Children’s Books Are Selling. But Who’s Still Not Being Reached?
The 60–65% stat stopped me in my tracks. And led me to ask the question that matters most.
That 60–65% figure?
It caught my eye when I first wrote about who’s actually buying children’s books.
Parents now account for most sales—not schools or libraries.
That felt like a shift. A good one. Maybe even progress.
But I couldn't let it go.
Not because the number was wrong. But because it felt… unfinished.
So I stayed with it. And it started to reveal something else.
The Story Behind the Stat
Here's the line that cracked something open for me:
"A lot of book sales go to parents who were read to by their parents at night." —Stephen Mooser, SCBWI (Politico, 2022)
Those sales? It's not new families discovering reading. It's familiar families staying in the cycle.
And that cycle matters. Because if we want to expand the culture of reading—we can't just keep speaking to the families already in it.
The Picture That Came Into Focus
The more I sat with the number, the more I realized: This wasn't just a stat. It was a pattern.
So I started sketching it. Not a funnel. Not a staircase.
Something else: An inverted cone.
A visual hierarchy of family reading—the way it actually unfolds in homes.
Why This Matters
I spend time in schools. PTAs. District conversations across lines of culture, language, and income.
And I can tell you: The families buying the books are often the ones who've always had access to them.
They're not the only ones who love their children. They're the ones who've been shown how reading fits into family life.
But what about the parents working two jobs, who never experienced reading as a bonding moment? What about the caregivers who want connection—but were never told stories could be the bridge?
Those families don't need a booklist. They need an invitation.
Where This Is All Pointing
The national conversation around reading still centers literacy. And while that matters—it's not enough.
Because when parents are stretched thin, disconnected, or just trying to get through the day… literacy isn't the reason they reach for a book.
They need a reason that touches home. That touches heart.
That's why I'm here. That's why Engaged Shared Reading™ exists.
To offer families something the current reading culture rarely gives them:
A way in. A rhythm they can return to. A method rooted in connection, not correction.
Here's What I'm Noticing About the Broader Picture
Publishing is a business. Sales matter. I understand that.
But instead of pouring marketing dollars into awareness campaigns that assume parents just don't know they should be reading…
What if we stopped leading with "read for academic success"?
And instead of putting all our support behind another "literacy crisis" campaign…
What if we gave parents a new reason to read?
What if we invited them to read differently?
To see books not as homework, but as healing. Not a task—but a touchpoint.
Because if we did that—really did that—we wouldn't just be reaching new families.
We'd be rebuilding the foundation of family engagement itself.
And the families already buying books? They'd discover something deeper too.
Connection that goes beyond the bedtime routine. Stories that build relationship, not just reading skills.
That's the real opportunity hiding in plain sight.
My best,
Quinn 📚💕