scholasticA surprising 73 percent of kids report the they would read more if they could find more books that they liked, according to a new report by Scholastic.

The Kids & Family Reading Report: Fifth Edition, which comes out entirely in January, examines the reading habits of kids 6-17. The research reveals that  70 percent of kids want to read a book that will make them laugh when reading for fun and 54 percent like reading books that allow them to use their imagination.
Different age groups seek different types of stories. According to the report kids 6-8 like to read books with characters that look like them and kids 9-11 enjoy with a mystery or problem to solve, whereas 12-14 year olds look for books with smart, strong or brave characters and 15-17 year olds are looking for books that allow them to escape.

Here is what kids of different ages are seeking:
54% say:  Let me use my imagination.
48% say:  Tell me a made-up story.
43% have characters they want to be like because they are smart, strong, or brave.
43% teach me something new.
41% have a puzzle or mystery to solve.
*73% say:  I would read more if I could find books I like!

Kids 6 to 8
Are more likely than older kids to want:books with characters that look like them.
Kids 9 to 11
Are more likely than younger kids to want:books that have amystery or problem to solve.
Kids 12 to 14
Are more likely than older kids to want:books with smart, strong or brave characters.
Kids 15 to 17
Are more likely than younger kids to want:books that let them forget about real life for a while.