Manga and the Importance of Choice With Reading for Pleasure

In mid April I used our whiteboard in the library to ask the students a question: 

What books should the library order? 

Immediately the board was filled with suggestions. What stood out were the suggestions for manga, particularly One Piece and Pokémon. 

I am very lucky that this year I am in a position where I can both replenish our manga collection and increase the amount of One Piece and Pokémon that we had in. 

In the UK, attitudes towards reading (for ages 8-18) are at their lowest levels since 2005 with boys and those on free school meals (FSM) least likely to find reading enjoyable. (Source) This is a major challenge when it comes to fostering engagement in a school. In addition, one in 11 children on FSM do not own one single book of their own. 

Another major issue is that youth often only identify themselves as a reader if they read traditional books outside of school, not comics or manga (Source). In my opinion, it is our role as librarians to shift this negative perspective around comics and manga. My approach has been to simply promote these mediums as much as possible, fill the shelves with them and get them into as many hands as I can. It has paid off. 

The manga arrived in early May and I noticed how popular they were, particularly amongst boys. I decided to run some stats and compare them to this time last year when we did not have the budget to increase our manga collection.

The results are not surprising, but it's another testament to the power of student voice and for giving youth choice in what they read. I know that by creating a wide variety of perspectives and voices in the library, borrowing has greatly increased and 

In May of 2024 (so far) manga represents almost exactly 30% (29.8) of all books borrowed in the month. 

In May 2023 manga represented just under 15% of all books borrowed in the month. 

Total borrowing in May 2024 increased by 34% compared to May 2023. 

In May 2023 boys borrowed 2% less than girls.

In May 2024 boys borrowed 30% more than girls. 

In our school, boys traditionally do borrow more than girls, but usually only by 4-5%. 

This does not mean that only boys borrow manga, but they do borrow a lot of manga - especially Pokémon and Once Piece as I mentioned earlier. 

This is a simple "build it and they will come" ideal but I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's easy to accomplish. 

Spending on public libraries, for example, has fallen by nearly 50% since 2010. This is despite the fact that English libraries generate at least £3.4 billion in value a year through services supporting children's literacy, digital inclusion and health. Cutting public libraries is cutting choice. 

One in eight schools in England do not have a library or designated reading space. This number jumps to one in four schools when looking at disadvantaged communities.

The approach must start with the idea that school libraries are an investment and not a cost. In my opinion this is a fundamental cornerstone that is often missing from the conversation. And there is more than enough data to back this up. 

We know that children who read for pleasure early in life perform better at cognitive tests and have better mental health when they enter adolescence (Source here).  

The Open University also found that:

Independent reading time - reading something that has not been prescribed by the teacher but chosen by the student & a relaxed reading environment are part of the keys to understanding boys' engagement with reading (Source here)

These are things we are very lucky to have at our library, but I am fully aware not everyone is in the same boat. I am extremely fortunate to have supportive SLT who are fully aware of the value the school library and librarian can bring. 

It's not just about increasing borrowing stats, although it's a nice thing to see when you run the numbers. It's about providing a safe space, a space students can be themselves and find themselves through friendship groups, clubs and of course fully stocked library shelves with an enthusiastic librarian helping to make those shelves come alive.