Remember the good old days when people would pick up a book and read? Well, those days may not be in the past, even among the generation that grew up alongside technology. In fact, the books consumed by any generation tend to reflect and inspire values generally held by that generation.
Generation Z – the generation of adults after the Millennials – are those born after 1995. This generation is one marked by being the most racially and ethnically diverse, and is well on its way to being the most educated generation.
Politically and socially, surveys indicate that Gen Z views align with Millennials – only three in ten approved of the way U.S. President Donald Trump was handling his job in January 2019. They are also more likely to say Black people are treated differently, view their diversity as a good thing, and have a positive view of same-sex marriage. Gen Zers who identify as Republican are more likely to differ from Millennials and other members in the party on their views of things such as racial inequality and climate change.
Gen Z is also known for growing up as computers and cell phones evolved – they have always been used to the more digital aspects of life. This acceptance of all things computer raises the question of interest in reading. Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, has been conducting a study every two years since 2010. Overall, there is a tendency for reading to be popular until a child is around age nine, and a drop in interest in and enjoyment of reading from then on.
Factors in Reading
It is important that children find books they enjoy. Infrequent readers are much more likely than frequent readers to not be able to find books that appeal to them.
Dr. Juan Hu, a Senior Instructor at Oregon State University who teaches human development, said a factor that impacts whether children read or not is the presence of books around the home. Children with parents who like to read are more likely to also like to read.
Hu said that characteristics of a person may factor in their desire to read, such as an introverted personality trait. She said that though females are more likely to read, a reading preference is not gendered. However, societal gender roles and how people think of masculine and feminine traits do impact whether or not someone reads.
Book Characters
Hikari Kawai, now a 20-year-old adult, loved reading Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans when she was five. The story is about Madeline and her 11 classmates and how they deal with a neighbor they do not like.
“Personally, for me the adventures and trials Madeline went through inspired me to be a brave child and to embrace the fun we can have in really any circumstance,” Kawai wrote. “I loved taking inspiration from this book too, to be mischievous and to just have fun being a kid. I would often imagine and think up more stories and adventures Madeline would go on and do too.”
Wanting to be similar to a main character is not unique to Kawai. In fact, children from 6 to 17 years old said that a similar main character was a key factor in how they choose reading material.
Diversity is also hugely important and seemingly becoming more important to children aged 12 to 17 and parents of children of all ages. This includes cultural and ethnic diversity in characters, characters who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as characters with disabilities. Though not many children specifically looked for characters such as these, children who were a part of any of these groups were more likely to read books with characters like themselves.
Morality and Shared Values
Diversity of characters is not the only draw. 20-year-old Cara Nixon said that the Harry Potter series, which tells the story of a young boy finding out he is magical and trying to grow into the wizard community while also saving it, was important to her moral values as a child and an adult.
“It taught me about the importance of friendship, sacrifice, and love,” Nixon wrote.
She said that reading about the characters was also important to her growth.
“The characters are complex, like real people, and they each taught me something different,” Nixon said. “Having these lessons in the form of a book series allowed me to learn from a young age what my own values were.”
In that same study by scholastic, it found that parents of children who read frequently were more likely to be frequent readers themselves and most likely thought reading was important and fun. In the case of Nixon, her mother started reading Harry Potter to her as a child.
An overwhelming 74% of children said that reading helps them understand broader issues both in their communities and in the world at large, as well as helping them personally.
Hu said that it is hard to tell if people choose a book that influences their morals or view of the world, or if people naturally choose books that already agree with and which affirm those views.
20-year-old Evan Davis, says that books such as Goosebumps, The Magic Treehouse, and The Chronicles of Narnia did have some impact on who he is, though he said they are not solely responsible for his character and values.
“In particular, as I recalled each of these pieces of literature, I noticed one thing that they all had in common, reality was not as it always seemed. Even today, that genre of fiction is attractive to me,” Davis wrote.
Gen Z: Shaped or Reflected in Books?
Popular books like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Inheritance Cycle, and The Hunger Games are admittedly more geared toward young adults. But it is interesting that these stories and many like them emphasize themes such as changing or dismantling systems implemented generations before the characters were born. Many plots in young adult novels, and even children’s books, focus on bettering the world by inclusion, or valuing people and fighting for what is right.
Could this be just the centuries old tradition of trying to teach values to children by using heroes? Or are children, some of whom are now grown Gen Z adults, merely choosing the books they read based off of values instilled elsewhere?
At this point there is no sure way to know with any amount of certainty. Whatever the case, books remain important. Even if that importance is solely placed on a specific book by its reader.
Books That Were Most Popular with Generation Z
The web site Bookriot did a survey and created a list of the 18 most popular books or book series for Gen Zers.
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Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan leads the list. It weaves together Greek myths and reality in a way that is engaging and memorable.
Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is second – and if you’ve seen the movie it doesn’t mean you’ve read the book. Dealing with discontent in your life and wishing things were different can cause some serious issues if Gaiman is telling your story.
Third on the list is Warriors by Erin Hunter. This is a series of books told through the eyes of cats, and it’s popular with kids of all ages still.
The fantasy series Inkheart comes in fourth. Cornelia Funke blends adventure and the love of books in these novels.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is next. A novel about kids dealing with extreme health issues, but remaining kids, this book is one adults of all ages love.
Kathryn Lasky’s Guardians of Ga’Hoole is sixth on the list. As Bookriot puts it, “Think 1984, but with owls.”
Next on the list is Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. A series that chronicles the mishaps of a kid totally not prepared for middle school, these books are funny and relatable.
Check out the rest of the list on Bookriot.
By: Hannah Ramsey
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