A stunted market for kids’ books

ALTHOUGH children nowadays are learning their ABCs through all sorts of media, including TV and the computer, children’s books are holding their own, and remain essential tools in educating the young.

But while many children from the upper and middle-classes can produce long lists of favorite books, those from impoverished households oftentimes even lack the necessary reading skills — and they make the bulk of Filipinos between zero to 14 years old.

It’s a wonder then that the local children’s book industry has managed to survive and is soldiering on. For sure, it is catering to a market that has yet to realize its full potential — and that is putting it mildly. Rather than being lucrative, writing and publishing children’s books in the Philippines have become more of a public service.

We hope the the closing piece in i Report‘s Literature and Literacy series will not only have readers reminiscing about their own favorite books from childhood, but also inspire them to participate in what seem to be growing efforts to encourage reading among our youth.

Read on at pcij.org.