Horrible Histories author to 'sue schools'

His history series, which includes Vicious Vikings and Rotten Romans, has sold more than 25 million copies and been made into a television series and play. The author wants children to continue to discover his books for themselves, rather than being required to read them. He said parents tell him their children had never read books before discovering his.

 

In his interview with the London Evening Standard, Deary also criticised Ofsted inspectors. “[They] say children are illiterate because they are not achieving standards — but what standards? Some muppets in Whitehall say they can’t spell. But the standards are arbitrary”. 

 

He added: “Children have never been more literate. They are always on Facebook and are texting.” He said this shows them engaging in the most important activity of all: “communicating with others”. 

 

Mr Deary wrote a text message novel, The Perfect Poison Pills Plot, in an effort to encourage children to read. The novel was narrated in a series of video clips by London rapper Chipmunk. 

 

 

 

Deary may be unconvinced, but other enduringly popular titles are school curriculum favourites and yet continue to enthral their readers. We take a look at three of the most read: 

 

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)

 

This dystopian tale of a group of boys stranded on a desert island - whose games turn gruesome - has long held a place on the GCSE syllabus. Golding’s imagining of a childhood heaven turned into a nightmare, with the theme of dictatorship versus democracy, took a while to take off. But when it was reprinted by Faber, the book became a best-seller. 

 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger (1951)

 

Chiming perfectly with the teenage experience, this succinct story from the point of view of a 16-year-old Holden Caulfield impresses the young reader with its use of slang, and continues to be found on school reading lists. Holden’s narration of just two days of his life after his being expelled from prep school is memorable for the distinctiveness of his voice. Around a quarter of a million copies are still sold each year.

 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

 

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Harper Lee’s classic is still a secondary school favourite, reminding generations of teenagers of their morals through the hero - Atticus Finch - a lawyer defending a black man wrongly accused of rape. Young narrator Scout is an example of learning tolerance through her dealings with a reclusive neighbour, Boo Radley. Always a popular title, in 2011 sales on Amazon soared by 123 per cent when the Beckham’s named their daughter Harper.