Inspire Me!

By Author / Illustrator

Nicolette Jones

Genre

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Age range(s)

Publisher

Nosy Crow

ISBN

9781807081652

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

15-01-2026

Synopsis

Go all in for the National Year of Reading 2026 with this inspiring, accessible and powerful collection of words that matter.

Featuring a stunning cover and inside illustrations by best-selling illustrator Axel Scheffler and expertly selected extracts with accessible, thoughtful commentary by Nicolette Jones, children's book expert for The Sunday Times. The perfect gift for every occasion.

Celebrate the joy of reading with this inspiring collection of poetry, prose, letters, song lyrics, speeches, quotations and more! From Shakespeare to Stephen Hawking; Greta Thunberg to Galileo; Malala to Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Lin-Manuel Miranda to Alfred Lord Tennyson - these are all in turn powerful, funny, moving, wise, and thought-provoking.

Previously published in hardback as Writes of Passage

Reviews

Sue

Perfect for the National Year of Reading 2026, Inspire Me! is a wonderful collection of 'words that matter', all carefully chosen by Nicolette Jones.

Inspire Me! is such an excellent title for this books as there is an incredible wealth of material here, each entry accompanied by a comment from Nicolette, offering further insight and food for thought and it is obvious that considerable skill, thought and wisdom has gone into the selection of each piece. The material has been divided into eight 'chapters', each on a different theme, making it easy for readers to home in on a particular section should they wish.

The range of writing used is quite wonderful - and inspiring! Paddington makes an appearance as do Pooh and Christopher Robin. There are words of wisdom from John Donne, Rosa Parks, Tove Jansson and Mark Twain. Song lyrics, speeches, poems all feature, encouraging readers to dwell on and value words presented in a wide range of forms.

Inspire Me! makes an amazing resource for schools. Any of the pieces here would make a wonderful focus for a PSHE lesson, an assembly or for sprinkling in to the day to enrich the curriculum, provoke discussion and engage thinking. Nicolette's additional notes add an extra layer of support for anyone thinking about using the pieces in this way, giving extra inspiration. However, the book is also perfect for children to browse and explore for themselves and be inspired to make connections and initiate further learning and discovery. And not just children . . .

240 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher