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NAOMI WILKINSON:Just reading one of my favourite stories, The Magic Faraway Tree. It's a book about three children, Joe, Beth and Franny, who take their cousin, Rick, to an enchanted wood near their home, to show him the most amazing tree you will ever read about. The Faraway Tree is so tall, you can't see where it ends.

NAOMI WILKINSON:But if you clamber all the way to the top, you'll arrive at strange and magic lands. A different one each time you visit.

NAOMI WILKINSON:The children are experts at the climb. On the way up, they know to avoid Dame Washalot who's always doing her dirty washing, and emptying the water down the tree. Phew.

NAOMI WILKINSON:They meet lots of other people, like Silky the Fairy, and The Saucepan Man Who've all made their homes inside the trunk.

NAOMI WILKINSON:The tree is stuffed full of funny characters, like Mr. Watzisname, that's his actual name, because even he can't remember what he's called. Then there's Moon-Face, who has a big round face like the moon, with a huge smile on it.

NAOMI WILKINSON:And his best friend is The Saucepan Man, who's covered in pots and kettles. Can you imagine the noise he makes when he moves around? I've always been really adventurous, so I loved reading about the incredible things that happened in this book. It's a bit like dreaming, because there's loads of magical things that go on

NAOMI WILKINSON:that you would never be able to do or see in real life. There was a big tree near where I lived, and I used to climb it, look up, and imagine the sort of adventures, I might like to have. On Rick's first visit, the Land of Topsy-Turvy, is at the end of the Faraway Tree.

NAOMI WILKINSON:As they climb higher and higher, Rick can't wait to see it. "A huge, white cloud floated above them, but just nearby, was a hole right through the cloud. 'That's where we go, up that hole', said Joe. 'See that branch, that goes up the hole? Come on!'

NAOMI WILKINSON:They all went up the last and top-most branch of the Faraway Tree. It went up, and up, through the purple hole in the cloud, at the very end of the branch, was a little ladder. Joe climbed the ladder, and suddenly, his head poked out into the Land of Topsy-Turvy

NAOMI WILKINSON:Then one-by-one, all of the others followed and soon, all seven of them, stood in the curious land.” And what do you think they saw when they got there? Well the great thing is, you don't have to guess, because the writer, Enid Blyton,

NAOMI WILKINSON:takes you to the different worlds at the top of the tree too. So you'll see what it's like to be Topsy-Turvy, with policemen walking around on their hands. Or how about spending a day, in the land of toys. Or even better, the Land of Goodies, where chocolate muffins grow on trees.

NAOMI WILKINSON:Of course, the magical lands don't stay at the top of the tree for long, so you've got to know how to get home. In one story, when the children have rescued The Saucepan Man from a fortress, in the Land of Toys, they almost don't make it.

NAOMI WILKINSON:"Quick, run! Run!', cried Joe. And they all ran, fast. Soldiers poured out of the fort after them. Teddy bears and dolls joined in the chase, and animals patted behind, on four feet. 'To the hole in the cloud!', shouted Joe. 'Run Beth! Run Franny! Oh I hope we get there in time!'. How the children and the others ran.

NAOMI WILKINSON:They knew well that if they were caught, they would be put into the toy fort. And then the Land of Toys would move from the Faraway Tree, and goodness knows how long they might have to stay there. So they ran at top speed. Franny fell behind a little, and Joe took her hand to help her along.

NAOMI WILKINSON:Panting and puffing, they raced down the streets of the Land of Toys, trying to remember where the hole was that lead down through the cloud, to the Faraway Tree. Joe remembered the way. He lead them all to the hole, and there was the ladder. Thank goodness."

NAOMI WILKINSON:You know there are so many books out there that can make your head explode with new ideas, and take you to places you've never imagined before. I'll bet you can find a book that can really get your head spinning and make your brain go Topsy-Turvy.

NAOMI WILKINSON:You know, I could read about the adventures of the Faraway Tree all day. Are you alright? And if I can stay dry, I will.