Abstract
Reader response theory and research on book interest underpinned a study of the appeal of celebrity-authored children's storybooks to elementary school students. We engaged fifth-grade students in selecting and reading from a set of 41 celebrity-authored books and completing reader response forms. Utilizing the survey research design and a combination of quantitative and qualitative procedures, we analyzed the students' responses. The data revealed that the students focused on how and the extent to which the contents of the books "spoke" to them rather than on the celebrity status of the authors. Implications are drawn for book selection criteria not only for children's reading but also for the literature that might be promoted in children's literature courses and reading courses in university settings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 142-161 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Literacy Research and Instruction |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 2010 |
Keywords
- Book choice
- Celebrities as authors
- Children's literature
- Reader interest
- Reader response