What do kids want in books? New research revealed

Michael Barrett  //  Dec 3, 2014

What do kids want in books? New research revealed

It’s that time of year again to find the perfect gift.

Okay, so you survived Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but as you checked off the items on your “shopping list” did you include books as a must-give gift to kids this year?

Trust me, we get it. Finding a book for a child to read for fun can be difficult. What do kids like today? What themes, genres and content best fit each age group? What characters are popular? Can my gift help a kid discover the joy of reading?

Well, we have made things a bit easier for you. We created a handy infographic (and printable handout) titled, “What Kids Want in Books.”

This new data is a “sneak preview” from the fifth edition of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™. This national survey of children ages 6–17 and their parents explores attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun. In this preview of the full report, kids share what they look for when picking out books to read for fun.

Kids have voiced their opinion and the top thing that children want in books when reading for fun is… (*cue drumroll*): HUMOR! According to 70% of kids ages 6–17, books that “make me laugh” rank highest on the list across all ages.

Other highlights include: 

  • Children ages 6–8 are more likely than older children to want books with characters that “look like me.”
  • Children ages 9–11 are more likely than younger children to want books that “have a mystery or a problem to solve.”
  • Children ages 12–14 are more likely than older children to want books with “characters I wish I could be like because they are smart, strong or brave.”
  • Children ages 15–17 are more likely than younger children to want books that help them “forget about real life for a while.”

In addition, 73% of children ages 6–17 agree with the statement, “I would read more if I could find more books that like.”

The Kids & Family Reading Report will be available in January 2015. To view and share the “What Kids Want in Books” infographic go to www.scholastic.com/readingreport

Check out a comprehensive lists of books tips and more on our Parents site and Teachers site.

Happy Holidays! #SharePossible #KFRR

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The Kids & Family Reading Report™ is a biannual report from Scholastic and managed by YouGov. Results are from a nationally representative survey of 1,026 parents of children ages 6–17, plus one child ages 6–17 from the same household, conducted August 29, 2014 through September 10, 2014. For the full methodology, see www.scholastic.com/readingreport

Scholastic