The Children’s Column in BookBrunch is always a pleasure -
Particularly good piece last Friday about celebrities and children’s books
There is a general assumption by publishers that celebrity influences children. The results showed that it was a long way down the list of reasons for reading anything.
Only 5% of children said they were attracted to a book if someone famous said they liked it, or if someone famous (eg, Madonna or David Walliams) wrote it. Which goes to show that the deals these books command are based not on what children want to read, but on what parents buy.
Not sure whether I’m cheered or depressed…. !
Great piece in the New Yorker about kids books too, if you didn’t catch it already: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/10/19/091019crat_atlarge_zalewski
@Susan – me neither!
@Fiona – great thanks, I missed that somehow!
@VHC Is there a percentage figure (estimated or accurate) on the number of books kids buy over how many adults by for kids?
@Fiona Zalewski’s NY’r is veeery interesting!
David: I know!! Whatever happened to a bit of smacht?