Alongside the ongoing conversation about the literacy crisis in the US, we’re starting to hear a parallel concern from those in the field: “Kids aren’t reading books anymore!” These ‘alarm bells’ were first raised when an Atlantic article titled “The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books” made its rounds. Educators report that it’s becoming more and more rare to see a student with their head in a book rather than scrolling social media; in classrooms, excerpts are favored in curriculums for testability purposes. We’re even seeing declines among adults year over year—a 2022 study showed “48.5 percent of adults reported having read at least one book in the past year, compared with 52.7 percent five years earlier” (arts.gov).
Let’s pause and examine the moment, though. Analog hobbies are on the rise. Younger generations are rediscovering a love for books, largely thanks to BookTok and TV/film adaptations. Further examination of media habits reveals that many kids prefer watching short form content, streamers, or YouTube over traditional TV shows and movies, highlighting the consumption of personally-curated content and a heightened awareness of parasocial relationships.
This tells us that people are craving connection, and what better way to connect than with books? Whole books require empathy by inhabiting a character’s perspective. Following a character’s development and questioning their decision-making requires critical thinking and self-reflection. World-building and genre-based fiction give us an escape from the daily stressors that many of us feel right now. And, arguably most importantly, books give us community back. When was the last time you finished a good book and kept it to yourself?
Through a variety of articles, essays, and strategies, this series will explore:
- The importance of reading whole books
- Why we got away from novels
- How to get back to whole books (for your students and you!)
- Multimodal methods of reading—audiobooks, eBooks, graphic novels, and more.
Forthcoming Blogs
Throughout the summer, look for the following new posts from authors:
- Carol Jago
- When Reading, the Whole Is Much, Much More Than a Part
- Students are Starved for What Literature Can Offer
- Penny Kittle
- Reading Must Remain Free
- Marilyn Pryle
- In Defense of Whole Books: Choice & Ownership
Books That Center Whole Books
- The Joy of Reading by Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesene. 🎧 Prefer an audiobook? Got you!
- A Novel Approach by Kate Roberts. 🎧 Prefer an audiobook? Got you!
- Forthcoming excerpt: Why Are Whole Novels Hard to Teach?
- The Book in Question by Carol Jago
- Book Love by Penny Kittle
- Forthcoming excerpt: Finding Books That Teach Life Lessons
- Leading Literate Lives by Stephanie Affinito
- Forthcoming excerpt: How to Read More: Find Just 10 Minutes a Day
- Trusting Readers by Jennifer Scoggin and Hannah Schneewind
- Breathing New Life Into Book Clubs by Sonja-Cherryl Paul and Dana Johansen
- Reading to Make a Difference by Lester Laminack and Katie Kelly
- It's All About the Books by Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan
Additional forthcoming thoughts on reading whole books:
- Literacy’s Democratic Roots: The Challenge of Sustained Reading (and Writing)
- Start Here, Start Now: Adopt a Critical Lens to Problematic Mandated Books
- Social Justice Talk: Issues-Based Texts to Examine Historical Contexts
- The Teaching Life: Requirements for Independent Readers
Check back regularly for new posts, and follow along on social media for accompanying material!
What’s the last good book you read?
