The Relationship of Readability, Content, Illustrations, and Other Format Elements to the Library Book Preferences of Second Grade Children.

In order to determine the variables which influence children's choice of books, 52 second-grade students from one elementary school were selected and interviewed. Twenty books, which circulated most frequently among second-grade children, were designated "high preference"; another 20, randomly selected from 634 books which were borrowed only once, were designated "low preference." These 40 selections were also categorized according to male or female preference, as determined by circulation data. The following variables were analyzed for each selection: page number, readability level, illustrations and illustration style, type size, library classification, characters, theme, outcome of activity, and environmental setting. Analysis of data indicated that illustration quantity and style, certain character categories, page number, readability level, and theme category influenced most of the preferences. Sex differences in preferences were also noted. (Author/KS)