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!!

Haha I think they had to change those things - beating from the parents??! Sounds good, need to give it a try

Dennis used to always get the slipper! Now there is a police officer character called Sergeant Slipper. 😄

I agree OP - I think that part of it is that the quality of the writing of kids' comics / graphic novels has improved. DS(6) is into Dog Man and Bunny vs Monkey, and they deal with a lot of complex and emotional themes! Some of the story arcs in BvM are really intricate (time travel / multiverses / etc) and Dog Man manages to cover a lot of difficult and emotionally charged topics very carefully.

I was in primary school through the 90s and every kid got the Beano and the Dandy every single week. That’s what you spent your pocket money on. We were all great readers because smart phones and all the rest weren’t a thing. Maybe the rise in literacy is the swing away from screens, now that more parents are wise to it and holding off giving their children iPads and phones.

Comics were a big thing for us growing up (70s). But back then of course no internet and only three/four tv channels with not much on during the day (not that my parents let us watch in the day), and reading was an activity for most anyway. My son (22) only reads intermittently and prefers biographies and more factual books (and is currently reading the bible!!!). My DD has to read tons for uni but also is working her way through the classics. I try and read most nights before bed. The phone is a huge distraction though. Anything that gets kids into reading is to be encouraged!

My brother was a slow reader but was unwell and had a time in hospital, He could read well when he came out because of the comics he had in the hospital.
It was like a switch turning for him.

His is amazing! I wonder if kids have good access to comics in hospital these days?

Yes, and Captain underpants! My dgs love dm and my nephew who has a visual processing disorder adores CUP. They all tend to access the stories in audiobook format but to be honest even my nephew has improved hoss reading and comprehension because he wants to search on YouTube so he has very determinedly learned how to memorise the key words and spellings so he can search his special interests. No mean feat for a kid that was diagnosed as basically having Alzheimer’s for letters and words.

Way back in 1998 I was on a forum with a poster whose mum had worked with reluctant readers, and comics were her go-to tool... so it's not a new idea