10 Things to Consider When Buying Kids Books for Sale

While growing up, I am sure that you had a few treasured storybooks that you use to pour-over. These books probably inspired your love for weird and wonderful creatures such as dragons or unicorns, which often spilled over into pretending you were these creatures. Books inspire children to be brave, kind, and compassionate; most importantly, they encourage children to fall in love with reading.

It may seem like a daunting task to consider tapping into the children’s book market, but research has shown that there is potential for even more growth and a world of opportunities for would-be authors. Sales of children's books continue to rise, especially in the middle grade and young adult categories.

Keen to pen your first children’s book? Consider the following 10 current trends to help you create a best-seller!

10 Trends in Children’s Books That You Must Know

Here are the most current trends in children's books for 2020 and 2021.

Empowered Females

Now, this is something we can get behind! More and more storybooks are beginning to cover a diverse range of empowered females. Some stories focus on young girls who encourage change or who do something significant, whereas other books write about real-life characters such as Hilde, a female journalist from the book series, Hilde Cracks the Case. All have a strong theme, which is to be proud of who you are as a woman!

Dragons

Dragons have never lost their place amongst storybooks in all these years. They have even leaked into popular adult shows such as The Witcher and Game of Thrones. This shows that the topic of dragons can be for both young and old to enjoy.

Popular books about dragons include A Friend for Dragon and Wings of Fire.

Unicorns

Children love the world of magic, mystery, and sparkle. Unicorns represent this in a fun and exciting manner.

Much like dragons, unicorns remain relevant in books. The majority of books inspired by unicorns teach valuable lessons such as friendship and kindness. Phoebe and Her Unicorn, The Last Unicorn, and Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great are examples of such books.

Pugs

Yep, this beloved dog breed has taken the world by storm and entered into the children’s book market. These books are centered around humor and often silly pugs that entertain children as they read. Pig the Pug is especially popular right now.

Wild Creatures

Children will always be fascinated with the animal kingdom, and what better way to enrich them than through books detailing funny, entertaining, and empowering animal characters like those found in top-sellers such as Giraffes Can’t Dance and The Pout-Pout Fish.

Ghosts, Monsters, and Scary Things

There has been a gradual increase in books that write about spooky (though not too scary) ghosts, monsters, and ghastly ghouls in a manner that sparks interest but is not terrifying for children.

Just like boys and girls love dragons and unicorns, some have an interest in zombies and monsters. Though reserved for older children, stories such as Ghosts and Eerie Elementary are just a few titles that are proving popular with young readers.

Video Games

The world of video games is slowly making its way onto the pages of books and vice-versa. As there is so much to offer in terms of worlds, characters, monsters, and villains, it makes sense why these would begin to make their way into children’s literature. Books such as Press Start! can also help younger kids feel as inspired and involved as their older siblings do who play videogames.

Mysteries

The popularity of mystery and ‘whodunnit’ books is slowly on the increase, gaining a strong following in 2019 and continuing its momentum into 2020 and 2021. Young readers cannot get enough of young characters solving cases and uncovering mysteries. Books such as It Wasn’t Me and Mac Undercover prove that spy-fueled adventures are here to stay.

Gross and Goofy

It does not matter how old you are, gross and goofy will always pique an interest among readers. Books such as these were trendy in the past and will remain so for quite some time! The book series Diary of Wimpy Kid paved the way forward for this genre.

Non-Fictional Titles

Child-friendly, nonfiction titles that teach children about the world around them also have room among all the fantasy-inspired storybooks. The most popular book series in this genre is probably National Geographic for Kids which depicts and explains the natural world in an easy to learn, colorful format.

So you think you know which trend appeals to you, but where do you start? Read our article on how to write a children’s book that sells for more information.

Top Kids Books Niches

Trends come and go, but in terms of the children’s book category, many themes still serve as the mainstays.

For example:

Watch a YouTube mom, Emily Norris, showcase a few of her children’s favorite books, which may help you determine which theme you would like to explore further in your writing.

