Publishing industry races to reverse 'decline by 9' in children's reading
Publishers are targeting the age when most kids stop reading for fun, deploying series like Wings of Fire and Percy Jackson to re-engage middle-grade readers.
What to know
- Children's reading for pleasure drops sharply after age 9, with only 35% continuing to read regularly—a phenomenon experts call 'the decline by 9.'
- Publishers are targeting this age group with popular series like Wings of Fire, Warrior Cats, Percy Jackson, and new releases to re-engage middle-grade readers.
- The industry's response suggests both recognition of the problem and confidence that the right books can reverse the trend.
Series fiction and franchise books are effective tools for maintaining reading engagement in middle-grade readers.
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“Wings of Fire are fun, and theres a ton of them! I liked the Warrior cats books at that age, and the same authors just put out a book called Renegades about animals with magic powers.”
cuteelfboy · reddit ↗
“Before then, they're voracious little bookworms, with most of them saying they read for fun at least five days a week. After their ninth birthday, only 35 percent still do.”
Constance Grady, Vox writer · Vox · Aug 19, 6:00 AM
Publishing industry Stakeholder addressing reading decline
The record 1 articles and posts · last 30 days
What people are saying 3 voices from 1 site · verbatim
- Aug 20
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They might have done it...? I don't know, a few years back I ordered Pizza Hut from the location closest to my home. I was disappointed, didn't seem anything like what I had remembered, I didn't go back for years. Recently, I was by another location and in a pinch for what to have for dinner. Made an order online at that Pizza Hut, got the pan…
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Has he read Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs by Caitlin Doughty yet? A bit on the morbid curiosity side of non fiction but specifically catered to young readers and Caitlin is an amazing author! (she also makes youtube videos under “Ask A Mortician”)
- Aug 19
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Wings of Fire are fun, and theres a ton of them! I liked the Warrior cats books at that age, and the same authors just put out a book called Renegades about animals with magic powers. Percy Jackson is the most direct comparison to HP.