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According to the 4th biannual edition of Scholastic’s (@Scholastic) national survey Kids & Family Reading Report™ (#KFRR),

·         The percent of 6-17-year-olds who have read an ebook has almost doubled since 2010 (25% vs. 46%), but that also means more than half (54%) of US kids have never read an ebook. Although, bear in mind, this statistic contrasts with the just announced study from Digital Book World and PlayScience, The ABCs of Kids & Ebooks: Understanding the E-Reading Habits of Children Aged 2-13 that says 54% of US children aged 2-13 are reading ebooks.

·         Half of children age 9-17 say they’d read more books for fun if they had greater access to ebooks – a 50% increase since 2010.

·         Overall, about half of parents (49%) feel their children don’t spend enough time reading books for fun – an increase from 2010 when 36% of parents were dissatisfied with time their child spent reading.

·         72% of parents show an interest in having their child read ebooks.

·         1 in 4 boys who has read an ebook says he is now reading more books for fun.

·         More than half (57%) of moderately frequent readers (kids who read 1 to 4 days a week) who have not read an ebook agree they’d read more if they had greater access to ebooks.

·         80% of kids who read ebooks still read books for fun primarily in print.

·         58% of kids age 9-17 say they’ll always want to read books printed on paper even though there are ebooks available (a slight decline from 66% in 2010).

·         Among girls since 2010, frequent readers have declined (42% vs. 36%), as has reading enjoyment (39% vs. 32% say they love reading), and the importance of reading books for fun (62% vs. 56% say it’s extremely or very important).

·         Among girls ages 12-17 there was an increase in the amount of time they spend visiting social networking sites and using their smartphones for going online.

·         Among boys since 2010, reading enjoyment has increased (20% vs. 26% say they love reading), as has the importance of reading books for fun (39% vs. 47%). Reading frequency among boys has stayed steady, with 32% being frequent readers.

·         Kids say ebooks are better than print books when they don’t want their friends to know what they’re reading, and when they’re out and about/traveling.

·         Print books are seen by kids as better for sharing with friends and reading at bedtime.

·         Consistent with the 2010 Kids & Family Reading Report, 9 in 10 kids say they’re more likely to finish a book they choose themselves.

·         31% of parents who’ve read an ebook say they personally read more books now than they read before starting to read ebooks.

·         32% of parents say they’re reading new kinds of books they never thought they would read, including children’s books and teen fiction.

Read the press release.

Read the full report (pdf).

Read coverage by Publishers Weekly.

Also see our previous blogposts

• "Ebook Reading Jumps; Print Book Reading Declines"
• "Ebooks Destroying Traditional Publishing? The Story's Not That Simple"
• "BISG Report: More Ebook Buyers Buying Print Books"
• "Extensive New Study: The Rise of E-Reading"

and other posts tagged "Ebook."

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you strategically publish and market pbooks, ebooks, and audiobooks.