The Christian Science Monitor

Move over, phones! Make room for books that fit in a back pocket.

Recently published tiny books by young adult author John Green fit in the palm of a hand. Publishers are watching to see if the small, horizontal format will have as much success in the US as it has had in Europe.

Maggie Van Nortwick cradles the book in her palm and flips upward through its razor-thin pages, pausing now and then to read a paragraph or two. Finally, she looks up with a smile.

“This is cute,” she says. “But kind of a curveball for me.”

The book in question, John Green’s debut novel “Looking for Alaska,” measures no more than a few inches on each side. It is cellphone-sized and, unlike regular sized books, can fit easily into a back pocket or small purse. The type is small but readable; the pages barely opaque.

Ms. Van Nortwick, 18, likes the new format, but it may take some

A 'revelation' Some readers still need persuasion 

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