A recent National Literacy Trust survey, Teenage Reading: (Re)framing the Challenge, found that fewer than one in 10 boys aged 14 to 16 in the U.K. read daily, as "reading for pleasure was being crowded out of teenage lives by schoolwork, screens and sports," the Guardian reported. Although reading declines for both boys and girls in early adolescence, the report found that there are "signs of recovery" among girls in later teenage years, while boys' engagement remains persistently low.
The NLT survey of 80,000 young people (11-16 years old) found that 46.9% of children 8 to 11 enjoyed reading, falling to 29.5% (11-14) and 28.6% (14-16). By mid-adolescence, daily reading is "uncommon," coming in at 31.1% (8-11), 17.1% (11-14), and 14% (14-16).
Reading rates are lower for boys at every age, the Guardian noted, citing survey results that showed 36% of girls 8-11 years old said they read daily, compared to 26.3% of boys of the same age. At 14-16, the results dropped to 17.6% of girls and just 9.8% of boys.
"Over the past 20 years, children and young people's enjoyment of reading and their daily reading habits have fallen steeply to their lowest levels on record, with the drop especially pronounced for teenagers," said NLT CEO Jonathan Douglas. "As young people grow older, reading increasingly competes with a multitude of pressures on their time, changing routines, a wider range of interests and activities and greater independence. As a result, reading can become easier to displace, particularly when it is not rooted in daily life. Teenage boys' reading is especially fragile."
---
Romania has been named guest of honor at the 80th Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), scheduled for October 11-15, 2028.
"I am very excited that Romania will be guest of honor at the 2028 book fair," said Juergen Boos, Fair director. "Romanian literature has long been present in Europe thanks to its strong contemporary literary voices. Authors such as Mircea Cărtărescu and Gabriela Adamesteanu are being read worldwide and their works have been translated into numerous languages. Their books tell of a country that has undergone political upheaval, censorship and new beginnings. We are looking forward to seeing the diversity of the country's multilingual literary landscape in Frankfurt."
András Demeter, Romania's Minister of Culture, commented: "The designation of our country as guest of honor at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2028 certifies a cognizance of the values of our culture, but it also implies a significant responsibility. We intend to approach this participation with care, professionalism and long-term vision, revealing the depth and vitality of Romania's cultural landscape today."
---
BookNet Canada examined what it called "the Heated Rivalry effect" on Canadian romance fiction sales, noting that Rachel Reid's novel series, further enhanced by the TV adaptation, is "such a big hit, even Prime Minister Mark Carney has gotten swept up in the phenomenon."
Thus far in 2026, the first six titles on the romance category bestseller list are all of Rachel Reid's Game Changers series, BookNet Canada noted, adding that "likely due to the name of the TV show, the second book in the series, Heated Rivalry, is the one winning the sales face-off.... We can't wait to see if the impact of the show continues to drive book sales throughout 2026."