A little fame is the real way that books are being sold now
| Published date | 26 March 2024 |
| Publication title | Evening Chronicle |
"I think some are very good indeed. I think others aren't at all good," says Dame Jacqueline, the former Children's Laureate and author of more than 100 children's books.
Her sentiments echo those of fellow author Anthony Horowitz, who writes the teen spy Alex Rider series. He told the Radio Times last year: "I take the view that any book a child reads is a good thing, but it does rankle me that the shelves and bestseller lists are now so jam-packed with books that don't lift the level of literacy, but simply entertain."
Dame Jacqueline says: "I think some books are there not for a good long read and a lasting treasuring, but just to amuse and entertain for a bit and then disappear. I don't really see much harm in it, but it's like giving kids lots and lots of sweets, but not really a substantial meal."
She says she's only read the first of David Walliams' children's books.
"It did its job and I think he's a very shrewd man. And I think if you have an eight-year-old boy, you know he can have a jolly good chuckle.
"However, I was horrified when there was one survey of Key Stage Three children (from 11 to 14) in secondary schools and they were their favourites too, because he's not writing for young teenagers but they're still reading his books, which I suppose shows that they appeal. But I think children should be gently pushed forward somehow or other."
She feels that celebrity is the way that books are sold now.
"I don't see why celebrities can't do children's books, but I think a little bit of fame, no matter how you get it, is the real way that books are sold now. Look at the number of books that are recommended on TikTok and then become bestsellers. It's a different way of thinking about who is writing a book."
As for herself, at 78 Dame Jacqueline, who is delightfully upbeat and witty, remains prolific, having written three books a year for the past few years. She is famed for penning children's stories with real-life gritty backdrops, whether it be separated parents, illness, unemployment or other difficulties children face in our contemporary world.
Four years ago, she wrote a samesex fictional love story, Love
Frankie, aimed at aged 10+, which drew attention to her own personal circumstances. She...
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