Children’s books make their mark in adult world

TALES of magical and epic journeys. Themes of adventure, friendship, conflict and loss. Unjust imprisonment, childhood sorrow and a supernatural thriller.

With children’s novels increasingly gaining kudos as notable literary works, the shortlist for this year’s Bisto Children’s Book of the Year Awards once again proves novels for youngsters can provoke as much thought and debate as those for adults.

Ten quality offerings from authors such as Roddy Doyle, Eoin Colfer, Siobhan Dowd and Kate Thompson are set to battle it out for the coveted title of book of the year award worth e10,000.

According to the head of Children’s Books Ireland, which presents the awards, the children’s market is performing particularly well, partly down to high-quality novels which can be enjoyed by both adults and children. Mags Walsh, director of CBI, maintains the crossover started with the Harry Potter series, which injected a new impetus into the sector.

“The sheer quality of the work and the outstanding authors who happen to be writing for younger audience is what has made such a difference. And even in times of recession, the children’s book market tends to hold its own, as parents do not view books as a luxury, but as an affordable and important item,” she said.

Open to any children’s book by an author or illustrator born or resident here, the shortlist for the competition includes Roddy Doyle’s first picture book, Her Mother’s Face, the tale of a young girl struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother; a novel by last year’s winner, the late Siobhan Dowd, entitled Bog Child; and an illustrated Irish book, An Phleist Mhór.