How Kids and Teens Engage with Books

Late in September, UK’s The Bookseller hosted a conference to discuss current performance and best practices in the children’s and YA market. While the focus was predominantly on UK-based publishers and authors, bestsellers in the UK and US market are similar, and trends in the UK usually match those in the US.

In terms of sales, the children’s market has seen a 2.7 percent increase this year versus 2021, according to Kiera O’Brien at The Bookseller. Overall, children’s books represent one in three books purchased in the UK. YA fiction in particular is strong, up nearly 10 percent, in addition to novelty and activity books, up by more than 15 percent. But the biggest growth category of all—like in the US—is comics and graphic novels, up by 267 percent.

Social media and streaming services play a significant role in what’s selling in the children’s market. TikTok, Netflix, Wattpad, and YouTube are big drivers of bestsellers for middle-grade and YA in particular, according to Jaclyn Swope at Nielsen BookData. For example, the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman is currently the best-selling series in the graphic novel category. It’s an LGBTQ+ drama that is now a Netflix original, and its sales increased ten-fold when the adaptation was released. And it’s not just in the UK or US that media and streaming services affect sales. In middle-grade fiction, YouTubers are driving sales in countries such as Italy, Brazil, Spain, and Mexico (see below).

In a recent survey conducted by the marketing agency Rocket, 72 percent of children ages 13–18 said the books they read are more often than not similar to other entertainment they engage with—not a big surprise there. Georgia Henry and Sophie Thirlwell, who both work at Rocket, said this age group is driven by plot more than any other factor, including price. Teens still largely prefer to read in print and don’t want audiobooks, at least as of today. Henry and Thirlwell said they’re implementing more marketing campaigns than ever featuring teachers and educators, as research has shown this audience has a clear impact on children reading.

Author visits—whether in person, virtual, or hybrid—remain an important part of marketing and outreach. Puffin, a division of Penguin Random House UK, has continued its virtual visit series from the pandemic, as interest remains strong. The publisher still gets hundreds of schools signing up for events, whether the author is debut or established. “There is a need for accessible, online, and free events going forward,” said Ellen Grady, a senior press officer at Puffin. But some level of interactivity is necessary for online events because screen fatigue is a real thing. It helps when authors create supplementary resources that offer teachers and librarians a framework for classroom activities before, during, and/or after the event.

For hybrid events, the tech must be strong. A hybrid event (one that allows both in-person and online attendance) requires much more work—it’s like planning two events in one—but it can make the most of an author’s time and get the book into as many classrooms as possible. However, Grady said, “The digital audience [at a hybrid event] shouldn’t be forgotten.” They need to feel like they are in the room and not being put second. All panelists agreed that hybrid events are here to stay and are the future. Finding partners (e.g., organizations with the tech or other strengths that help with the hybrid format) can help the event run more smoothly.

Meanwhile, in-person events remain valued and necessary. Not only do books sell better at in-person events, but the children’s experience is often better. That said, Grady remarked that it’s important to establish your goals before making a decision. If you want to reach thousands of children in one sitting, then digital is the way to go. But if book sales are the focus or authors want to build connections, in-person is likely best.

Annie Everall, director of Authors Aloud UK, shared a powerful letter she received from a school librarian after an in-person visit by author Curtis Jobling: “This is one of the most successful visits we have ever had the pleasure of hosting. Students are still bringing me money for books every day, and I’m having to collect more stock regularly to give out. It’s generated such a buzz about books and reading. One of our teaching assistants also came to see me to tell me that one of our most severely autistic students came along to Curtis’s session. It was a huge thing for him to actually be in the hub for the whole hour, not knowing what would happen during the event. Afterward, his support assistant was amazed that he then spent lunch time instigating conversations with the students. … He never normally speaks much during the day and spends lunch time on his own with his head in his hands. A day later he came to ask if he could have a copy of the book too.”

Everall commented, “No matter what the challenges … that’s the impact of an author visit. We have no idea what that will do in the life of that child, and ultimately that’s what we want. That’s what we do it for.”

Bottom line: Rocket’s survey revealed that children proactively ask their parents for books and that parents are happy to purchase them (not least of all to reduce screen time). In that regard, book publishing represents a feel-good industry for families. In a separate session about the dramatic increase in mental health challenges for young people, author and physician Anthony Kessel reminded everyone that reading is a healthy activity for young people. “It’s good for creativity, it’s good for your language skills, it’s good for your knowledge.” When you pick up a book, he said, it can immediately stop a negative-feeling state because you’re transported into a different world, albeit temporarily, and often learn how to cope with life’s challenges in the process.