Are We Losing Our Tween and Teen Readers?

According to the NEA, the percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Interestingly, the percentage of 9-year-olds who read almost every day for pleasure has stayed pretty steady at around 54%.

So somewhere between “I LOVE books!” and “Do I have to read this?” something happens.

Something terrible.

School.

Yes, School. I'm calling you out.

But don't worry, parents. I'm calling you out, too. Fair is fair.

So, What Is the Problem?

Honestly, I think part of the problem is that we're asking books to compete in a pretty unfair fight.

Think about what kids have available to them today.

YouTube has moving pictures, music, sound effects, dramatic voices, explosions, funny animals, people doing ridiculous things, and an algorithm whose entire job is to say, “Oh, you liked that? Here are 47 more!”

Video games have stunning graphics, instant rewards, challenges, music, action, and the ability to become the hero.

And then we hand a kid a book.

Here you go, buddy.

It's got... words.

Lots and lots of words.

And maybe a picture every now and then if we're feeling generous.

Good luck!

I'm being a little sarcastic, but there is a real problem here.

Children are growing up in an environment designed to grab and hold their attention. Schools aren't immune to this either. Many educational programs use movement, music, animation, narration, colorful graphics, and interactive features.

And then we wonder why a child who has spent an hour watching highly produced videos doesn't immediately think, “You know what I'd really like right now? Three hundred pages of text.”

A book has a much harder job.

But I don't think that means we should give up on books.

I think it means we have to make sure the books we're giving kids are actually worth reading.

Kids Need Books They WANT to Read

This is something I care about deeply, both as a parent and as someone who works in the school system.

Children need access to books that make them want to turn the page.

Not because we told them reading is important.

Not because it's going to be on a test.

Not because someone said, “You need to read for 20 minutes.”

Because they genuinely want to know what happens next.

That's a completely different kind of reading.

It's the difference between:

"I have to read this."

and

"Wait... I can't stop here. What happens to him?"

I've always believed that if we want children to become lifelong readers, we have to give them opportunities to discover the kind of stories that make them fall in love with reading in the first place.

And that means giving them choices.

Fantasy.

Mystery.

Adventure.

Science fiction.

Funny books.

Scary books—within reason. Please don't come after me when your eight-year-old is sleeping with the lights on.

Books about kids who feel different.

Books about kids who mess up.

Books about friendship, courage, family, failure, and figuring out who you are.

In other words, books that feel like they were written for them.

And Parents Matter, Too

Here's where I think we sometimes forget something important.

Parents are readers, too.

Or at least we'd like to be.

And if we're asking parents to read with their children, the book needs to give them something, too.

As a parent, I want to know that the book my child is reading is something I can feel comfortable handing them.

But I also don't want to be bored out of my mind if we sit down and read it together.

That's one of the reasons I wanted to write my own series.

I wanted to create an adventure that kids would enjoy but that parents could also sit down and read without thinking, “Well, I guess this is the price I pay for being a good parent.”

I wanted the story to be clean.

But clean doesn't have to mean boring.

It doesn't mean the characters can't face danger.

It doesn't mean there can't be suspense, conflict, fear, humor, difficult choices, or moments that make you want to yell, “DON'T GO IN THERE!”

It simply means I wanted to tell the story without relying on content that would make a parent uncomfortable handing it to their child.

And I wanted there to be enough beneath the adventure for parents to enjoy, too.

So What Can We Do?

I don't think there is one magic answer. (Although, as an author of a cozy mystery series, I would certainly be open to finding one.)

But there are some things we can do.

1. Give Kids Time to Read for Pleasure

Not everything has to be connected to a test, assignment, worksheet, or reading log.

Sometimes a child should be allowed to pick up a book simply because they want to.

Schools need time for that.

Libraries need support.

Librarians need resources and, most importantly, access to kids.

And kids need opportunities to browse.

Let them wander the shelves.

Let them pick something weird.

Let them judge a book by its cover occasionally. Yes, I said it.

2. Keep Reading to Your Kids

Even after they can read themselves.

Especially after they can read themselves.

There is something special about reading aloud together that doesn't disappear when a child learns how to read independently.

Some of my favorite childhood memories—and some of my favorite memories as a parent—are connected to books.

Reading together creates something that a screen can't quite duplicate.

You're sharing the same story at the same time.

You're laughing at the same parts.

You're wondering what happens next together.

And sometimes you end up talking about the story long after you've closed the book.

Those moments matter.

3. Let Kids Read Things They Actually Like

Not every child is going to fall in love with the classics at age twelve.

And that's okay.

There is absolutely a place for classic literature. Those books have earned their place for a reason.

But there is also a place for contemporary books that capture a child's imagination.

If a kid wants to read fantasy novels, let them read fantasy.

If they want mysteries, give them mysteries.

If they want graphic novels, great.

If they want to read a book about a kid who discovers an ancient artifact and gets dragged into a dangerous adventure...

Well, I might know a book or two.

The goal isn't simply to get children to read the right books.

The goal is to get them reading.

4. Let Kids See YOU Read

This one is easy.

Read.

Let your kids see you reading.

Read on the couch.

Read in bed.

Read while you're waiting somewhere.

Go to the library.

Visit a bookstore.

Buy used books.

Leave books lying around the house.

My house has never suffered from a shortage of books. If anything, the opposite is true.

I like seeing books around.

A room without books feels a little naked to me.

5. Give Kids Permission to Do Nothing

This might be one of the hardest ones.

Kids are busy.

School. Sports. Activities. Homework. Lessons. Appointments. Clubs. Practice. More homework.

Sometimes I think our children need permission to simply flop onto a couch with a book.

No assignment.

No objective.

No timer.

Just read.

And maybe, every once in a while, we could eat dinner off paper plates so nobody has to do the dishes and everyone gets another thirty minutes to read.

I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

6. Don't Forget Audiobooks

Audiobooks count.

They absolutely count.

Listen in the car.

Listen while doing chores.

Listen while taking a walk.

Sometimes the story that gets a child hooked on reading begins with someone else reading it aloud.

And that's okay.

The goal is to develop a love of stories.

7. Make Books Part of Everyday Life

Little Free Libraries are wonderful for this.

Book swaps are great.

Used bookstores are great.

Library trips are great.

Keep books where kids can reach them.

Make discovering a new book feel like an adventure.

Because maybe that's really what we're trying to do.

We're trying to help kids discover that stories can take them somewhere.

And That's Why I Write

This is probably the biggest reason I decided to write my own series.

As a parent, I care about what my children read.

As someone who works in the school system, I care about getting children excited about reading.

And as an author, I have the opportunity to do something about it.

I want to write stories kids actually want to read.

Stories with adventure and mystery.

Characters they can relate to.

Characters who make mistakes and have doubts and have to figure things out.

Stories that give kids something to talk about.

But I also want parents to be comfortable with what their children are reading.

And if a parent decides to sit down and read the book alongside their child, I want them to enjoy the journey, too.

Because maybe the answer isn't finding a way to make books compete with every screen in a child's life.

Maybe it's making books good enough that kids want to put the screen down.

Just for a little while.

Long enough to turn one more page.

And then another.

And then say those wonderful words every author loves to hear:

"Wait... don't stop. I want to know what happens next."