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Thanks to @rcharlesworth for flagging up this important article to me. A few things stand out... 1/ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/12/famous-first-words-how-celebrities-made-their-way-on-to-childrens-bookshelves
It talks about parents not realising what their children are reading. It is so important that parents take an interest in reading beyond just buying books. I know not every parent can/should read every book their child does. However, reading is a social activity, part of the 2/
reading process is discussing what has been read. There is so much benefit to be gained from families creating a shared reading culture in their homes. This will also likely lead to an increase in diversity of text as people share and shape each other’s tastes. /3
Also reading is one of the key ways children can come to understand the world around them. Parents should be playing as key a role in this as we can, it’s our duty to be the primary educators and guides of our children. /4
Next, the article touches on whether celebrity authors should be encouraged and provided within school libraries or not. I think it is more complicated than a yes/no answer (which the article also says) /5
I have often equated book choice to diet. There are light, easy, popular books, which are like yummy, but not necessarily healthy, treats. Then there are more substantial books, which have the ‘nutrients’ needed to help you develop. People can and should eat/read both /6
Having treats is hugely important and actually makes the rest of your reading diet more enjoyable in contrast. Having only treats (while better than starving) will never let you grow to be big an healthy. To become strong readers and people you need both /7
In this (admittedly overdone) analogy, book talk is exercise. No matter what you are reading, talking about it makes you a better and healthier reader /8
The problem with books like Walliams, which contain worrying comments on class & race etc, is that they are not just ‘junk food’ - which is fine in balance - but have specks of rot in them. If books help children understand the world we have to ask if we want these as an input /8
Finally, about celebrity authors crowding out smaller ones. I’ve inherited classes that only knew Dahl and Walliams (less so now as much school has a real reading culture embedded). Do you know what happens when they come across a more diverse and rich range of books? /9
They read more! And kids who never read before start to do so. Celebrity books can be useful (and genuinely enjoyed by kids). I once had a group of boys who were convinced to read by the Lampard football series but they have now moved on to a wider, deeper, richer reading diet/10
Having that variety is so important to help kids develop as readers. Plus, a variety of books leads to a variety of conversations and book talk is where the magic can really happen. I see that @one_to_read has said similar things in his thread too 
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