Some of the young avid readers may be unaware that April 2 is International Children’s Book Day, but a dedicated day does not affect their reading habits.
If you walk past a 13-year-old engrossed in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, don’t be surprised. This is what children across the city are reading. And it’s not just Paulo Coelho but also Penelope Lively, Shakespeare, Elizabeth Bunce and Agatha Christie.
Some of these young avid readers may be unaware that April 2 is International Children’s Book Day, but a dedicated day does not affect their reading habits.
Akshit Agarwal, 16, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, is hooked on to Artemis Fowl, a series of novels by Eoin Colfer. “My friends and I love the series. We often discuss them,” says Akshit. Akshit is also interested in finance and the environment, “The Google Story by David Vise and Mark Malseed was immensely enjoyable,” admits Akshit.
A spokesperson from Oxford bookstores states that Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, Stephnie Meyer’s Twilight are current favourites, while titles like Chronicles of Narnia, Tin Tin and Asterix come second. Imported graphic novel series like Campfire and Saddleback which cover classics, mythology, biographies of famous personalities are also popular.
Among the girls it was Rick Riordan’s series of Percy Jackson that topped the list. Gauri Sharma, 12, of Bombay Scottish School describes the Percy Jackson series as entertaining, “Brilliant detailing of the book by the author is what got me interested in the series,” says Sharma.
But, Anushka Agarwal, 13, of Dhirubhai Ambani International School is fond of romantic novels. “Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight and Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot are my favourites” giggles Anushka.
She is also among the very few who likes novels by Indian authors. She has read all books by Chetan Bhagat. But for Akshit, Indian authors’ novels don’t appeal to him. “They fail to attract children in their writing. They are more into realistic writing,” says Akshit.
Billabong High International School has organised a special assembly on Monday to commemorate the day. Manju Sadarangani, principal says, “Children have made charts of their favourite authors and books, especially those that have left a lasting impression.”
Sivaraman Balakrishnan, deputy manager — marketing, Crossword Bookstores, says, “23% of the books here are for children. The trend is positive as parents are accompanying children.”
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