What are your kids doing in their free time?

Do they even have free time?

A recent article in Publisher’s Weekly says that for kids, reading for pleasure is “losing out to other activities.”

The article states that according to Circana BookScan, sales of middle-grade fiction—that is, fiction geared to kids ages 8 to 12—has declined 5% or 1.8 million fewer copies sold compared to a year ago.

That’s a big drop, especially in a category that is difficult to sell in the first place.

PW points to too much screen time.

Of course.

More time on screens equals less time to read.

Screen time seems to be the culprit for so many societal issues.

My thought is, if a finger is pointed at something often and by various sources, there’s probably some truth in it.

When this age group grows up, what will they remember as the “thing” that shaped them?

What is substantive in a kid’s day-to-day?

Instagram pics of Taylor Swift?

Cute animals?

The latest sneaker?

Other generations highlight meaningful books that helped them or inspired them.

Is what kids are viewing today helping to build them up, give them confidence, make good decisions?

Again, fingers point to social media as a reason for so many mental health problems.

According to Brenna Connor, analyst at Circana, “…we need to find creative, actionable ways to improve reading frequency, and educating parents is one place to start. By understanding the connection between their child’s well-being and how often they read for fun, we can help to encourage this valuable—and hopefully lifelong—behavior.”

Not reading is a problem.

Not reading now likely means not reading later.

Not reading later could mean potential problems in school.

And so goes the dangerous spiral.

Why chance it?

Especially when a solution is so accessible and simple.

Get your kid to read!

Let them see that reading is important.

Not only that, let them see that reading a good book is a lot of fun.

Let them read whatever they want for five minutes or 20 minutes or more.

Let them hide under their blankets at night with a flashlight and a book.

When a child picks up a book, they are immersed in a world that can be similar to their own or completely different.

They will be exposed to people like themselves or completely different.

They will be entertained—first and foremost—and they will also pick up a tidbit or six about navigating life.

I suppose Taylor Swift can show kids how to navigate life.

How about getting them a Taylor Swift biography—one that shows the good, the bad, and the ugly.

That’s what life is: Good, bad, and ugly, full of twists and turns and disappointments and grief and joy and happiness.

How does a character (fictional or non) navigate all of it?

You’ll have to read the book.

It’s not all highlight reels or epic fails.

Until next time,

~ Gail

Countdown: 21 weeks left of 2024

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