Dame Jacqueline Wilson: data shows children still love borrowing books

Five children’s writers are among the top ten most borrowed authors in the UK according to figures released today by UK Public Lending Right (PLR).

In order: Daisy Meadows, the brand behind the Rainbow Magic series was second in the top ten list, with Jacqueline Wilson at number four and  Francesca Simon author of the Horrid Henry books at number five.

Children’s Laureate, Julia Donaldson was number seven, followed by Mick Inkpen who came in at ninth.

The figures have been released at a vital time amid the mass of library closures which have taken place all over the country in recent months, with many local citizens contesting closures in their local boroughs.

Dame Jacqueline Wilson, also named as the UK’s most borrowed author of the last ten years, commented: “The PLR data clearly shows that many children still love borrowing books. That’s why we need our excellent libraries, so that all children can have free access to a huge variety of books.”

Seven million more books were borrowed by children in the years 2010/11 than in 2005/6 according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

These statistics will be seen by many critics of library closures as confirmation of the crucial role libraries play in encouraging children to read.  

In other genre - James Patterson has been named the UK’s most borrowed author for five years in a row. The UK’s most borrowed book was Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol.

The top ten most borrowed titles category revealed UK borrowers’ penchant for US crime writing.

The news comes just before National Library Day, Saturday 4 February 2012, with events taking place around the country to highlight the importance of the library service.

For more information on the story you can see the PLR website.

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