Inside Hachette’s Mission To Reverse The Global Reading Crisis

In a time that is dominated by screens, social media, and endless distractions, the simple act of opening a physical book is quietly slipping away from the rising generation. Unfortunately, the statistics paint a stark reality: according to U.S. Department of Education data, reading for fun among 13-year-olds has plummeted by nearly half since 2012, while the portion of 9-year-olds reading for pleasure has dropped 16 percentage points over the past decade.

As a media partner committed to empowering communities and elevating transformative narratives, Her Agenda is standing alongside Hachette Book Group (HBG) and over 50 leading publishing and literacy organizations, including PEN America, We Need Diverse Books, Penguin Random House, and Macmillan, to highlight Raising Readers.

When evaluating the factors that determine a child’s long-term trajectory, we often point to socio-economic background, school funding, or parental education levels. However, decades of research point to a far more accessible metric: reading for pleasure.

According to the aforementioned research, engaging with books for fun directly correlates to stronger academic performance, emotional resilience, economic security, advanced communication skills, and personal ambition. It is the ultimate equalizer. Yet, as children transition into adolescence, reading for enjoyment encounters a sharp drop-off.

“Reading, as all of us who work with books know, is an activity that is both fun and mentally and spiritually nourishing,” says David Shelley, CEO of Hachette Book Group and Hachette UK. “In fact, reading for pleasure as a child is the single most significant factor in future success. But we sometimes need to toot the horn for reading a little more loudly.”

To spark a cultural shift, HBG has launched a compelling public service announcement (PSA) centered on the simple solution of reading to or with a child for just 10 minutes a day. Watch below!

To broaden its reach, Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has joined the campaign as a spokesperson, lending her voice to Hachette audiobooks to encourage adults to build daily reading habits with the youth in their lives.

Over 12 million books across HBG and Hachette UK currently feature dedicated messages about the literacy crisis, with that figure projected to hit 25 million copies across 3,000 titles.

Reversing a decade-long decline won’t happen overnight, but big changes begin at home, in our classrooms, and within our professional networks. As media partners, we invite our readership to step up and participate in this initiative:

• Take the 10-Minute Pledge: Visit JoinRaisingReaders.com and sign the pledge committing to read with a child for at least 10 minutes a day.
• Access the Toolkits: Utilize the free downloadable resources available on the Raising Readers portal to find age-appropriate reading lists, discussion guides, and engagement tips.
• Model the Behavior: Children emulate what they see. Put down your devices for 10 minutes today, pick up a book, and let the young people around you see that reading is a rewarding, lifelong practice.