Nikki is a passionate advocate for children’s books and the role of quality literature in reading. She is the founder and director of Write Away and Just Imagine and associate consultant at the University of London, Institute of Education. Nikki is currently serving on the National Committee of UKLA and is a former member of the International Executive Committee of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People). Nikki works extensively with Oxford University Press, advising on Key Stage 2 reading. Recent publications include Exploring Children’s Literature (2013) (3rd edit) Sage, Guiding Reading (2006) (2nd edit) (with Angela Hobsbaum and David Reedy) and Writers’ Secrets (2008).

Why did you get involved in Oxford BookMatch? As Director of Just Imagine I am often asked for advice on which books can best support children's reading and literacy teaching. Busy teachers tell me that finding the right book at the right time is an essential, but time consuming, aspect of good literacy teaching and with 15,000 new children's books published every year, keeping track of the best books can be daunting . So I am very pleased to be involved with Oxford BookMatch, a resource that is designed especially to make those choices easier, helping teachers find great books that have been tried and tested in classrooms and ensuring children have access to the highest quality children's literature.