A new study finds Americans are getting nostalgic for the books of their youth.
More than half of Americans (54%) say they transport themselves back to their childhoods by reading their favorite books as kids.
BEST KIDS BOOKS OF ALL-TIME:
A new survey asked 2,000 U.S. adults about their favorite picture books in childhood and found that Stan Berenstain’s “The Berenstain Bears” books tops the list (31%). Other popular picks include “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein (30%), “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter (30%), and “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown (29%).
In the realm of chapter books, respondents cited “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll (24%), “Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder (23%), and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl (22%).
Books have also taught many a valuable life lesson.
According to respondents, the most important of these were to “always be friendly,” that “every living thing has feelings,” to “laugh at your mistakes,” and “to be true to yourself and not be swayed by social pressure.”
More than seven in 10 (73%) say their parents read to them each night when they were kids, with the average respondent listening to five books a night. According to 69 percent of the poll, reading books as a child helped them learn to appreciate literature more in adulthood.
“Books clearly play an important role during the childhood years and have a lasting effect into adulthood.
As we head into summer, it is important for children to find fun incentives to continue reading.
Reading challenges can include incentives for both students and adults to pick up more books during the summer months.
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