Pilinut Press suggests a couple reasons such as “the majority of the reading they [the students] do is for school,” and “they are struggling with reading at the level of their peers” (https://rb.gy/k0honw).
When reading becomes forced and makes a person feel less than others, it’s easy to think of reading as something painful, but there are numerous studies that prove that reading helps both mentally and physically. To encourage reading in our generation, here a few books that are set to grab the attention of reluctant readers.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas focuses on a teenage girl who fights against racism, police brutality, and activism after having to witness the murder of her Black friend by the police. “Students are drawn not only to the characters but to the real-world and all-too-relevant social justice problems presented within The Hate U Give,” says It’s Lit Reading (https://rb.gy/kh1fop).
Secondary Sara (https://rb.gy/akud9s) recommends the book Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. This book is a love story between two teens who meet on the bus on Eleanor’s first day at school, and connect through mixtapes and comic books. Sandie Angulo Chen, a critic from Common Sense Media, reviewed the book saying, “Author Rainbow Rowell touchingly explores the overwhelming nature of first love — the kind of love that feels as if it can last a lifetime, that can help heal wounds and open doors.”
Book Riot advises readers to read The Program by Suzanne Young, and it can be gotten free in March at https://bookriot.com/free-books-from-simon-teen/. When suicide becomes an epidemic in America, teens are forced to join The Program, which makes them become emotionless beings. A review written by a 13-year-old teen from the Felicitous Freedom says, “The mere concept of this book is exceptional. Suicide is an issue today, and it is interesting to extend that to such a degree as in this book.”
The more books you read, the more you’ll be able to develop your own sense of likes and dislikes when it comes to reading. Once you take the chance to broaden your horizons, there are multiple universes waiting for you within the pages of each book.