Writing a Children's Book That Sells FAQ

Your questions about writing stories for kids answered!

Why is reading important for children?

Young children and babies are captivated by communicating and adore the sound of language before they can even speak a word, let alone notice the words printed within a book.

Reading to children helps educate them about the world and encourages imagination. They also learn how to listen and it supports them in understanding the written word.

How do you write a popular children's book?

First, determine which age group your book will cater too. Select a theme and a broad idea. Focus on building your characters and the plot. Write the correct amount of words based on the age-group. Use repetition in your story, and always write with the illustrations in mind.

How many pages should a children's book have?

• Infant to three-year-old: Picture book, 0 words, 32 pages, and illustrated on every page.
• Age two to five: Young reader picture book, 200 to 400 words, 32 pages, and illustrated on every page.
• Age four to eight: Trade picture book, 400 to 800 words, 32 or more pages, and illustrated on every page.
• Age six to 10: Picture storybook, 1,000 to 3,000 words, 32 or more pages, and illustrated on every page.
• Age six to 10: Chapter book, 3,000 to 10,000 words, 32 or more pages, and illustrated on every other page.
• Age eight to 12: Middle-grade book, 15,000 to 40,000 words, 82 pages, and 12 or more illustrations.

Final Thoughts

Though trends come and go, what remains evident is that, regardless of the book's theme, with every turn of the page, valuable lessons are taught which the reader will hopefully apply to their life.

Consider including cultural tolerance, humor, manners, and morals within your book. You will have one significant part of your book covered, and it will be bound to attract readers and appeal to parents who will inevitably be buying your books for their little ones.

"Children's books are not going anywhere. They're going to be a very secure category in the marketplace," said former Association of Booksellers for Children executive director Kristen McLean during a presentation at the ABA's Winter Institute with Kelly Gallagher, v-p of publishers services at Bowker/PubTrack. That, coupled with the fact that bookstores continue to play a key role as a driver of sales, were among the highlights of a joint consumer study with Bowker and ABC (now a part of the ABA), which was also presented at Digital Book World last week.

Sponsored by Random House, Macmillan, Penguin, Scholastic, and Little, Brown, the survey, which is available from Bowker, examines consumer attitudes toward purchasing children's books in three categories: adults buying for children ages 0–6, adults buying for children ages 7–12, and teen consumers ages 13–17.

While some of the news came as no surprise—women buy nearly 70% of kids' books and most purchasers fit solidly in the middle class both in terms of income and education—other findings were more startling. For example, books ranked number one over all other media for the youngest ages. (See chart #1.) Even for teens, books outweigh other media by 57% when it comes to having fun.

While some of the news came as no surprise—women buy nearly 70% of kids' books and most purchasers fit solidly in the middle class both in terms of income and education—other findings were more startling. For example, books ranked number one over all other media for the youngest ages. (See chart #1.) Even for teens, books outweigh other media by 57% when it comes to having fun.

Parents and those close to children are more influential than ever, McLean noted. The study found a bull's-eye pattern of influence, with Web site advertising and mass media occupying the outermost ring. For children under seven, friends and family are most likely to determine what they read, followed by browsing in bookstores, teachers, online research, and book fairs. Moms, teachers, and dads, in that order, affect book selection for 7–12-year-olds. Teens overwhelmingly turned to parents, teachers, and close friends for book suggestions. Librarians affected 24% of YA reading decisions, bookstores not so much.

Still, bookstores and libraries continue to play a significant role in helping younger children discover books, with 75% of children's books being purchased in a physical store. Bookstores are the primary place that parents of children 0–6 turn to in order to find out about particular titles, followed by "the child tells me" and public libraries. School fairs were further down the list, at 24%, followed by Amazon at 19%. Bookstores also play a key role for children ages 7–12, although they are second to a child's interest in the book. Teachers, school fairs, and public libraries are also important, and Amazon's share drops to 17%.

