A new report from Circana BookScan provides more detail on the slowing print sales of middle grade books. Book sales for children 9–12 have been soft for several years and the new report showed that print unit sales of middle grade books fell 5% in the first half of 2024 from the comparable period in 2023. The decline, which amounts to 1.8 million fewer copies being sold than a year ago, was the largest decline among all children’s age groups. Excluding middle grade, children’s book sales were down just 2% in the first six months of the year.

The six-month decline follows two years of falling sales since sales to the age group peaked in 2021. Publishers and booksellers have been talking about the drop for more than a year. The report notes that while some of the steady decline can be attributed to post-pandemic behavior adjustments, there are other factors in play.

Brenna Connor, book industry analyst at Circana, suggested that reading for pleasure is losing out to other activities for 9-to12 year-olds. “Screentime is a factor, and consumer research shows a negative correlation between increased screentime and reading for fun. The more time children spend watching a screen, the less time they have to read,” Connor said.

While the middle grade segment as a whole is in decline, the report did point to some pockets of growth. For example, like the adult book market, themes tied to escapism are posting gains. In the middle grade book market, subjects that have had sales gains include robots and dragons, as well as adventure and wilderness stories. Sales of graphic novels have also been a bright spot.

In addition, Circana’s newly released "Future of Books" study provides other insights into the sale of middle grade books. One finding is that compared to other children’s age segments, middle grade book buyers report higher instances of discovering books based on friend or family recommendations. In addition, middle grade book buyers are more likely to report purchasing a book at their school’s book fair compared to other children.

“As an industry, we need to find creative, actionable ways to improve reading frequency, and educating parents is one place to start," Connor said." By understanding the connection between their child’s well-being and how often they read for fun, we can help to encourage this valuable—and hopefully lifelong—behavior.”