Author-illustrator Neil Coslett argues that children still love stories.
Neil Coslett
In a world of social media, virtual reality and online gaming, the battle for children’s attention is real – and the kids are in charge.
We all know reading habits have changed, and it seems children have mastered how to navigate a screen before turning the page of a book. The statistics back it, with reports that the percentage of children and young people in 2025 who read for pleasure is at a record low.
Short, fast and instant entertainment dominates. So how can the gentle pace of books engage a generation raised on reels where everything’s furiously visual and endless?
Stories haven’t gone away
The fact is kids still love stories. Text may have jumped from page to screen where it explodes like eye-candy glitter bombs, but children are still engaging with words and stories, no matter how short or chaotic.
It may all seem like brain-rotting noise to older generations, but there’s no reason why books can’t compete. Anyone who knows a kid who’s hooked on computer games or can’t get enough binge-watching of their new favourite show can see that stories haven’t gone away, it’s just how a child discovers them that’s changed.
I think a way to make reading exciting for kids who’d rather scroll than crack open a book is by bridging that gap and bringing some of the world they’re used to onto the page. It’s part of the reason I created my debut book Kid Potato. Five little cartoony episodes crammed into a book about relatable life with some funny drawings. I hope kids who grab a copy find it makes reading feel like fun, not a chore.
Books that grab attention
There’s tons of fantastic books out there that are already doing a great job of grabbing kids’ attention away from screens. Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the gold standard, mixing hilarious everyday experiences kids know in a scrappy visual diary. Liz Pichon’s Tom Gates series oozes the warmth of familiar life with doodles that feel like they’ve spilled onto the page from a real kid’s head. Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man is just pure page-flipping fun, and kids love it!
If we want to encourage reading in reluctant kids glued to screens, I think the first step is to simply make more books that feel like the entertainment they already love. Fun, quirky and digestible stories packed full of drawings just like the visual chaos they’re used to.
OK, a book may not make chirpy little ping sounds or distract with a video of a cat playing bagpipes on a skateboard, but there is something special about the relationship a child can have with a physical book.
They can carry it everywhere, kick it under the bed, share it with friends, or just use it as a drinks mat. Plus, there’s no annoying pop-up ads, or protective case required.
Books as a gateway
It’s not like there aren’t plenty of engaging opportunities already available to encourage kids to read. World Book Day has been exciting children for years with the joy of dressing up as iconic book characters and giving kids the chance to own their first book. And of course the wonderful work of charities like BookTrust continues to be crucial in making reading accessible to kids wherever they are and whatever their background.
Any time a child is motivated to grab a book by the desire to simply read, it’s a precious chance for them to build their vocabulary and gain reading confidence.
It can be a vital gateway to discovering a rich new world of stories. If we can get kids reading on their own terms, then one book can lead to another, and another.
Books are unique in how they slow things down, allowing a story to unfold at a child’s own pace. And maybe that’s the whole point.
I believe if we can step into the world kids live in, it may be possible to get them to swap the endless scrolling of a screen with the calm turning of a page.
Dog Man, created by Captain Underpants’ Dav Pilkey, is a comic masterclass, perfect for the surreal sense of humour of the average six- to nine-year-old.
Meet Kid Potato and his pals Chomp and Raven as they plunge headlong into absurd adventures, from befriending an alien to escaping from an out-of-control robotic toilet. Five stories are rolled into this one, hilarious book, which is bursting with boisterous illustrations.