Still, bookstores and libraries continue to play a significant role in helping younger children discover books, with 75% of children's books being purchased in a physical store. Bookstores are the primary place that parents of children 0–6 turn to in order to find out about particular titles, followed by "the child tells me" and public libraries. School fairs were further down the list, at 24%, followed by Amazon at 19%. Bookstores also play a key role for children ages 7–12, although they are second to a child's interest in the book. Teachers, school fairs, and public libraries are also important, and Amazon's share drops to 17%.

However, when it comes to buying books to read for fun, bookstores tumbled to the bottom of the chart, with independents slightly edging out Target/Costco. (See chart #2.) School libraries and public libraries topped the list, with Barnes & Noble being the favorite bookstore, followed by Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Borders, which are separated by only a few percentage points. In the survey, independents captured a smaller share of the market, 6%, than they do for bookselling overall. The skewed results may reflect the fact that respondents made multiple selections.

In her presentation, McLean encouraged independent booksellers to take heart. "It's not as bad as you think," she said. "Seeing a book matters. They don't come in to buy a book. They're buying a book they see." Added Gallagher: "A lot of purchasing habits are common across the board." Close to 80% of book purchases are not planned, and of those, 40% are pure impulse—double that for adult titles. (See chart #3.)

In her presentation, McLean encouraged independent booksellers to take heart. "It's not as bad as you think," she said. "Seeing a book matters. They don't come in to buy a book. They're buying a book they see." Added Gallagher: "A lot of purchasing habits are common across the board." Close to 80% of book purchases are not planned, and of those, 40% are pure impulse—double that for adult titles. (See chart #3.)

Children also have a different set of criteria for choosing what to read next. While price is a factor for children ages 7–12, the primary one is a familiar character or series, followed by "child asked for it in store" and front cover image. That the book was written by an author whom the parent knows or trusts, or that it was recommended by a friend, also counts a lot when it comes to making a purchase.

For teen readers, celebrity endorsements, cover and flap blurbs, and awards have little influence on picking a book. (See chart #4.) Sequels are the most popular factor, followed by familiarity with author, and back and flap copy. The whole package counts, with the title and cover each affecting nearly one third of selections.

The old paradigm of screen versus book no longer applies, said McLean, who called kids "omnivorous consumers of media." Over half of children ages 0–6 went online 57% of the time, just one percentage point less than they read a book for school or for fun. Only 9% read an e-book. In the next category, one third of children 7–12 go online a moderate amount, 43% at least a little bit, and 12% are frequent Internet users.

Teens, too, are heavy online users. But while favorite activities center around screens—text-ing and visiting Facebook—39% read books for fun. That's print books, not electronic ones. As tech-savvy as this segment of the population is, over 80% of teens don't read e-books, with only 5% saying that they do so frequently.

Teens, too, are heavy online users. But while favorite activities center around screens—text-ing and visiting Facebook—39% read books for fun. That's print books, not electronic ones. As tech-savvy as this segment of the population is, over 80% of teens don't read e-books, with only 5% saying that they do so frequently.

For McLean, the fact that teens are early adopters of social technology means that they don’t see e-books as social. In regards to children’s online book search habits, the study found that 42% of all children don’t go to Web sites to find out about other books in a series; 40% haven’t visited a fan site; and 41% haven’t visited the book’s or author’s site.

As McLean emphasized, there is much good news for bookstores embedded in the study. It points toward the importance of display for attracting the attention of impulse shoppers. But it also highlights a significant gap between where consumers find books and where they buy. "The real challenge," said Gallagher, "is how to make that conversion."

And the study could be the best indicator available of future consumer behavior across the board. "What we are seeing right now is not just the addition of new technologies to old patterns of working," said McLean. "It is a fundamentally new way of organizing ourselves in the world. What better way to gaze ahead than by looking at future adults whose ideas about books and reading are being developed right now?"

Charts reproduced with permission of Bowker.