Why Should Books Cost So Much?

 Some days, I walk into Barnes and Noble with a $25 gift card looking for some summer reads. By the time I pick out about maybe three or four paperback books, I start to add up the total to remain under the budget of the gift card. By the time I add together only two books, the price already reaches maybe $20. How many books can you buy with the remainder of $5. My guess none. My question is why?
 When teachers tell us why this generation cannot get off their cell phones and i-pads and for once read a non-electronic book. But nowadays, money is tight with the economy down and maybe we cannot afford to pay for $10 books. I mean teachers don't know how it is because they get the school's money (sometimes) to buy the books for their classroom for them.
 I understand the book price goes towards paying the publisher and author  but if nowadays adults encourage us to read and make a budget of wants and needs- is a book really a "need'? What I am trying to address is to all adults encouraging teens to read and manage their own money, how do they expect us to buy more of a "want" (or well the parents) while trying to manage money?

 To anyone already paying full price for books, here's some recommendations.
 Find out if your area has a used book shop. I have one located a few minutes away that sold me almost every Meg Cabot book there is. They have everything down to kids books to SAT prep. You never know what you'll find. It's like a thrift shop.
 Go book sale hunting. I went to one at a local library. This library was a little far away, but it was worth it. I liked their philosophy of $5 per bag and you could fit many, many books in one bag.
 Thrift Shops have excellent book selections as well. You never know what books you need will be there.