Why there's no such thing as a bad book

Now, I’m sure that you might disagree with me on that, because there are so many books in the world. And of course, you’re going to think that some are better than others.

But, and this is the crucial bit, it’s all totally subjective. Reading is subjective.

We all have different likes and dislikes, and they shift from year to year, sometimes even day to day, depending on our mood.

And we all have different tolerances for historical fiction or romantasy or postmodern experimental structures. Even things like grammatical errors and spelling mistakes can bother some people more than others.

So let’s raise a toast to all those niche, unsung books out there!

When I was young, one of my favourite books was Mr Blogg’s Bridge by Jan Lööf, a very strange little book that literally no one I’ve ever met has read or heard of. But I loved it as a child and it’s stuck with me ever since.

So as far as I’m concerned, that makes it a great book, because all it takes for any book to be great is just that one reader who thinks so.

For years, my most borrowed library book was a picture book called A Home for Mr Tipps, which was, and I say this with love, a massive flop. I think it’s sold about 600 copies in the 16 years since it came out. But knowing that thousands of children were reading it every year from the library always made me really happy.

Now, why would a book that children love borrowing from the library sell so few copies?

And there are lots of reasons. Of course, none of them are my fault, naturally, but I think that the one key factor is choice.

In a library, children get to pick whatever they like because it’s free. In the shop, there’s far more interference. Parents want to spend their money on a good, worthwhile book or shelf space means that the owner has to be sure that a book is going to sell.

And all of these factors narrow a child’s choice.

It’s not about reading the right book, or the ten best books, or the books your parents or teachers want you to read. It’s about reading whatever you want, whenever you feel like it.

So if you have a child who’s struggling to enjoy reading, then take them to your nearest public library and let them loose to pick up and put back down again whatever books they fancy.

Because it’s only through a totally free choice that you can explore your reading tastes and discover what really speaks to you.