Around the world, young people are reading for pleasure less often, suggests a recent report. In Australia, 29% of high school students don’t read in their free time. So, how do we encourage our teenagers to read? There are some proven things you can do.

Do the teenagers in your life see you reading? Modelling good reading practices may inspire your children to adopt them. You can also encourage your teens to choose their own books and genres, without judging their choices: whether that’s fantasy, romance, graphic novels or the classics. You can also motivate their reading by helping or encouraging them to use the library.

Reading as a social activity with others their age is important to teens. This might include reading challenges, or being part of book clubs. And of course, online spaces like BookTok (TikTok’s reading community) have been hugely important in allowing teens to socialise around reading. (The Australian government’s new social media ban could interrupt this.)

Ultimately, young people – like most of us – are influenced by each other. So when it comes to reading, word of mouth is vital. Discovering books through readers their own age can be an excellent way for dormant readers to get back into reading.

Here’s what seven teens, aged 13 and 14, told us they enjoyed reading most in 2025. They mostly discovered their favourite books through word of mouth, from BookTok to........

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