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My Name is Book

by John Agard, illustrated by Neil Packer

Interest age: 9+
Reading age: 9+

Published by Walker Books, 2015

  • Non-fiction

About this book

John Agard has created a beautiful history of the printed word which seamlessly combines stories and information. Agard has given 'book' a voice and the reader is shown the world from Book's point of view. The reader is taken on a journey though time learning about the changes to the way in which the written word has been recorded. Positioned throughout the book are carefully selected quotes which succinctly demonstrate the importance of books and reading. Neil Packer's black and white illustrations fit neatly around the text and in many cases enhance the details being explained.

Book introduces itself to us and begins by describing a time before the written word when all communications was spoken. Book then introduces us to times when writing was recorded on clay and the creation of the alphabet. The roots of words such as codex and scrolling are cleverly explained and put into context.

Book explains the role it has played at different points in history and it has been shaped by key inventions and events. The story ends in the present day by looking at the evolution of the book into the E-book. Book looks back upon the way in which the written word has changed over time. Agard had created a collection of information which engages and educates the reader from the first word to the last. If you are intrigued as to how sheep and birds have played important roles in the recording of the written word then this is the definitely the book for you!

About the author

John Agard was born in 1949 in Georgetown, Guyana (then called British Guiana). He moved to England in 1977 when he became a touring lecturer for the Commonwealth Institute to promote a better understanding of Caribbean culture. Over the course of the next 8 years he visited 2,500 schools - and started writing poetry for children. Since then, he has published more than 50 books of poetry for all ages, stories and non fiction, including A Caribbean Dozen which he also co-edited with his wife Grace Nichols. 

His collections for young readers include The Young Inferno, a teenage spin on Dante's Inferno, Einstein, The Girl Who Hated Maths and Hello H20, both illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. His adult collections include Alternative Anthem and his latest, Playing the Ghost Of Maimonides. His first non-fiction, entitled Book, tells the history of the book in the voice of the book. His awards include the Casa de las Americas Poetry Prize, the Paul Hamlyn Award and the 2012 Queen's Gold Medal for poetry. His poems Half Caste and Checking Out Me History have been on the GCSE curriculum since 2002. In 2021, he was awarded the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in Sussex.

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  • Our favourite books by John Agard

    Poet, playwright and short story writer John Agard has championed poetry in schools for over 40 years, spreading his joyous delight in words and bridging cultures, countries and gaps. He won BookTrust's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. Here, we share a list of some of John's brilliant books - whether you're a longtime fan or discovering his work for the first time, you're sure to find something to love.

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