E-readers helping the US children's book publishing market expand

The US children's book publishing market recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.7% over the five years to 2012, to be worth a total value of $2.6 billion.

The industry has been forecast to increase by 1.8% in 2012, and 3.2% over the next five years, to be worth $3.1 billion in 2017.

The market for children's books is expanding as e-readers and other popular devices, like tablets and smartphones, make books easier to buy, read and store. Animation and other extra features made possible by these and other devices are making e-books particularly attractive to children.

Although demand for children's books dropped in 2009, the importance of children's literacy remained high enough that even slight gains in personal disposable income generated greater demand for children's books.

The US children's book publishing industry is characterised by a high level of concentration, with the top four publishers accounting for 73.6% of industry revenue. Major player Scholastics has the largest market share of all competitors. As well as Scholastic, other major players include News Corporation, Bertelsmann AG and CBS Corporation.

Concentration has been increasing as major book publishers dedicate more resources toward publishing children's books, particularly within the young adult product segment.

The US children's book publishing industry is currently home to approximately 487 businesses, which employ a total work force of about 9,307 employees.

For more information on the US children's book publishing market, see the latest research: US Children's Book Publishing Market Report

Follow us on Twitter @CandMResearch