In 2012 the Department for Education published Research Evidence on Reading for Pleasure. The first section highlights research evidence on reading for pleasure from domestic and international literature, exploring evidence on why children read as well as trends and benefits of independent reading amongst primary and secondary-aged children. The second section covers evidence supporting what works in promoting reading for pleasure.
In June 2018 the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education published Reflecting Realities: a Survey of Ethnic Representations within UK Children's Literature. It included the worrying statistic that only 1% of children's books published in 2017 for the 3-11 year-old age group included a main character from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. The statistics also revealed that only 4% of books contain BAME characters.
In June 2018 the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education published Reflecting Realities: a Survey of Ethnic Representations within UK Children's Literature. It included the worrying statistic that only 1% of children's books published in 2017 for the 3-11 year-old age group included a main character from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. The statistics also revealed that only 4% of books contain BAME characters.