The 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report, conducted by TSC, a division of consumer trends research company Yankelovich, is based on interviews with 1,002 respondents (501 children ages five to 17 and a parent or guardian for each). It explored kids’ attitudes toward reading, as well as the roles that technology, parental input and the Harry Potter books play in their reading habits.

Nearly one in four children was found to be a “high frequency” pleasure reader (reading daily), with an additional 53% qualifying as “moderate frequency” readers, reading for pleasure between one and six times per week. When children were asked why they do not engage in more pleasure reading, the top answer selected was “I would rather do other things,” followed in frequency by “I have too much schoolwork and homework,” and “I have trouble finding books that I like.” (This third answer was the top response selected in the 2006 survey.) Boys outnumbered girls by 10% in all age categories in stating that they had trouble finding enjoyable books.

The partnership has its roots in Chronicle’s 2003 purchase of the SeaStar Books imprint from North-South. SeaStar had an outstanding contract for a book with MoMA at the time of the sale, and Victoria Rock, then head of Chronicle’s children’s division, contacted MoMA after the acquisition. “They said that their approach to teaching art to children had changed, and that they weren’t interested in going forward with that project,” she recalls. The two parties decided to hold off on going forward with a project, but to remain open to future endeavors.

That chance surfaced when Rock met MoMA’s Shapiro during a trip to New York. MoMA had been considering approaching houses about a publishing program, and after discussing the affinities between the organizations’ ideals—such as a mutual belief in the importance of design—they decided to move forward. 

The summer 2008 collection of Go Girl! titles.

Jean Feiwel, senior v-p and publisher of Feiwel and Friends and Square Fish, first heard about Go Girl! from Vancouver agent Sally Harding, who represents Hardie Grant Egmont. “She called to tell me about a series that was wildly popular in Australia,” says Feiwel. “That kind of description always makes me a bit skeptical, but at the same time I was starting to build an imprint and she was so enthusiastic on the phone that I decided to take a look. From the minute I saw the first four books, I loved them.”

The series’ focus on real-life issues sold Feiwel. “These books were not about the fairy thing or the princess thing,” she says. “Instead, they were very age-appropriate, slice-of-life stories about school, family, friends and sports. These are straightforward stories with messages in them, and not the kind of thing that is being widely published in the market today for the 7-up age group. With their flashy, anime covers these books look like Cocoa Puffs, but they’re really granola.” 

The reissue program reunites editor-in-chief Mary Cash with beloved old friends. Cash was editorial director at Delacorte before moving to Holiday House 12 years ago, and she edited the final book of the quintet (in which the Blossoms’ dog Mud gets in big trouble when a pet hamster disappears), winner of an Edgar Award in 1992. “Wanted... Mud Blossom was one of my favorite books to edit,” says Cash, who acted quickly to acquire the rights to the Blossom Family books when George Nicholson, Byars’s agent, told her that they were going out of print.  

“No consumer has more indecision than someone buying for a child,” says Barbara’s book buyer Janet Bailey, who co-owns the stores with her husband Don Barliant. “We’re trying to re-create the handselling relationship online. We’re going to have a handpicked selection of books, music CDs and videos. It will be driven by age appropriateness.” Electronic shelftalkers, Bailey adds, will indicate why each item was chosen.

The fact that children’s has been a strong area for Barbara’s was one factor that led to the decision to start a children’s-only book business. Grandparenthood was another. Barliant and Bailey, who have five grandchildren, say that their friends have trouble selecting books for their grandkids, and have no idea what the child should be reading.