Reading Preferences of Schoolchildren in Grades 5–9: Based on Sociological Research Materials

The article presents the results of a sociological study of reading preferences of schoolchildren in Kirov region, which was held in April — May 2022 on the basis of the Kirov State Universal Regional Scientific Library named after A.I. Herzen. The purpose of the survey was to analyze the reading preferences of respondents and empirical confirmation of the hypothesis that book illustration is an effective means of attracting children and adolescents to reading. The results of the study showed that in choosing their favourite works, schoolchildren give priority to foreign literature, graphic novels or works from the school curriculum, but the distribution of their interests is different. Teenagers prefer to choose literature independently, randomly or following fashion, bloggers’ and peers’ advice, and they also prefer illustrated books. It is concluded that teenagers’ reading should be “gently” managed by parents, teachers and librarians. The mechanism of such management should be built on the basis of trends in the development of the information environment, taking into account the preferences of teenagers, and without any pressure. Library lessons devoted to book illustration and visual literature can be an effective tool.