Patricia Forde

And I wanted that so that children would see that books are cool, that there is something there for them.

Because like all drugs, once we get them reading, they're hooked.

There is no problem after that.

We have to.

Children's Books Ireland are very keen that we meet children where they are and where they are is in school.

That's where we'll definitely meet them.

So for people who say, oh, well, you know, we have the public libraries, they can go there.

You can go there if mommy and daddy will bring you or whoever takes care of you.

You can't go there on your own steam if you're six.

So in school, we can get books into their hands.

It is.

And you definitely have to give up something to do it.

Also, like you said, children have so many other things going on, you know, like sport and music.

And I do think we've made them too busy sometimes.

Mm.

And I worry about creativity because I know I became a creative kind of person because I was bored there for most, if not all of my childhood.

You were forced to do stuff yourself.

I was one of six girls.

And really, if you told my mother you were bored, her answer would be great because there's hoovering to be done.

So we didn't we didn't confess to being bored, but we were bored.