Fiction fact: Teens don’t want books for Christmas

THINK again if you were going to buy your teenage child, niece, nephew or godchild a good book for Christmas because the chances are they won’t really mean it when — or if — they say “thank you”.

Only half of 15-year-old girls fancy a book as a present, but they are far more likely than boys to read for enjoyment.

The popularity of video games and rising internet usage among teenagers might be partially behind the fall in reading — only 32% of almost 4,000 Irish 15-year-olds who took part in an international reading ability test last year said it was one of their favourite hobbies, compared to 36% in 2000.