News & Trends: Fast Stats

40%

Percentage of printed hardcover and trade paperback books that are remaindered or returned unsold to the publisher.

Source: "Print Today: The Future of Digital Book Printing," Graph Expo Official Show Daily, Oct. 4, 2010

25%

Percentage of surveyed children ages 9 to 17 who think texting back and forth with friends counts as reading. Only 8% of surveyed parents count texting as reading.

Source: "2010 Kids and Family Reading Report," a national survey conducted by Scholastic Inc. and Harrison Group

279,325

Number of visitors at this year's Frankfurt Book Fair, down slightly from last year's attendance of 290,469. The international book fair also featured 7,539 exhibitors from 111 countries and approximately 3,000 events.

20%

Percentage of children's books published by Simon & Schuster that are picture books—down from 35% a few years ago. This reflects an overall decline in picture-book sales, as reported by The New York Times, as "parents have begun pressing their kindergartners and first-graders to … move on to more text-heavy chapter books."

Source: "Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children," The New York Times, Oct. 7, 2010