Children's column - books are gaining cred

Written by Nicolette Jones

Monday, 07 December 2009 09:42

The Random House Children’s Books Christmas Party, held in Dartmouth House on Charles Street, was a starry affair. Philip Pullman came specially from Oxford for it, along with David Fickling and members of his staff. And there were others who live even further afield, such as Anne Fine. Authors ranged from new RH sign-ups such as Richard Hamilton to established bestsellers Malorie Blackman and Jacqueline Wilson; the illustrators ranged from such rising stars as Katie Cleminson, Hannah Shaw and Louise Yates to Chris Riddell and John Burningham, whose successful Edinburgh exhibition this summer is now set to tour the country.

Philippa Dickinson, addressing the guests, spoke of dark days – of the difficulties of 2009, and of a time for heroes, among whom she included her authors and illustrators, and such personal heroes as Verna Wilkins, publishing inclusive books for 20 years. But there were successes of 2009. Dickinson cited The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge, in which 750,000 children had taken part. And no fewer than 90 Random House children’s books were longlisted or shortlisted for, or won, book prizes (including Keith Gray’s Ostrich Boys winning the Royal Mail Award, Matt Haig winning the Blue Peter Book Award with Shadow Forest, Kes Gray winning the younger readers category of the Red House Book Award for Daisy and the Trouble at the Zoo, and Siobhan Dowd – posthumously – winning the Carnegie Medal for Solace of the Road). Dickinson’s father, Peter Dickinson, had been awarded an OBE for services to children’s literature. And Christmas, reports were suggesting, had begun in the bookshops.

Dickinson also spoke of a Random House teenage books event, organised and chaired by teenagers, at which the chair asked: "Why are readers thought to be geeks?" The teenagers involved in the event were clearly cool - so how, wondered Dickinson, had this idea taken hold?

It is perhaps one of the challenges for 2010, for all children’s publishers and booksellers, to loosen the grip of this notion. My own teenage moles believe it is already dying. There may always be teens who think that any activity that isn’t actually anti-social is to be mocked, but the supremacy of vampires, the success of the Summer Reading Challenge, the turning tide about book-reading in schools (not least thanks to Michael Rosen’s Just Read campaign), the efficacy of world book day and Children’s Book Week, teenage book websites such as Spinebreakers, Headspace in libraries, young reading champions rewarded at no 10, even the recession itself putting some new emphasis on pastimes that have a value beyond the commercial, are all among the many signs that reading – whether digitally or otherwise – is overcoming a nerdy image.

There seems cause enough for celebration, helped along at the Random House party by magicians performing among the guests. But Random House is not alone among children’s publishers in believing that children’s books can continue to work their magic on readers in 2010.

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email this

Comments (0) Add Comment