleased that about a quarter of my books are available in audio. I would prefer all of them to be, but it’s a good place to start.

But all publishers must commit to producing all their books in accessible formats and ensuring they are available in audiobook, large print and braille. 

All publishers must commit to producing all their books in accessible formats and ensuring they are available in audiobook, large print and braille

It is also vital that books are technically written in a way that is accessible. I was delighted to be given the chance to write on the Roy of the Rovers series because the writing in those books is constructed in a way that makes them easy to read, so it provides a good starting point.

And it’s important too that authors and publishers embrace characters who have disabilities and learning needs in the same way that society needs to.

My first-ever children’s fiction book, Foul Play, features a boy called Danny, who is a football detective. I needed a way for a 14 or 15-year-old lad to have read a lot of adult crime fiction, so I invented the idea that his dad was blind and he read crime books to him every night. Danny cleverly uses the skills he has found in those books to help him solve the cases he uncovers. He is empowered by the skills he has learnt from the books – and from his blind father.

I’m now delighted to have a book in this year’s World Book Day lineup (Rocky Takes the Lead). Crucially, World Book Day books are being made accessible to blind and partially sighted children and any children unable to read standard print through organisations like the RNIB and Guide Dogs. This will mean that all our children have a chance to share the in the magic of World Book Day in 2025.

But collectively, there is still much more to be done to ensure young readers who may not find reading so easy are taken into account at every stage of the writing and publishing process. I’m sure that if we think like Danny, it’s a case the publishing industry can solve together.

Children can choose one free World Book Day audiobook or braille book from the RNIB library which is the largest of its kind in Europe. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk to get your free book. Large-print versions can be ordered from Guide Dogs