At an event in London yesterday HarperCollins UK revealed new research, including details of a study conducted in collaboration with the School Library Association.
The Social Reading Spaces study which took place over 12 weeks between October 2024 and February 2025, trialled an innovative new approach to book clubs. 17 school libraries run by SLA members across the UK, from the Shetlands to Torquay, hosted social book clubs with no expectation or pressure on the children and young people who attended to read, instead aiming to foster conversations and book talk in a relaxed and pressure-free setting.
The clubs targeted reluctant readers aged 12-13, Year 8, when only 12% of boys and 23% of girls aged 12–13 read for pleasure “every day or nearly every day”. 65% of boys and 48% of girls in this age group “don’t really enjoy reading books”. During adolescence, friendships and peer relationships become increasingly important, and resisting and rebelling when there is lack of choice and autonomy is prevalent. Our hypothesis was that by removing the expectation to read, children could relax and engage in a social and supportive setting.
Of the over 400 children who took part, 84% said it was a worthwhile experience and 60% said they were more interested in books and reading after the study. For some young people it was transformational. One school measured the Reading Ages of the 32 boys who took part pre- and post-trial using STAR Reading Assessment data, which revealed that these students’ Reading Ages increased by an average of 1 year and 3 months, compared with a five-month average growth in reading age for the entire year group.
Helen Smith, Librarian at Eckington School said: “I loved running the Farshore Book Clubs and seeing student's enjoyment and engagement in reading in a more relaxed setting. The conversations the groups had were so beneficial in them recognising the benefits of reading and also gave me great insight into their worlds which I hope to use in future reading promotions across school. I'm so glad that I clicked on the article in the SLA newsletter so we were able to be part of this brilliant project - and we got free books for the library!”
Other key findings shared in HarperCollins’ full report include:
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Fewer than half of parents of children up to 13 years old say reading aloud to children is “fun for me”. Gen Z parents, who grew up with technology themselves, are significantly more likely than Millennials or Gen X to view reading as "more a subject to learn" rather than a fun or enriching activity.
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Almost one in three (29%) children aged 5–13 think reading is "more a subject to learn than a fun thing to do", up from 25% in 2022. This growing association of reading with pressure rather than pleasure is contributing to disengagement.
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More than one in five boys (22%) aged 0-2 are rarely or never read to. Only 29% of boys in this age group are read to daily, compared to 44% of girls, underscoring early disparities in exposure to books.
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The crisis in boys reading for pleasure continues from infancy to adolescence, as only 12% of 12–13-year-old boys read for fun.
Given the significance of these findings, the value of investing in and actively using school libraries and school librarians as a route to develop reading for pleasure cannot be underestimated. Beyond reading ability, the book clubs also gave readers a safe space, creating social connection and space to express emotions, something that is particularly relevant for boys. One boy who took part in the study said, “you can - like - express your emotions and your feelings here” and another boy said, “it's just a fun way of communicating and getting to read more books and become friends at the same time.”
Victoria Dilly, CEO of the SLA said: “There is no doubt that recent research paints a bleak picture for reading. This news is disheartening, but not unexpected. We are now seeing the generational impact of years of lack of investment in school libraries, the vital role of school librarian, and reading provision. However, our Social Reading Spaces study, conducted in collaboration with HarperCollins UK, demonstrates clearly the antidote that school library spaces and school librarians can provide to the current reading crisis.
I am not surprised that there were audible gasps during the research presentation when people heard the incredible increase in reading age in some school children that came from just 12 weeks of social book club intervention!
Access to books, and the time to talk about books, can create positive change in education outcomes for all children and young people. Now is the time to recognise the enormous impact that school libraries and librarians can make – as a genuine and real route to addressing disengagement with reading.
The Social Reading Spaces study brings together evidence of what libraries, school librarians, and access to books can do for children. It also highlights the significant opportunity for increasing wellbeing in school if children are given access to a library as a safe space where they can connect with their peers, as well as an experienced and empathetic librarian. I’m looking forward to continued conversations about this study with colleagues in the sector. Collaboration will be crucial if we are going to build on this important piece of work and act on what we have learnt.”
The SLA will continue to advocate for investment in school libraries and the vital school librarian role. It is evident that dedicated time to talk about and discover books not only positively impacts reading ability but also social connections and well-being.
We are very pleased that HarperCollins acknowledges the important role that school librarians and libraries have in encouraging reading enjoyment and are grateful to them for facilitating such an important study.
Read the full research report and the Social Reading Spaces study.