Children’s booksellers are off to a positive start in holiday sales. Publishers Weekly conducted a survey of 24 booksellers nationwide and found double-digit sales gains for the period beginning Black Friday.
LSU Shreveport education professor Candi Bagley says children will get a glut of toys, but a book can bring added value.
"Books are such a lasting gift," Bagley said. "Kids can keep them for years and years. A lot of parents will put special books away as keepsakes for later on."
Bagley suggests penning an inscription to personalize the book.
"I always sign everything, Hugs and kisses, love Aunt/Miss Candi," Bagley said. "A lot of the time, they're the first words children learn because they always see it in the book that's from me. That's my signature tagline in the books I give to kids."
Publishers Weekly says the booksellers' sales gains are due to shoppers' concerted effort to buy local.