Genuinely, my two devour manga. But I think the key thing there is there’s such a breadth of material designed to appeal to different ages and interests.
😍Manga industry has such a broad breadth of stories and so many original concepts.
My only gripe would be a bit too much misogyny and violence in some. I can oddly live with the violence over the misogyny 😂 Most lads don’t notice it though, they are too busy getting to the next bit in the plot.
Indeed, one of my kid’s, his school library had an entire manga section and that’s how he hit a word millionaire award several years running and won his house a reward trip to the amusements.
Also the Phineas & Ferb graphic novels got him over his reading issues in primary school.
I won’t disagree with you there except to say, we need to be publishing books for the bookish children too! All the discourse atm is around getting kids who read little to read a little more. From what I’m seeing in subs, I’m concerned the industry is forgetting that lots of kids love reading.
I am constantly wondering how to serve these kids. They are lost in education services pretty much,
unless you have an decent librarian. Like where are the parents of ‘my kids are book addicts’ in this country?
I’m aware my kids are v privileged in this regard cos I work in books but – is it not just a case of taking them to bookshop/library? It’s got to be an easier task than the opposite, trying to find something that works for a kid who isn’t already a big reader?
One of my kids was (still is) a book addict. Our local indie bookshop was a brilliant place to discover new authors / series. Having bought the first one, we'd get the rest through the library. Children's booksellers are so good at 'if you like that, try this'
As the parent of one of those bookish children I am confident there’s no shortage of material for them. Helping them to navigate their way to a book they’ll love is another question though. It’s how I ended up reading kids books and why I now work on the Bookzilla app. But yes, more librarians!
Me too 🙋🏽♀️ started volunteering at Emirates lit fest, stumbled into children’s libraries. Swore I’d never work in schools again, now I sell children’s books and aim to raise money for library grants. All my first borns fault.
of course! But I don't think that's something ppl have to make an effort with in publishing, cos it's THEM. But yes they shouldn't tell writers they ONLY want those books.
But like, from what I’m seeing the children’s sections of many bookshops, and the bestseller lists, are heavily dominated by highly illustrated Bunny and Monkey type books at the moment. It looks to me like a (largely welcome imo) correction has already taken place?
I do think there needs to be lobbying to government to find a way to have bookshops on every high street. It needs to become more normal to walk past an exceptional book shop than a betting shop.
Alongside that, puffin are opening an imprint that's much more aimed at the kids who like longer/complex books, so I do think publishing will continue to do both. What actually sells might be the short things but publishing will still supply the long!
That’s v interesting. I hope this doesn’t become a sort of “prize winners vs bestsellers” divide, like literary and commercial fiction in adult publishing.
I mean there are "literary" books that are also bestsellers so I don't think it will - Impossible Creatures for eg, massive bestseller. (I hate the concept of literarinesss but just as a shorthand)
Yes. "I read a book a week when I was a kid!" Great. So did I. So does my 9yo. Most kids in your class didn't. They went home and played PacMac and watched 'Neighbours'.
If you'd told 9yo me about people queuing outside bookshops for new releases, I'd have been ASTONISHED.
I don’t think it’s just the publishing industry that does this, I think it’s children’s book retail, media and awards that can (and obvs not all do) fall into this groove too.
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My only gripe would be a bit too much misogyny and violence in some. I can oddly live with the violence over the misogyny 😂 Most lads don’t notice it though, they are too busy getting to the next bit in the plot.
Also the Phineas & Ferb graphic novels got him over his reading issues in primary school.
unless you have an decent librarian. Like where are the parents of ‘my kids are book addicts’ in this country?
How do they and their kids find what to read?
I do think there needs to be lobbying to government to find a way to have bookshops on every high street. It needs to become more normal to walk past an exceptional book shop than a betting shop.
If you'd told 9yo me about people queuing outside bookshops for new releases, I'd have been ASTONISHED.