Horrid Henry stole the show in 2008 with six titles in the series generating the most library issues of children’s books. Horrid Henry and the Bogey Babysitter was the most popular read followed by five other titles in the series that provided a generous helping of mischief and fun for the thousands of Francesca Simon fans who love this wayward character. Where’s Wally? The Fantastic Journey also ranked among the top ten. Created by British illustrator, Martin Handford, the object of all the books in this series is to find Wally, the bespectacled little man in the red and white shirt and shellfish hat, who carries a walking stick. Look at the books and you’ll see what a difficult task this is.
Other popular titles were Safe Harbour by Marita Conlon McKenna, Benny and Babe by Eoin Colfer of Artemis Fowl fame, Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl and the Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey. Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events books are still earning their place on the shelves of Clare libraries and best-selling authors Jacqueline Wilson and Darren Shan continue to maintain their popular status year after year.
The most popular teenage reads were The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne Starting Over by Cathy Hopkins, Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga and Divine Madness by Robert Muchamore. Meg Cabot, Darren Shan, Cathy Cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson are consistent favourites year after year.
The Catcher in the Rye also featured as one of the most popular books for young adults. The classic by J.D. Salinger who is 90 this month, is still regarded by many as the authoritative work on teenage angst and Holden Caulfield, the venerated icon of teenage rebellion.
Authors Roisin Meaney and Karen McCombie visited libraries in Clare during Children’s Book Festival in October. Their books were also among the most borrowed in 2008, an encouraging sign for festival organisers, proving that meeting an author still has very positive effects on the reading habits of young people.
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