topics such as African-American culture. No longer is one centre able to satisfy the
interests and concerns of an increasingly diverse market.
But once again, in the 1990s, the publishing industry appears to be pausing and
catching its breath while it reckons with the effects of a persistent global recession. Cuts
in state public education funds are reducing purchases by school libraries, the largest
sector of the juvenile market. Competition from the spread of the so-called superstores
being developed by national book chains is hurting the business of the personal
independent children’s bookstore, forcing some to close. Nevertheless, if the pattern of
past history holds true, then this quiet period should be followed by an upward spurt,
aided by present-day population growth. Not only is children’s book publishing a
cyclical business, it is directly affected by demographics as well.
THE CONTEXT OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 477