There are a few potential factors at play here. “Book discovery for this age group has been an ongoing issue since the pandemic,” says Kristen McLean, a book industry analyst at Circana. “School, library, and bookstore closures have broken the chain of peer-to-peer discovery, and there’s no broader discovery mechanism like #BookTok for middle readers.” (“Middle readers” generally refers to students ages 8-12.) Scholastic data shows that the decline began before 2020, but was exacerbated by quarantine. But things haven’t gotten better since COVID, with sales of “middle grade” books for 8-12 year olds dropping 10% in the first three quarters of 2023.
Beyond the pandemic, experts cite two other culprits: technology and social media. “The rise of smartphones has kids actively seeking the intermittent dopamine hits of video games and other online services rather than sitting down and reading a book,” says SJ Waugh, co-author with MM Downing of a historical adventure trilogy for middle schoolers. The Adventures of the Flash Gang. “Even though reading is quiet time and is essentially a great stress reliever, the thrill wins out. It’s also worth noting that there’s a shift in expectations between second and third grade, where books are assigned as homework and reading is assessed and graded. What’s fun about reading if it becomes a chore or a performance?”
Another factor, according to many parents I spoke to, is that kids tend to get busier as they get older. “Kids are just so busy and have so many schedules,” laments a mother of two. “So even if they love reading, it gets put on the back burner.” Another parent says, “The things that get in the way of reading at age 10 are friends, video games and independence (staying alone after school to play basketball).”
