Monday, July 22, 2013

Ruth the Sleuth has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.




Ruth The Sleuth is the story of Ruth, a little girl who is so accustomed to foraging through the clutter in her room that she has become quite adept at finding things in the midst of her messiness.  When she loses her mother's oven mitt, she is given a deadline.  --By the time the chocolate chip cookies in the oven are done baking, the oven mitt must be returned.  No problem for Ruth because, as she says, she is "Ruth the Sleuth" and can find anything.

As Ruth searches for the oven mitt, she discovers other treasures that had been lost in the chaos of her room.  As the minutes tick away, it becomes clear to Ruth that being organized might have its advantages.  As her desire to play outside with her friend becomes more and more acute, she resolves to keep her room more tidy.

With a post script offering creative ideas to help encourage kids to be tidy, along with a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, this book has lots to offer for children, parents and educators.

Written by retired school-teacher, Carol Gordon Ekster, Ruth the Sleuth is an excellent book for school libraries, for reading in classroom settings, and for home reading shelves.

Ruth the Sleuth has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Reviews & Awards http://literaryclassicsreviews.com

Monday, July 15, 2013

Noisy Bug Sing-Along earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval



Ever notice the lovely sounds made by Crickets, Cicadas and other insects?  Well author John Himmelman has written an engaging book for children which teaches youngsters about the busy world of insects and the melodious sounds made by our friends, the bugs.  Fabulous illustrations and graphics, paired with a fun and interesting topic, make the Noisy Bug Sing-Along book a terrific read for youngsters.

An excellent selection for classrooms, libraries and home bookshelves, the Noisy Bug Sing-Along book is likely to become a favorite for young readers.  Complete with sound-wave illustrations and interesting insect factoids, this book is an excellent resource for educating children in a way that is sure to keep them engaged and entertained.

Noisy Bug Sing-Along, by John Himmelman, earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Reviews & Awards http://literaryclassicsreviews.com

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Do you judge a book by the cover? - Opinion Poll Reveals Determining Factors for how people make book selections


From a publishing standpoint, those in the industry are always asking the question... "Exactly how do people go about making a book selection?"   Most responses bear a common thread and many tend to include the following key topics:

Cover -  (sure, they say don't judge a book by the cover, yet we all seem to do this).
Blurb - the text on the back cover that offers a teaser stating what the book is about.
Reviews - recommendations by sources whose opinions can be trusted.
Awards - third party endorsements stating a book is worthy of note.


While at the Printer's Row Lit Fest in Chicago, we decided to perform our own research and we think you'll be intrigued by the results.

We polled over 200 people (including librarians, teachers and parents) and asked them to state, in order of priority, the most important factors they consider when selecting a book.  --And here's what we found.

THE RESULTS IN ORDER OF PRIORITY:

1) Awards
2) Reviews
3) Cover
4) Blurb

Additionally, we asked consumers for their thoughts on the following:

How likely are you to choose a book bearing an award seal on the cover over a non-award winning book?
Awards  - 87% of the time, consumers will choose an award winning book over a non-award winning book.

Would you be more inclined to purchase a book bearing a favorable review printed on the book?
Reviews - 97% of people say that a favorable review printed on the front, back or inside of the book does affect their decision to buy.

Do you judge a book by the cover?
Cover - When asked their views on cover design, 73% admitted they take the book's appearance into consideration when buying a book.  - When asked if they would still purchase a book even if they didn't particularly like the cover, 19% admitted they might not.  When asked if awards and favorable reviews might change their mind about purchasing a book with a cover they did not particularly like,  82% stated they might be inclined to change their mind and purchase the book despite the cover if the book had won an award, or had a favorable review. 

Does the book's introduction statement impact your decision to buy?
Blurb - A startling 21% of people responding to our poll admitted to never reading the book's blurb.  We were surprised to learn how many respondents actually selected a book entirely based upon appearance along with the recommendations of others through awards and reviews.   

How do these responses compare with your own method of selecting a book?  - We'd love to hear your thoughts. 

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Reviews & Awards http://literaryclassicsreviews.com