Darren Shan deserves to be knighted for his services in getting boys to read, but, as his books tend to be about people having their guts torn out by ravening demons, it's unlikely he ever will be. My eldest devoured his Cirque Du Freak series about a teenage vampire,, and is really enjoying his new, slightly more grown-up, series about demons.The third instalment, Bec, will appeal to any child who likes fantasy horror.