Bookshops and Bookchoice

Spent a lovely morning selecting books for Temple Street Children’s Hospital and their Reach out and Read Programme. Budget was tight so we were trawling though bargain bins and special offers to make sure our average price per book was on track. It was hugely enjoyable.

Usually bookshop visits for me are about getting the 2-3 books on the list and trying not to fall for any others when I’m in there. Instead this morning was a bit like a treasure hunt- going through shelves and shelves and under tables and in display bins looking for the hidden gems.

It got me thinking about the daunting choice that is out there when parents and adults are faced with choosing a book for children and teens. It can be completely overwhelming. I wonder is there space in Irish bookshops for ‘book clinics’?-  Folks on hand to help select a book based on age, interests, budget and other factors. I know plenty of booksellers who do it brilliantly every day but perhaps a special day or event would help get more adults and parents asking for advice and not just slinking back out the door empty handed and confused……

ps I know I’ve mentioned it before but if you want a great insight into children’s bookselling and booksellers – head over to Shelftalkers Blog

Ebooks, digital publishing and children

Publishing, But Not As We Know It

For the first time, we have a generation of children who are reading more off screens than they are off paper. With developments such as eBook readers, writers producing novels and comics for mobile phones, online fan-fiction, digital book piracy and the panic-inducing Google Book Settlement, the book industry is in turmoil. Text is evolving and the traditional methods of production, marketing and even education are being left behind. This is nothing short of a revolution, and everyone involved in the book industry is faced with embracing it or losing touch with young readers.

CBI brings a panel of speakers together to discuss how to carry children’s books forward into this new age of publishing.

The Irish Writers Centre, Parnell Square, Dublin 1 Thursday June 11th 6.30-8.30pm

Chair Oisín McGann

Panel - Georgina Byrne, County Librarian, South Dublin Libraries; Sam Holman, Director, Irish Copyright Licensing Agency ; John McNamee, President European Booksellers Federation ; Peadar Ó’Guilín, Author

More information on www.childrensbooksireland.ie | 01 872 7475 info@childrensbooksireland.ie

PS – Eoin Purcell has some terrific links and thoughts  related to e books

Toddling round the bookshops

I’m a big fan of Shelftalker, a booksellers blog from the US.  A recent post about toddler book choice is a fascinating read.

It is strange habit but I do often find myself lurking in bookshops watching parents and kids make book choices. Over the past wee while there are a couple of things I’ve spotted -

Cover design is the most important factor in kids choosing books. Let me say that again, cover design is the most important thing in kids choosing books. You’d think that as a result good design would be everywhere – it’s not. Often it seems rush, poorly conceived and slapped together. The poorest element is usually the typography. It’s daft because without a decent cover, kids won’t even flick to the blurb. Adults buy based on the blurb, kids buy based on the cover.

The other most important factor in book choice is the adults in the room. Parents so often get in the way. Lots of times I’ve seen kids spot Book A, pick it up, dive in and turn round expectantly to parent. In an ideal world, parent drops down to shelf height has a read of Book A too and they decide together if it will be their choice that day. Alas normally Book A is quickly dismissed as parent shows them Book B which they think they will enjoy. I’m not saying the parents are wrong in their choice, it would just be nice in Book A was given a fair chance.

Bookshop layout and atmosphere  is also key. The best spaces are bright, big and welcoming. Kids don’t mind if its untidy as long as they can reach the books and as long as they are welcomed. The kids from Trim put it best last year when they said

We appreciate helpful staff but don’t stalk us around the shop

A couple of things they also said which didn’t make it to final poster –

Don’t put the sticker over something important, Make the price clear, Display staff recommendation posters and signs, and Don’t over promote one title

Lastly for a treat – direct from Shelftaker – do you see a rabbit or a duck or both?

just because

more here

IBA Full shortlists available

Shortlists all out today – see here for all those irrelevant adult prizes!

Children’s Shortlists below.

The Dublin Airport Authority Irish Children’s Book of the Year – Jn for readers aged 8 and under.

THE GREAT PAPER CAPER by Oliver Jeffers

HER MOTHER’S FACE by Roddy Doyle, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

BEFORE YOU SLEEP by Benji Bennett

HIGHWAY ROBBERY by Kate Thompson

The Dublin Airport Authority Irish Children’s Book of the Year – Snr for children in the 9 + age group.

THE MAGICIAN by Michael Scott

ALICE AND MEGAN FOREVER by Judi Curtin

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT – PLAYING WITH FIRE by Derek Landy

THE POISON THRONE by Celine Kiernan

Celine is also nominated in Best Newcomer Category, Bravo!

Monstrous Marketing Machines begin march for Colfer and Adams

The marketing machine for Eoin Colfer’s sequel to the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is swinging into action. Cover has been released and Penguin and Pan Macmillan are vowing to work together to promote both Colfer’s new title and the backlist.

Here’s what Eoin had to say at the launch-

All this hitching and adventuring went on for five books and then Douglas Adams passed away before he could write book six. Hitchhiker has been heard on radio, seen on tv and enjoyed on the cinema screen, there was even a musical version. But the story could never end, until now. I am going to continue on where Douglas left off. Unfortunately for me, he left off on rather a large cliffhanger. Everyone was dead. Which means I have rather a large challenge ahead of me, but it is one I am looking forward to.

The book will be out later this year. It will be called And Another Thing. And I really hope you will board the spaceship with me so we can travel through Douglas Adams’ hilarious galaxy together, which will save me having to hang around in your driveway.

And here’s some eye popping sales stats from the Bookseller -

Global sales for the Hitchhiker books are 16 million, with Eoin Colfer’s global sales standing at 18 million.

World Book Day want to know your guilty secrets

In the run  up to World Book Day, they want to know your guilty reading secrets -

Ever pretended to have read a book you hadn’t?

Ever stayed up way too late to finish a book?

Survey here - It’ll only take a couple of minutes and it would be nice to have Ireland  represented

In the interests of full disclosure, I should say that I went through a Dick Francis stage when I was about 13!

Children’s Publishing in Ireland Forum Notes now available

Notes from last year’s forum are now available online – here.

They make interesting reading, especially as the intervening period has brought yet more economic  instability.

The plan is to follow this up with another event as part of Dublin Book Festival in early March. This event is likely to more focussed on discussing some practical actions for the sector.

Don’t forget to re-read the brilliant discussion that followed the event over on Sir David Maybury’s blog.

Children’s laureate here and there

The position of children’s laureate is a high profile one in Britain. Especially as the current holder Micheal Rosen seems to have the gift of bilocation and appears in every single children’s books related media piece or event. What is shows is that with a media friendly hook like the laureate you can generate increased profile and public awareness.

An Irish children’s laureate has been proprosed at a number of events recently including some arts council consultation meetings and yesterday’s CBI Cle forum (David has some good notes on this, there will be a record of it online on CBI’s site in coming weeks).

A key figure with a strong profile might be just what the Irish children’s books scene needs. Who that writer/illustrator might be is a whole other question!

Meanwhile the process of choosing Michael’s sucessor in the UK is underway.

Here’s a post I wish I’d written

Festival fatigue setting in so posting sloooooowdooooown continues.

In place of a proper posting – follow link to fascinating post I wish I’d written