On the Town: 'Reading rocks," concluded children's author Oisín McGann after he had listed 10 reasons why books are better than computer games.
Other reasons included: reading doesn't make you swerve from side to side like an eejit; it doesn't give you sore thumbs; you don't have to upgrade your brain like a computer; you don't need batteries or a power cable; and you can drop a book, kick it out the window, drive a car over it - and it'll still work.
"Thank-you, Dublin. You've been great," McGann said, delighting the youngsters who had gathered at Pearse Street Library for the launch of the Children's Book Festival 2005.
Gary Kearney (11), from St Mary's Place School on Dublin's Dorset Street, was first in the queue for an autograph from McGann.
Aaron Smith (9) and Mark Donnelly (10), both from the Griffeen Valley Educate Together School in Lucan, Co Dublin, were there too, looking for his autograph.
Other writers who wowed the crowded library were Mary Arrigan and Sarah Webb. Hundreds of events in libraries and other public venues throughout the country will continue to run until the end of the month in celebration of children's books.
One of the youngest writers at the library launch party was Claire Hennessy (19), from Knocklyon, Dublin, whose sixth book, Afterwards, has just been published by Poolbeg. The main character is called Claudia, she explained, and "she feels a bit left out because her friends have boyfriends and she doesn't".
Writer Judy Curtin said that her book, Alice Next Door, is about two girls who are separated when the parents of one of them break up.
Also at the launch was Ré Ó Laighléis, who had just won the top prize of €4,000 the night before at the Oireachtas Literary Awards, for his latest novel, Ár i gCor Chomrua.
For details of the Children's Book Festival, telephone 01-8727475, go to www.childrensbooksireland.com or check with your local library