WHILE teens at three Swindon schools bury their heads in a summer of reading for the Gr8 Debate, research shows more youngsters than ever are choosing to read in their spare time.

Data from the National Literacy Trust has shown more children are opting to read in their spare time, 41.1 per cent of the 32,000 pupils aged eight to 18 interviewed in 2014, compared to 32.2 per cent in 2013.

Only 10 per cent of the children said they did not like reading at all, with 54.4 per cent saying they enjoyed reading very much or quite a lot and 40.2 per cent thought reading was cool.

Stella Rogers, learning resources manager at Isambard Community School, said: "I'm not surprised more children are reading for pleasure nationally as teen fiction is experiencing something of a golden age at the moment with scores of wonderful authors who are writing exactly what young people want to read.

"Students here keep me on my toes by requesting a wide and wonderful spectrum of great reads. I love it when they come back and grab the next book in the series because they can't wait to find out what happens next or when they discover a new author that makes them think differently about the world.

"At Isambard we have always promoted the value of reading for pleasure and every day at 2pm everyone, staff and students alike, reads a book of their own choice for fifteen minutes. My advice to students is always to read the first few pages of a book to see if it will capture their imagination. If it doesn't, they should try a different one until they find the perfect fit. We all have different personalities and so do books."

Earlier this month, pupils at Isambard Community School, Nova Hreod Academy and The Ridgeway School and Sixth Form College were handed five books to read during the next five months in a challenge which will culminate in a morning battle of analysis and persuasion.

The yearly challenge, which is devised by the schools' learning resources managers, challenges 10 keen Year 8 students from each school to stretch their understanding of literature at a finale on October 8.

This year's books include The Rain by Virginia Bergin, Heroic by Phil Earle, Half Bad by Sally Green, Into that Forest by Louise Mowra, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher.

Following the launch of this year's challenge Stella said: "are so enthusiastic about their reading and it is wonderful for them to meet up with other like-minded people to discuss and debate and have fun together.”

Despite the general increase in reading for pleasure among children, the research also highlighted some worrying trends, including a persistent gender gap between girls and boys, with 46.5 per cent of girls saying they read daily outside class, compared with just 35.8 per cent of boys.

Girls were also more likely to say they enjoyed reading very much or quite a lot at 61.6 per cent compared to 47.1 per cent of boys.

Overall, more than half - 55.2 per cent - of children said they preferred watching television to reading, and almost a quarter - 24.3 per cent - believed their parents did not care if they spent time reading, rising to 31.5 per cent among children on free school meals.