According to the "Books That Made Us" study by Asda (in partnership with The Children's Book Project), a whopping 64% of UK adults believe their childhood reading habits directly shaped who they are today. In fact, a colossal 91% of Brits believe that, growing up, being read to (and reading a book themselves) was "central to their childhood".

Forget the Boy Who Lived - it’s the boy with the flashlight and the ginger beer who holds the keys to the nation's heart. While Hogwarts remains a powerhouse, a survey of 2,000 adults found that Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five is the UK’s ultimate nostalgia trip at 34%, comfortably trumping both Harry Potter (25%) and Alice in Wonderland (25%).

With over 283 million books currently gathering dust on UK shelves, Asda is launching a nationwide "Free the Books" initiative. The desire to help is high, with 98% of adults stating it is vital to pass on a love of physical books to the next generation, and 93% saying they would "free" their books at a donation point if they knew it would benefit a child's development. Since 58% of us are still clutching onto our original childhood copies, the retailer is providing donation points to ensure these "life-shaping" stories find a new generation of readers.

#FreeTheBooks #BooksThatMadeUs #AsdaReadingInitiative