Young people are increasingly turning their back on childhood stories loved by generations in favour of darker, dystopian tales.

The change has been noticed by the Inspiration Trust, which operates 15 academies across Norfolk, including Cromer, Great Yarmouth, Hewett, Hethersett and King Edward VII.

Each dedicates an hour and 15 minutes each week to reading for pleasure, while students are encouraged to talk about books and recommend those they have enjoyed to classmates.

The trust has carried out an analysis of book trends among its pupils and created a list of the most popular works, which is dominated by modern, darker tales.

Robert Welton, librarian at Jane Austen College in Norwich, said: “When I was younger, which is actually going on closer to 30 years ago, books like The Chronicles of Narnia, Goosebumps, Secret Seven and Z for Zachariah seemed to be the most popular.

"They tended to be your traditional coming-of-age story based in a setting that young people could relate to.

"When Harry Potter came along it seemed to reboot the entire landscape of children and young adult fiction.

Eastern Daily Press: Some of the books popular with students at the Inspiration Trust's academies in NorfolkSome of the books popular with students at the Inspiration Trust's academies in Norfolk (Image: Inspiration Trust)

"These days it tends to be futuristic and dystopian stories set in a fantasy or horror type world that get the most attention."

Mr Welton said there was a growing trend towards novels written in poem form, which "consistently fly from the shelves" at Jane Austen, named after 19th century novelist who wrote Pride and Prejudice.

"I'm also finding horror like Frozen Charlotte, Horrorstor, The Dumas Club, fantasy and sci-fi like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Ready Player One are always popular, along with graphic novels or stories in pictures like The Great War”.

 

Modern-day children's top 10

The Inspiration Trust has compiled a top 10 of children's fiction from works borrowed from its libraries.

1. Heartstopper (series), by Alice Oseman

2. Ready Player One, by Ernst Cline

3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

4. Horrorstor, by Grady Hendrix

5. Frozen Charlotte, by Alex Bell

6. The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

7. One of Us is Lying, by Karen M Macmanus

8. The Dumas Club, by Arturo Perez-Reverte

9. The Black Flamingo, by Dean Atta

10. The Great War, by Joe Sacco