Children’s Books and Celebrities

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.

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5 Responses to Children’s Books and Celebrities

  1. Not sure whether I’m cheered or depressed…. !

  2. Fiona says:

    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

  3. veryhungrycaterpillar says:

    @Susan – me neither!

    @Fiona – great thanks, I missed that somehow!

  4. David says:

    @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!

  5. Fiona says:

    David: I know!! Whatever happened to a bit of smacht?

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