Study finds UK teenage boys 'stuck' on Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
A study conducted by Renaissance indicates that boys in the UK, aged 11 to 14, predominantly engage with primary-level literature, with eight out of the ten most popular books coming from Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. In contrast, girls explore a broader selection, including titles like Alice Oseman's Heartstopper and Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. The annual report, What Kids Are Reading, examined over 23 million quizzes from nearly 1.1 million students during the 2024-25 academic year. Researchers found that by the ages of 14 to 16, fewer than 10% of boys read daily, compared to 18% of girls. Additionally, only 28% of secondary schools provide at least 15 minutes for reading each day, which supports the government's National Year of Reading initiative aimed at boys.
Key facts
- Eight of the ten most-read books by UK boys aged 11-14 are from Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
- Girls aged 11-14 read a wider range including Heartstopper, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and The Hunger Games.
- The Renaissance report analyzed over 23 million reading quizzes from nearly 1.1 million children in the UK and Ireland.
- Less than 10% of boys aged 14-16 read daily in their spare time, compared to 18% of girls (National Literacy Trust).
- Only 28% of secondary schools set aside at least 15 minutes daily for reading, versus 62% of primary schools.
- Pupils scored 92% on comprehension quizzes for self-chosen books versus 76% across all books.
- The findings come during the UK government's National Year of Reading campaign.
- Reading enjoyment among children fell to its lowest level on record last year.
Entities
Artists
- Jeff Kinney
- Alice Oseman
- Holly Jackson
- Suzanne Collins
Institutions
- Renaissance
- National Literacy Trust
Locations
- United Kingdom
- Ireland