Is the rise in kids reading rates thanks to comics?

[Comicsareback]

I saw a news headline saying the tide may be turning on the decline in children's reading. According to the National Literacy Trust, more children are reading books than last year and there are "green shoots" after a pretty worrying drop in reading.

Excellent news. Long may it continue, because a less literate society isn't good for anyone. But this got me thinking….

AIBU to think comics might be due some of the credit?

I've got 2 kids and they love comics as do their friends. The bookshop is a treat for them now and I'm happy to oblige (money is never wasted on a good book). They also read Harry Potter, MG Leonard and plenty of chapter books, but they’re definitely more enthusiastic about books since getting into comics / the Phoenix.

I just saw that Pablo and Splash ( Sheena Dempsey) is currently No1 in the children's fiction chart. My son loves that series. And Jamie Smart was No. 1 out of ALL books in the UK for a few weeks this year, which is pretty remarkable I think for kids books given there are fewer kids than adults right?

Comics weren't really a thing when I was growing up, but they were for my older relatives. My dad grew up in a northern town (left school early to work) and swears that is was thanks to comics he’s functionally literate. He and all his mates (boys and girls) would buy them second-hand and swap them. I never had that myself, but I've enjoyed reading my kids comics and have got into reading adult graphic novels recently as they’re a great escape.

The only negative is the selection in our local libraries is pretty shite, so it's costing me quite a lot of money! I do worry that kids whose families can't afford to buy them are missing out though.

Anyone else's children obsessed with comics/graphic novels? Or am I overestimating their impact on kids reading?

Jamie Smart is a bloody rockstar to my kids and their friends!!

Indeed, a weekly comic was very normal. For households that didn’t have much in the way of money too.
I loved my comics.
But I suspect it is not the only thing. My parents used to read to me. We had books in the house. I am often saddened by the number of houses that have not a single book in them. Or just coffee table books. Not ones you really read.
Mum and dad had books for all ages. Because their children were far apart in ages. And then their interests. They read too. From science fiction to books about gardening, cookery and classics.
If you want your children to read well you have to read yourself, and have a few books in the house.

get them into Viz

Graphic novels are huge! (Not comics, those are little floppy magazines rather than actual books.) They are so popular across lots of age groups. I think Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus was the first one my lot has.

Now an adult, DS2 buys both weekly comic book editions of current storylines and whopping great big graphic nov ls. When they were kids, it was the graphic novel style books that got him hooked on reading.

This is wonderful! My young sons class also into Pablo and Splash as well as the others. The other new one is Chicken Hill and they also liked Tales of the Emotosphere which they read as part of the Excelsior graphic novel award shortlist along with Unfairies (not so keen!) and Hilda (which we have since spotted is on Netflix!)

According to Jamie Smart he still calls them comic books

it’s just the publisher invented the term graphic novel to appeal to parents and make it sound more literary! Not sure how true that is though!

This is the weekly Phoenix comic in case anyone is reading and looking for a weekly comic for a kid who’s just got into BvsM or Dog Man. They do a £1 trial for 6 weeks- so definitely worth trying to see if your child enjoys it. Mine look forward to a Thursday after school when it’s arrived!

thephoenixcomic.co.uk/

Mine all loved the Beano and read it avidly.

The Waiting for Godonut strip cracks me up every time.

We haven’t tried the Beano yet, has it been modernised or is it still the same strips from years ago? Not sure why I’m not keen…

Jamie Smart did a guest edit of the Beano not long ago. It’s changed with the times for sure!

Cool! Need to check it out. I wish you could pick them up in the supermarkets too

I was reading a post on another forum recently that was talking about ITA reading programme in the 1960s. It was highly controversial, but what fascinated me was the comments. They were from people (like me) who are in their 60s now whose school used this system and every post started with ‘I could read before I started school’ - as could I. Which I found absolutely fascinating! I don’t recall any children who left junior school unable to read (no doubt there were some, but I genuinely don’t recall any).

what has changed so drastically? Is it that mothers were often stay at home and had the time to teach us - with no distractions of even TV?

A really nice activity to think about for the looming summer hols is for kids to 'publish' their own little weekly comic - lots to get them going eg title, design, story lines, goodies & baddies! Parent could be editor/tea boy

How old are you. I’m early 40s and bought the beano or dandy often age 7-10 ish, had the annuals. I loved chapter books more though, But I agree books in a comic style seem new and are massively popular in year 3-4 at my sons school (bunny vs monkey particularly. It’s the only thing that got my son reading independently and we still can’t find him other fiction he enjoys/will stick with but I’ve accepted he is at least reading and although the structure may not be complex the vocabulary is broad.

I think grqphic novels for kids have massively increased reading in kids especially boys. My class love Bad Guys, Bunny V Monkey, Dog Man, Diary of a Wimpy Kid

My dad was an avid reader . I never saw my mum read a book although she read the paper every day. She never got into the habit of reading but realised that it was a good thing me to emulate my dad’s habit . She read to me every night and heard ( on the bus) about a little girls comic that was new. It was called Twinkle and she ordered it weekly with the newspaper. I loved that comic and remember it clearly. That started my life long love of reading. I think anything that encourages reading to start is an excellent thing.

This would be a great freakonomics topic. Send them a message! [email protected]

YANBU; DS (7) is obsessed with Dogman and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He’s outgrowing the Beano but loves the Comics style.

I’m a bit worried though as to what to get him in to next as I’m not sure I’ve got many ideas (he doesn’t seem as keen on traditional stories for his age). Recommendations welcome!

My 8 year old boy hates all the comic strip style books and refuses to read the Beano, which we get delivered for his older sister. I try leaving the jokes page open as he loves jokes but he won’t touch it.

He loves the simpsons on tv - bought him a simpsons comic and he won’t touch it.

Bookshop for a treat? Nope not interested.

The only thing he’ll have to do with books is listening to random bits of Harry Potter on audible every night. Even the Yoto player doesn’t really do it anymore.

So sadly comics don’t do it for all children.

My eldest doesn’t really like reading (his phonics books have always been an absolute battle). He doesn’t have screen time other than TV. But we got him Dog Man for his birthday recently and he absolutely loved it and is desperate for the whole series now, I genuinely couldn’t believe how much he loved it.

A link to the story would have been nice, as I'm very skeptical.

But, no, I don't think comics get credit.

Yes, sorry forgot to post in the OP and posted it separately afterwards

Here is the article again, BBC reporting on National Literacy Trust research. It doesn’t mention why there has been an increase in reading rates.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cze93wggw74o

This is brilliant! Anything that gets them into reading should be celebrated

If he’s growing out of these, I’d recommend looking at the Excelsior Graphic Novel Award shortlist- white category

https://www.excelsioraward.co.uk/white2026

My older child took part and read these …. vote for the books, so it’s the biggest readers choice award for comic books. Previous years shortlist available on the website.

Also check out the This Week Graphic Novel Award shortlist- not chosen by kids but libertarians/ authors/ critics…

https://www.theweekjuniorbookawards.co.uk/26/fullshortlist26

Same strips (e.g. Dennis, Minnie, Bash Street Kids) but very much modernised - they play video games, don't get beaten by their parents anymore, Fatty has been renamed Freddie and so on.

It's still excellent though. One of the strip authors in particular, Nigel Auchterlounie, is brilliantly funny.