Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1218237
96 BAL HARBOUR Neverending Stories Children's books are flying off the shelves at Books & Books Bal Harbour. Founder Mitchell Kaplan invites us to investigate this trend. BY ELAINA PATTON FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, the world of children's literature has been enlivened by the growing popularity of graphic novels, as well as a new era of socially conscious illustrated fiction and nonfiction. With hit debuts from celebrity authors and new titles of wildly popular series, children's books have defied market slumps and helped define the book-publishing landscape. "Year after year, we've seen increases, especially where kids' books are concerned," Cristina Russell, the head buyer of children's books for the locally-owned indie chain Books & Books, says. "Books are something that we as a society seem to value, especially that feeling of reading to your kids at night. ere are a lot of parents who still place a lot of value in that." According to Russell, kids are gravitating toward visually-driven literature—a point that parents and teachers are increasingly taking notice of. "For a very long time there was a sense, even within schools, among educators, that graphic novels were not real books. We're seeing that change," Russell says. As parents become more willing to purchase these books, popular children's series have soared to the top of bestsellers lists. COURTESY OF SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING An illustration by Vashti Harrison from Lupita Nyong'o's bestseller "Sulwe"