Ferguson, D. (2020). in her article states that ‘children today are reading less and finding less enjoyment from reading than in previous generations’, this is a contradiction to author Khyiah Angel (as cited in Taylor, 2018) where she found ‘that children are reading more, they are just reading differently’. It is important to note though that we are dealing with individuals who are reading in a vastly changed literature landscape and that the more ‘traditional’ reading of the past may not provide the same enjoyment and engagement with students of today. Students have early access to mobile devices and the internet in their everyday lives and are often termed ‘digital natives’ due to the high exposure to digital technology in their lives (Helsper & Eynon, 2010, p.503). The children’s book market is adapting to meet the demands within the childrens and young adult categories of literature and providing young people with a greater range and innovation than ever before. Audio and Ebooks provide the opportunity to have access to reading material at any point in time and the formats can be adapted to meet the reading style of the individual to ensure the greatest level of accessibility, engagement and enjoyment. As Short (2018), highlights visual imagery is an important facet in the children’s book market due to the changing nature of the audience and that images assist in students making meaning from reading material. Authors are also changing their style of delivery of reading material, with a standout being ‘I know why you run’ by Khyiah Angel where a traditional print book incorporates technology through the use of augmented reality – allowing the reader to be immersed in the story and to also create their own plots as part of the reading experience. The future will continue to see an adaptation of the traditional book to meet the changing preferences of children and young adults and to ensure they have greater access to books in various formats which engage and excite the reader.
References
Angel, K. (2018). I know why you run. [mbook]. Australia: Typology Tech.
Ferguson, D. (2020, February 29). Children are reading less than ever before, research reveals. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/29/children-reading-less-says-new-research
Helsper, E., & Eynon, R. (2010). Digital natives: Where is the evidence? British Educational Research Journal, 36(3), 503-520. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27823621
Short, K. (2018). What’s trending in children’s literature and why it matters. Language Arts, 95(5), 287- 298. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/2036727382/fulltextPDF/A6666AC515B942C1PQ/1?accountid=10344
Taylor, A. (2018, September 16). ‘Technology can bring books alive’: Harry Potter inspires novel with moving images. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/technology-can-bring-books-alive-harry-potter-inspires-novel-with-moving-images-20180915-p50407.html